Kota Kinabalu: BIGSABAH Sale 2026 is back from Oct 30 to Nov 1, featuring more than 600 booths and targeting over 100,000 visitors over three days.
Building on last year’s event, which attracted 80,615 visitors and featured 650 booths at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC), this year’s edition will bring together consumers, entrepreneurs, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and established brands from Sabah and beyond.
SICC chief executive officer and organising chairperson Datuk Dr Rosmawati Lasuki said this year’s event would also place greater emphasis on business engagement and regional market access.
“A successful exhibition should also be measured by the business it generates, the connections it facilitates and the opportunities that continue beyond the exhibition,” said Rosmawati.
This year’s theme, “Across Markets, Beyond Borders”, reflects Sabah’s strategic position within East ASEAN and its close geographical and economic links with Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines.
The event, she said, aims to provide Sabah businesses with greater access to regional markets, while positioning Sabah as a platform where businesses from outside the state can introduce their products, reach new customers and identify potential partners.
She said greater emphasis would be placed on business-to-business (B2B) engagement through business matching and trade-focused programmes.
Exhibitors will have opportunities to connect with potential buyers, distributors, retailers, importers, investors and strategic partners, creating pathways for business relationships that can extend beyond the three-day event, she said.
According to the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), 194 business events involving 341,182 delegates in the first half of 2026 generated an estimated economic impact of RM1.81 billion.
Rosmawati acknowledged the continued efforts of MyCEB, the Sabah Convention Bureau and the Malaysian Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (MACEOS) in strengthening Malaysia’s business events industry.
BIGSABAH Sale is also expected to contribute to Sabah’s tourism momentum, she added.
Sabah recorded 3.79 million visitor arrivals in 2025, representing a 20.8 per cent increase year-on-year, and is working towards the target of four million visitor arrivals in conjunction with Visit Malaysia 2026, while preparing for Visit Sabah 2027.
As of August 2026, Sabah recorded 2,556,823 visitor arrivals, an increase of 4.1 per cent, including 1,100,546 international arrivals, which grew by 6.9 per cent.
“That is why the value of an exhibition should not only be measured by attendance. It should also be measured by conversion,” said Rosmawati.
She noted that exhibitors, buyers and business delegations generate economic activity across a range of sectors, including accommodation, transportation, food and beverage, retail and other local services.
At the same time, she said business relationships established during the event could continue to generate opportunities beyond the exhibition itself.
The event is designed to appeal to families, entrepreneurs, professionals, young people and creative communities, she said.
Among the programmes and activities are Big Bad Wolf Book Fair, AI Business Scale-Up Bootcamp, the 5th Edition of CULT - Car Culture Festival 2026, and Agro Forum and Trade Connect, among others.
Looking ahead, she said the organisers aim to grow BIGSABAH Sale into a recognised trade and consumer marketplace in East ASEAN, drawing lessons from established international exhibitions such as the Canton Fair.
Also present were Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry permanent secretary Datuk Josie Lai and Sabah Tourism Board chief executive officer Julinus Jeffrey Jimit.
