KOTA KINABALU: 28 September 2026
BIGSABAH Sale will return to the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) from 30 October to 1 November, with more than 600 booths and an expected 100,000 visitors.
SICC chief executive officer and organising chairman Datuk Dr Rosmawati Lasuki said last year, the event drew 80,615 visitors to 650 booths.
This year the emphasis changes. The fair retains its consumer hall but will add formal business matching between Sabah SMEs and buyers, distributors and importers from Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines.
The theme is “Across Markets, Beyond Borders”.
“Last year we counted heads. This year we count outcomes,” Rosmawati said. “B2C gives you customers. B2B gives you markets.”
She said one trade connection can outweigh three days of retail sales.
The move reflects the value of business events.
In the first half of 2026, 194 events drew 341,182 delegates and generated an estimated RM1.81 billion, according to MyCEB.
It also rides Sabah’s tourism recovery.
The state logged 3.79 million arrivals in 2025, up 20.8 per cent.
As of August this year, arrivals stand at 2.55 million, up 4.1 per cent.
International arrivals are up 6.9 per cent to 1.1 million. The state is targeting four million for Visit Malaysia 2026.
“Attendance is not the measure. Conversion is,” Rosmawati said.
Events include the Big Bad Wolf book fair, an AI business bootcamp, CULT car culture festival, agro forum, and protocol and etiquette workshops.
Organisers cited the Canton Fair as a model – not for scale, but for repeat business between buyers and sellers.
