“ACROSS MARKETS, BEYOND BORDERS” TO STRENGTHEN SABAH’S BUSINESS CONNECTIONS ACROSS EAST ASEAN.
KOTA KINABALU, 28 SEPTEMBER 2026 – BIGSABAH Sale International Convention Centre (SICC) from 30 October to 1 November 2026, featuring more than 600 booths and targeting over 100,000 visitors over three days.
The detalls were announced today at the BIGSABAH Sale 2026 Press Conference by Datuk Dr. Hajah Rosmawati Haji Lasuki, Chief Executive Officer of SICC and Organising Chairperson of BIGSABAH Sale 2026.
Building on the momentum of BIGSABAH Sale 2025, which attracted 80,615 visitors and featured 650 booths, this year’s edition will bring together consumers, entrepreneurs, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and established brands from Sabah and beyond, while placing greater emphasis on business engagement and regional market access.
“Our ambition is not simply to attract a bigger crowd. Our ambition is to create greater value from the platform we have built. A successful exhibition should not be measured only by the number of people who walk through its doors, but also by the business it generates, the connections it facilitates and the opportunities that continue beyond the exhibition,” said Datuk Dr. Hajah 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.
BIGSABAH Sale 2026 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.
While BIGSABAH Sale retains its strong Business-to-Consumer (B2C) foundation, the 2026 edition will place greater emphasis 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.
“B2C gives businesses customers. B2B can give businesses markets. One meaningful business connection can sometimes be worth much more than three days of retail sales,” she added.
The organisers also highlighted the wider economic contribution of exhibitions to Malaysia’s Business Events industry.
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.
Datuk Dr. Hajah 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 and creating greater opportunities for businesses and destinations.
BIGSABAH Sale 2026 is also expected to contribute Sabah’s tourism momentum,
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 Datuk Dr. Hajah Rosmawati.
She noted that exhibitors, buyers and business delegations generate economic activity across a wider range of sectors, including accommodation, transportation, food and beverage, retail and other local services. At the same time, business relationships established during the event can continue to generate opportunities well beyond the exhibition itself.
Visitors to BIGSABAH Sale 2026 can look forward to a diverse line-up of programmes and activities designed to appeal to families, entrepreneurs, professionals, young people and creative communities.
Among the programmes and activities are:
- Big Bad Wolf Book Fair
- 5th Edition of CULT – Car Culture Festival 2026
- AI Business Scale-Up Bootcamp
- Agro Forum and Trade Connect
- Fashion shows
- Portrait photography
- Elite Presence Workshop
- Royal & VVIP Protocol Workshop
- Dining Etiquette Workshop
- Esports and talent competitions
- And many more activities and programmes
Looking ahead, 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, where buyers and sellers return year after year to build business relationships and explore new market opportunities.
“We want businesses to eventually say, “We need to be at BIGSABAH Sale because this is where we meet the market. Bigger must mean greater impact-greater opportunities for our SMES, activity for the state,” she said. stronger regional participation, more Sabah products reaching new markets, and more economic
The organising committee expressed its appreciation to the Sabah State Government and relevant agencies, sponsors, strategic partners, exhibitors and members of the media for their continued support in making BIGSABAH Sale a growing platform for business, trade and consumer engagement.
For the latest information on BIGSABAH Sale 2026, including participating exhibitors, programmes and activities, members of the public may visit bigsabahsales.my or follow the official BIGSABAH Sale and SICC social media channels
