KL to host PM convention

Story and Photos by JOHNNI WONG

MALAYSIA can expect at least 3,000 visitors from Europe when the PM-International multi-level marketing convention is held in Kuala Lumpur next October. 

Tourism Ministry deputy director-general II Datin Dalilah Ahmad told StarBiz that based on the 6,000 participants at the recently concluded PM-International convention in Germany, at least 50% of the people would qualify. 

“We can conservatively estimate that at least half of the participants this year will be able to come to Malaysia next year,” said Dalilah, when interviewed at the convention centre in Karlsruhe, in southwest Germany and next to the border with France. 

Malaysia won the opportunity to host the event when PM Wellness (M) Sdn Bhd president and chief executive officer C.K. Yung convinced PM-International founder Rolf Sorg that the Malaysian Government was firmly behind the bid. 

Said Dalilah: “We welcome any company to see us, in order to help them bid for any convention to be held in Malaysia. 

“We are quite experienced in bidding for conventions but in the international scene, anything can happen at the last minute. Our job is to help companies secure Malaysia as the convention venue.” 

At the Karlsruhe convention, when Sorg announced that Malaysia was the chosen venue for 2007, he quipped whether the country has enough rooms to cater to all 6,000 participants if everyone qualified for the incentive tour thrown in. His distributors need to sell 1,800 euros worth of products within several months to qualify. 

“The Malaysian Government is strongly behind this bid and in fact, their Tourism Ministry officials brought with them not only gifts for everyone but a dance troupe as well to show the country's cultural attractions,” said Sorg, referring to the souvenirs, DVD on Malaysia and Frankfurt-based students roped in as part-time dancers.  

“And I have been assured by Malaysia Airlines senior officials that special flights from Frankfurt will be arranged to fly us all there together. 

One of the Frankfurt-based dancers distributing Tourism Malaysia goody-bags at the convention hall.

“I have been to Malaysia and the country is truly beautiful. Those who have not been out of Germany or Europe should take this incentive as a once in a lifetime opportunity to visit a unique country in Asia.” 

According to Yung, this is the first time in the 12 years of PM-International that the company's international convention will be held in Asia. 

“I invited the top decision-makers of PM International in Germany three years ago to visit Malaysia. After their first visit, my company has been lobbying them to have their international convention in our country.” 

PM-International's FitLine nutrition and food supplements are distributed in over 30 countries including most of Europe, US, Australia and Malaysia.  

PM Wellness (M) Sdn Bhd has distributed Fitline products since 2003 and it has also been appointed to launch PM International products to other Asian countries, thus making PM Wellness Malaysia the regional headquarters in Asia.