The Malaysian government has announced plans to develop a new international trade and exhibition district in Kuala Lumpur.

Central to the district, planned for the Jalan Duta area, will be KL Metropolis – a development of offices, hotels, retail and residential units and a 1 million sq ft convention and exhibition centre. Construction will begin in the middle of 2012 and phase one, including the exhibition centre and two hotels, is scheduled for completion by 2015.

Zulkefli Hj Sharif, CEO of Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), said the development would cement Malaysia’s position as ‘Asia’s business events hub’ – the tagline of the bureau’s new marketing campaign.

He added that MyCEB supported 153 business events during January to October 2011, with 104,000 delegates, and that 41 events with 39,000 delegates had already been confirmed for 2012 to 2018.

Other recent activity included the launch of a new interactive website, the development of an ambassadors’ scheme and the appointment of UK-based sales and marketing representation company, Moulden Marketing.

Pictured: an artist’s impression of KL Metropolis