Penang for Conferences & Business Travel: MICE Guide
Organising or attending a conference in Penang? The two convention centres (Setia SPICE in Bayan Lepas and the new PWCC in Gelugor), how PCEB helps organisers, where to take a group to eat, and how to spend one free afternoon.
Prices in this guide are our estimates unless a source is linked, and they change often. Check with the venue or operator before you go.
Penang has two purpose-built convention and exhibition centres, and both are on the island. Setia SPICE Convention Centre is in Bayan Lepas (Relau), near the airport. The Penang Waterfront Convention Centre (PWCC) opened in October 2025 inside The Light City on the Gelugor waterfront. Neither is in George Town, so the first thing to check on any registration is which of the two your event is at.
This guide is for running or attending the event itself: the venues, the support the state's convention bureau offers organisers, group dinners, and what to do with a free afternoon. For hotels near each venue, see our companion guide, where to stay for business events in Penang.
Two convention centres on the island that each take up to 8,000 people theatre or conference style, a state bureau (PCEB) that supports organisers free of charge, and George Town's heritage core for the evenings.
Event organisers weighing Penang for a conference or exhibition, delegates and exhibitors attending an event at Setia SPICE or PWCC, and business travellers with a free afternoon
The two convention centres
| Setia SPICE Convention Centre | Penang Waterfront Convention Centre (PWCC) | |
|---|---|---|
| Area | Bayan Lepas (Relau), Penang Island | The Light City, Gelugor waterfront, Penang Island |
| Operator | S P Setia | Managed by KINTEX (South Korea) |
| Largest layout | Main ballroom up to 8,000 conference style, 3,500 banquet | Main hall up to 8,000 theatre style, 5,500 banquet |
| Other space | 78,959 m² of total event space; SPICE Arena and concourse up to 10,000; 260 exhibition booths in the ballroom | ~30,650 m² gross floor area; 7,060 m² net lettable main hall |
| Meeting rooms | 15 function rooms (up to ~200 each) | 19 meeting rooms |
| Opened | Established venue; has hosted the ICCA Asia Pacific Summit (2019) and the 45th IAA World Congress (2024) | October 2025; has hosted MATTA Fair Penang and WATERTECH ASIA |
| Road distance to KOMTAR (George Town) | ~14.0 km | ~10.2 km |
Capacities and track record come from our business events in Penang page, which cites the operators and trade press. Road distances are OpenStreetMap (OSRM) routing, as used in our stay guide. We don't give drive times, because Penang traffic varies too much by hour.
Setia SPICE's own website gives its address as No. 108C, Jalan Tun Dr. Awang, 11900 Penang, the Bayan Lepas postcode. It is on the island, not on the mainland.
Hotel ballrooms and heritage spaces. Smaller conferences, incentive dinners and gala nights also run in hotel ballrooms. Our business-events page names Ascott Gurney, Royale Chulan Penang and the Iconic Marjorie Hotel in Bayan Lepas among the hotels that have hosted business events, along with George Town heritage event spaces. Ask the hotel directly for current capacities, because we only publish a figure when the operator does.
What is 'PICC' in Penang?
PICC in Bayan Lepas is the Penang International Commercial City, a mixed-use property development by Hunza Properties: serviced apartments, with a mall, offices and a hotel planned in its later phase. It is not a convention centre. If an event listing gives "PICC" as the venue, check the exact building with the organiser. Penang's two convention centres are Setia SPICE and PWCC.
Upcoming conferences and trade shows
Our Penang business events calendar lists upcoming conferences, trade fairs and exhibitions at both venues, with the source for each date. Large public fairs draw tens of thousands of visitors (our business-events page lists MATTA Fair Penang at around 50,000), so check the calendar before you fix dates for a group. If you're planning further ahead, the 2027 Penang planner puts business events next to the festivals and public holidays.
Support for organisers: PCEB
If you are bringing a conference, convention or exhibition to Penang, start with the Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB), the state bureau for business events, set up in 2016. It offers organisers complimentary support:
- bid documents and presentations,
- marketing and promotion advice,
- coordination with the state government and agencies.
PCEB also runs its own annual business-events showcase, BE @ Penang, at Setia SPICE. Its official site is pceb.my. Our business events page has the venue details and Penang's recent track record of congresses and trade fairs, which is useful material for a bid.
Group dining
For a group dinner, the choice is between a sit-down restaurant and a hawker centre. The places below are ones we can stand behind; for private rooms, set menus and group sizes, ask the restaurant directly, because none of them publishes those details.
Kebaya Dining Room is at Seven Terraces, 14A Stewart Lane, in the George Town heritage zone. Its own website describes classic Indo and Straits Chinese Nyonya dishes made with contemporary and French techniques. It suits a senior-leadership or client dinner where the food is the talking point. Group bookings go through the hotel.
Gurney Drive Hawker Centre is the large open-air hawker centre at Gurney Drive in Pulau Tikus. It works for an informal team dinner: everyone orders from different stalls and the group shares tables.
New Lane Hawker Centre (Lorong Baru), off Jalan Macalister, is an evening street-food spot that locals use, and a good alternative to Gurney Drive.
For more options by area, see our hawker centre guide. If your group has halal requirements, start from halal food in Penang.
One free afternoon
The standard delegate question: "I'm free from mid-afternoon until late. What should I do?" Get to George Town first. It's about 10 km by road from PWCC and about 14 km from Setia SPICE, so take a Grab and check the fare in the app before you leave.
Heritage zone walk. George Town was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, together with Melaka. The core is compact enough to walk. Start on Armenian Street for the street art, including Ernest Zacharevic's 2012 murals (our street art guide gives the exact locations), then walk down to the waterfront Clan Jetties, the Chinese clan villages built on stilts. Our heritage walk has a full route.
Hawker dinner. Stay in George Town and eat at the Chulia Street night hawkers, or take a short Grab to New Lane or Gurney Drive (see above).
Penang Hill at night. The funicular runs until 11 pm (that's the last trip down from the upper station), but the ticket counters close at 9:15 pm, according to Penang Hill Corporation. A two-way ticket for a foreign adult is RM 40 (RM 16 for MyKad holders). It's a cooler, quieter way to see the city lights. See Penang Hill funicular.
A full day for a group. For a day programme around a conference: a morning heritage walk in George Town, lunch at a hawker centre, then an afternoon at Penang Hill or Entopia (the butterfly and insect centre at Teluk Bahang), finishing with a group dinner.
Team building and guided activities. We haven't verified any team-building operators or their prices, so we don't name any. Ask your destination management company for referrals, and check what food tours and cooking classes are bookable before you commit a group.
Practical notes
Getting there. Penang International Airport (PEN) is on the south of the island, about 4.4 km by road from Setia SPICE and about 10.9 km from PWCC (OSRM). Our Penang airport guide covers flights and transfers, and getting to SPICE and PWCC covers the trip to each venue from the airport, George Town and the mainland, plus parking.
Getting around. Grab is the practical option between the venues, hotels and George Town. Our Grab fare guide has typical fares for the routes we've checked, and warns about weekday rush-hour surges (7–9 am and 5–7 pm). For a big group, arrange a coach through your hotel or destination management company. More on buses, the ferry and car hire: getting around Penang.
Money. The currency is the Malaysian ringgit (MYR). Hotels and convention venues take cards. Carry some cash for hawker stalls.
Mobile data. A local SIM or eSIM is usually the simplest way to stay connected between sessions. Our Penang SIM card guide compares the options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Setia SPICE in Batu Kawan?
No. Setia SPICE Convention Centre is on Penang Island, at 108C Jalan Tun Dr. Awang in Bayan Lepas (Relau), close to the airport. Batu Kawan is on the mainland, at the far end of the Second Penang Bridge.
What are the convention centres in Penang?
There are two purpose-built ones, both on the island: Setia SPICE Convention Centre in Bayan Lepas, and the Penang Waterfront Convention Centre (PWCC) at The Light City in Gelugor, which opened in October 2025. Hotel ballrooms host smaller events.
Is PICC a convention centre?
No. In Penang, PICC is the Penang International Commercial City, a mixed-use property development by Hunza Properties in Bayan Lepas. For a convention or exhibition, the venues are Setia SPICE and PWCC.
Who helps organisers bring a conference to Penang?
The Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB). It offers organisers complimentary support with bid documents, marketing and promotion advice, and coordination with the state government. See pceb.my.
Where should I stay for a conference in Penang?
It depends on the venue. Amari SPICE Penang is directly connected to Setia SPICE. PWCC has no hotel open next to it yet, so most delegates stay at Queensbay or in George Town. The detail is in our where to stay for business events guide.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Business events in Penang: venues, capacities and PCEB
- Business events calendar: upcoming conferences and trade shows
- Where to stay for business events: SPICE vs PWCC hotels
- Business hotels in Penang
- Getting to SPICE and PWCC: distances, Grab, parking and buses
- Plan your 2027 Penang trip
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