The inaugural SME Market Expansion Showcase, a major business-to-business (B2B) event brought together more than 30 curated businesses and serious business visitors to the CityStage @ KL City Walk, Kuala Lumpur on April 25, 2026.
The showcase was not just a marketplace but also a business growth platform where brands could gain exposure, sell directly and build strategic partnerships.
The core focus of the program was divided into several areas that included direct customer engagement, on-the-spot sales opportunities, industry forum talks and networking sessions with key decision-makers. It was a high-impact business platform designed to help participants learn, connect and grow their businesses.
The one-day event was well attended by a wide spectrum of the business community, including SME owners, entrepreneurs, corporate professionals, decision-makers as well as buyers and investors looking to scale their businesses.
The event featured forum talks and panel discussions focussed on several market expansion strategies, including adapting artificial intelligence (AI) for digital growth, developing sustainability (ESG) strategy, seeking finance, grants and smart scaling, as well as the sharing of entrepreneur success stories.
In her welcome address, organiser Tanker Collaborative director Janet New said, “SMEs are the backbone of our economy. Through this showcase, we aim to create a meaningful ecosystem where entrepreneurs can access funding insights, embrace digital growth, prioritise health and build strategic partnerships that drive sustainable success.”
She also highlighted the key objectives of the event and strategies for maximising booth and forum values.
“The true value of this event lies in active participation. Exhibitors should showcase not just products, but solutions and opportunities for collaboration. Visitors should approach every booth and forum session with curiosity and purpose. When engagement is intentional, ecosystems grow stronger,” New said.
The highlight of the forum session was on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) in measuring a company’s sustainability, ethical impact and operational risk management, ensuring companies act responsibly.
Stacia Lim, director for corporate governance at Helious Thrive Sdn Bhd spoke in depth about embedding ESG principles into SME strategies and why ESG is no longer optional. She also spoke about what ESG meant for SMEs and shared practical frameworks for SMEs.
“Malaysia’s National Sustainability Reporting Framework (NSRF) and amended Bursa Malaysia Listing Requirements now pull Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. Malaysia is reporting on a phased mandatory track, with 1 January 2027 as the inflection point. This Scope 3 reporting in Malaysia reshapes supplier and SME obligations,” Lim explained.
Advancing the topic even further was the panel session titled “ESG in Action: Unlocking Grants, Tax Benefits & Green Financing for SMEs”, moderated by Sally Yap, a work permit consultant from PeakJob Sdn Bhd and featured panelists, including Lim; Shu Yi Kuek, founder of tax specialists KPL Corporate Advisory Sdn Bhd; and Alan Chin, vice president of group sustainability and strategic partnerships at Alliance Bank Malaysia Bhd.
The panelists spoke about reality checks for SME’s on ESG and shared some important case studies. They also explored tax incentives, compliances and hidden benefits in adapting ESG and ways of unlocking green loans.
“ESG adoption doesn’t have to be high-cost, start where you are,” Lim continued in the breakout session.
Malaysia’s New Incentive Framework (NIF), effective from 1 March 2026, is designed to shift towards a more targeted, outcome-based approach, with ESG practices as a key criterion for eligibility. It will first apply to the manufacturing sector, while the timeline for the services sector will be announced later, with incentives potentially granted for up to 15 years.
“Being sustainable is not just about ticking off a checklist, it is a source of competitive advantage that can put SMEs ahead of the competition,” added Chin.
Other forum sessions included the health talk by nutrition consultant Dr JC Wong from JC Lifestyle Coaching who spoke about protecting the heart with a good oil diet, understanding good fats (unsaturated) versus bad fats (trans and saturated), reducing harmful oils, right cooking methods and natural cholesterol management.
Dr Wong also shared the stage with medical doctor Dr Anandarajah Shanmugam, co-founder of Healthy Lifestyle Solutions, participating in discussion focusing on heart disease that goes beyond health medical and diagnostic.
Marketing influencer Kien Lim, founder of Attitude Ideology spoke about market expansion for SMEs, touching on advancing into new markets, using digital channels, partnership models and scaling without overheads.
The final panel session saw Kien Lim joined Newspin Communication public relations director Marc Ng and Independent Brand & Communication consultant Clarence Koh sharing their opinions on content creation, PR, social media and KOLs in the attention economy. The panel was moderated by Gina Woon, co-founder of Novela Boutique.
All exhibitors had the chance to do a 90-second brief introduction of their businesses during the networking sessions which were spread out throughout the day.
