If you’re an entrepreneur in Malaysia, you might have heard of SEBA (SME and Entrepreneurship Business Awards), the annual initiative that spotlights and awards local SMEs and entrepreneurs.
Organised by Yayasan Usahawan Malaysia (YUM) and curated by Xhale Asia Sdn Bhd (Xhale), SEBA has uncovered many SMEs, enterprises, and entrepreneurs in the region, often recognising talent before other significant players do.
For one, it had recognised Carsome’s Eric Cheng in its Technopreneur category in 2021 before the homegrown startup attained unicorn status. Kamarul A Muhamed from Aerodyne Group was also named Entrepreneur of the Year in 2020, and now is a part of SEBA 2023’s Advisory Board.
Featuring an illustrious cast of past winners, SEBA is known for its merit-based and stringent vetting process, standing out amongst the myriad of various business award programmes in the country.
The award returns this year on November 30, 2023 for its 10th edition. This year, the SEBA 2023 Awards has adopted the theme of Unity | Celebrating Entrepreneurs, and have selected a diverse list of entrepreneurs to celebrate.
Awards are separated into two main categories—the Entrepreneurs Award Segment and SMEs, Enterprises & Start-Ups.
The former recognises entrepreneurs in specific, with awards like Halal-preneur, Empowerment, Most Innovative, CSR Icon of the Year, Leading Entrepreneur, Strategic Entrepreneur, and Educational Entrepreneur, and Youth/Rising Entrepreneur.
Meanwhile, the second segment celebrates businesses as a whole, including awards such as CSR Award, Most Innovative, Most Promising, Best SME/Enterprise, Brand Strategic, Premium Top 10, Best Work Culture, SME Brand Excellence of the Year, and Best SME/Enterprise Solution Provider.
But this year’s awards have been taken to the next level with the help of “Suzy“.
Integrating AI for a more immersive experience
2023 has seen great advancements in the world of AI, and SEBA, too, is leveraging that technology.
The award has integrated AI into their ecosystem through Suzy. The AI assistant will engage with guests to make them feel like they have their own personal assistant (PA) throughout the event.
After consenting to receiving live updates of the awards, entrepreneurs will receive the best pictures, videos, and announcements from the event from Suzy.
Moreover, entrepreneurs who register with Suzy at SEBA 2023 will be eligible for a lucky draw. Winners of this draw will be announced not just by the event’s emcee, but by Suzy herself too.
But entrepreneurs don’t have to wait until November 30 to start engaging with Suzy, as anyone can connect to her online or via a QR Code and start messaging her on WhatsApp right away.
Just visit this link and text her “Hi Suzy, I would like to nominate myself or another entrepreneur for SEBA Awards” to trigger a conversation.
By chatting with Suzy before the event, entrepreneurs who aren’t attending the event can also opt to receive real-time updates about SEBA 2023.
This way, entrepreneurs nationwide can participate in the event, allowing them to tune in to the happenings as though they were there.
Post-event, Suzy will continue to be active, prompting guests to share feedback about the event. These replies will be funnelled back to the SEBA team to help them understand their audience and performance better.
Uniting entrepreneurs beyond the event
Instead of just hosting a one-night event, SEBA is focused on creating value for all the stakeholders involved, even beyond the award ceremony.
The team shared, “Whether it’s helping our awardees gain recognition, organising a networking event to foster collaboration and partnerships, and now having Suzy assist them now and in future, we remain steadfast that SEBA is a platform by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, always looking to maximise value creation between awardees, sponsors, and media partners.”
With the integration of Suzy, SEBA has become more inclusive and connected than ever, aligning with the theme of Unity that it has adopted this year.
But as said by Henry Ford and quoted by Nitesh Malani, the founder of SEBA and the Chairman of YUM, “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”
SEBA might mark the coming together of an ecosystem, but to continue fostering that united front, the recognition platform is already welcoming nominations for next year’s SEBA 2024 Northern edition. As for the Central (Kuala Lumpur) and Borneo editions, names can likely be submitted starting January next year.
Featured Image Credit: SEBA