Established in 2017, Jiuchuan.Asia began with the partnership between founder and co-managing directors Bryan Loh and Yong Tze Liang, both of whom had built their careers through myriad industries. Their forte in wine and spirits distribution, F&B, and events led them to establish BC Concept Makerz (BCCM)—an event solutions provider for its clients, activating the length and breadth of Malaysia from Langkawi to Kota Kinabalu, and serving international luxury brands such as British performance marque McLaren, leading German watchmaker A. Lange & Söhne, Swiss watch brand IWC Schaffhausen, as well as wines and spirits powerhouses House of Suntory, Penfolds, The Macallan, Bacardi-Martini, and Dewar’s, among others.
Early last year, its two founders—rainmakers as they term themselves—decided to embark on consolidating the various competencies into a single entity: Jiuchuan.Asia. It combines the specialisations of its event agency BCCM, with photography, bar consultancy and service, a fine wine and spirits trading house, and its Sabah-based event management company Borneo Live Event Management. Among its most exciting innovations in the pipeline is Above 5, its fine wines and spirits venue located at Damansara Avenue, an approximately 1,000 sq ft retail venue equipped with a bar and lounge that launches in October 2024.
How did you develop your respective careers?
Bryan Loh: I began my career in the wine and spirit distribution industry. Over the past decade, I’ve honed my commercial skills, gained invaluable experience, and built a strong network. This foundation enabled me to establish BC Concept Makerz (BCCM).
Yong Tze Liang: My journey has taken me through various fields, including food and beverage, events, and eventually wine and spirits. These experiences allowed me to develop my commercial and marketing expertise, which I brought with me when I joined BCCM as a managing partner.
What were some of your impressions of the current market and what did you think you could contribute?
Loh: We believe the market is currently undergoing a reshuffle after a prolonged bull run. The coming years will be challenging yet rewarding. Our focus is on offering quality over quantity, and value over promotion.
Yong: We do this by discerning how long of a runway they want with their campaign—in terms of building more durable structures and creating collateral that will look new, as well as augmenting their sustainability goals, but encouraging re-use and offering warehousing solutions.
How did both of you decide to form Jiuchuan.Asia?
Yong: BCCM initially started as an events solution provider for our clients in 2017. Over time, we recognised the need to expand our services to offer a complete 360-degree solution, which was why we launched Jiuchuan.Asia two years ago. This led us to collaborate with partners from various fields, including production, art and creativity, digital talents, and PR. We believe that sharing and gathering resources can create a significant ripple effect.
What does Jiuchuan mean and what is its brand promise?
Loh: The name ‘Jiuchuan’ combines ‘Jiu’, meaning alcohol in Mandarin, and ‘chuan’, symbolising a boat. Asia reflects our aspiration for our services to be borderless and enduring, while staying true to our roots. We are already working with clients across various industries, from wine and spirits to luxury brands, in countries such as Singapore, the Philippines and Thailand.
What have been some of your most memorable projects and what did you learn from them?
Yong: Some of our most memorable projects include pop-up events like The House of Lange, Penfolds Venture Beyond 2.0 Pop-Up, and The Macallan Harmony Intense Arabica. Bringing ideas to life, pushing boundaries, and meeting tight deadlines are challenging, but seeing the client’s satisfaction makes it all worthwhile.
What has been your greatest challenge thus far?
Loh: Balancing timelines, budgets, and even managing spikes in costings while managing events.
Yong: We manage by making evaluations on prioritising importance over urgency. Some urgent things may not be important.
What are some of your key competencies through your production house?
Yong: We do wall base, window displays, and showcases for international brands; a private dining room in fine-dine restaurant Sabayon in EQ; multi-brand wines and spirits retailer Chambers; The Bottle in Kuala Lumpur; the Langkawi International Airport; The Food Merchant in Damansara Heights; and several Jaya Grocer supermarkets in the Klang Valley.
You’ve travelled the length and breadth of Malaysia, from Langkawi to Kota Kinabalu. What have you learned about being mobile and adaptive?
Loh: Always have a plan and a back-up plan or two! Travel light and find joy in your work.
What makes Jiuchuan.Asia unique among agencies?
Loh: Our experience with luxury brands allows us to create unique consumer journeys and connect brands in innovative ways.
Yong: Our ability to help target various interest and consumer segments helps us achieve mutual and exclusive goals among our various client segments. This helps us create a holistic luxury lifestyle universe. We’ve successfully merged varying worlds: The Macallan with Leica; Ducati with Kiehl’s and Glenrothes, as well as Porsche with Penfolds.
You have a particular specialty in wines and spirits—offering bar consultancy, mobile bartending, a trading house, and now a retail space. How has this helped you to be more efficient in your service delivery?
Loh: We believe every drink tells a story. With our expertise, we curate signature beverages to enhance brand storytelling. Our trading house gives us access to resources at competitive prices, benefiting our clients.
Portrait photography: Xerxes Lee / Awesome Image
Additional photography courtesy of Jiuchuan.Asia
