THAI MICE INDUSTRY GETS ANOTHER BIG BOOST

Promoting Thailand's lucrative Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) is to be the theme of a major marketing and media exhibition on June 14, 2001, at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (QSNCC).

Thai government agencies and representatives of global multinational companies have been invited to attend the event at which they will get an update on the country’s MICE-promotion campaign, entitled “The Place to Meet – amazing THAILAND”.

Organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) in cooperation with the Thailand Incentive and Convention Association (TICA) and Thai Airways International, the event is aimed at helping events organisers better understand the assistance, services and facilities they can avail of when organising MICE events in Thailand in 2001-2002.

Deputy Prime Minister H.E. Mr. Pongpol Adireksarn will preside over the event which will be held between 14:00-18:30 at the QSNCC in Bangkok.

The TAT, TICA and THAI Airways have launched the “The Place to Meet – amazing THAILAND” campaign to promote Thailand as a world-class MICE destination, attract more MICE events to Thailand and raise the standards and professionalism of Thai MICE industry suppliers.

The campaign is expected to draw a minimum of additional 30,000 high-yield MICE visitors and generate about two billion baht in foreign exchange revenue between June 2001-May 2002.

According to the survey conducted by TAT’s International Convention Division, about 280,000 MICE travellers visited Thailand in 1999, generating about 16 billion baht foreign exchange revenue for the Thai economy.

MICE delegates to Thailand are estimated to spend about 8,000 baht per person per day, about twice as much as normal tourists and travellers to Thailand. They are categorised as high- yield travellers and play an important role in generating foreign exchange revenue for the Thai economy.

TAT Governor Mr. Pradech Phayakvichien said, “Thailand now boasts a vast range of convention and exhibition venues that are ready to accommodate the biggest of such events. In addition, the vast number of hotels all have first-class conference and incentive venues, all at excellent rates.

“We believe this excellent combination of price, product and service provides a superb opportunity for attracting more MICE events to Thailand in the years to come.”

Suppliers of services and products to the MICE business have developed an extensive range of value-added offers to give more weight to the campaign. For instance, participating hotels are offering a special discount package, special meet-and- greet facilities at airports as well as VIP cards to delegates. THAI Airways is offering special discounted airfares and the TAT is promoting it extensively through its overseas offices in major markets in Asia, Europe, Australia and the US.

Most MICE-related businesses such as convention and exhibition halls, suppliers and organisers have helped promote the campaign by branding their own promotional collateral with the campaign’s logo.

The campaign will be promoted at major international trade shows such as AIME in Australia, EIBTM in Switzerland, IT&ME in the US, IT&CMA in Malaysia, ASAE in the US, IAEM Annual Meeting in the US, International Confex in the UK and World Meeting in the Netherlands.

Other promotional activities include MICE familiarisation trips for organisers, major road shows in the US, Europe, Australia, Hong Kong, Taipei, Manila, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur and media supplements in key MICE-related publications.

Thailand’s MICE facilities and services continue to expand. There are now six major convention centres in Thailand namely, Bangkok Convention Centre (BCC), Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (QSNCC), Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC) and the IMPACT Exhibition Centre in Bangkok, the Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall (PEACH) in Chonburi province and Golden Jubilee Convention Hall in Khon Kaen province.

Many large-scale international events are already confirmed in Thailand such as the World Congress of Gastroenterology in 2002 (12,000 delegates), the 20th World Scout Jamboree in 2002 (30,000 delegates) and the Convention of Lions Clubs International in 2008 (30,000 delegates).

According to the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), Thailand ranks 24th among the world’s top international MICE venues and fourth in the Asia-Pacific region.