The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) plans to broaden the Thai Mice industry globally by showcasing its business capability at five major international trade events this year.
Participating in international events is a key marketing engine to draw Mice (meetings, incentives, conventions, exhibitions) events to Thailand, said Nichapa Yoswee, senior vice-president for business at the TCEB.
She said annual marketing events can bring in a minimum of 38-40 Mice activities to Thailand.
The five events the agency is scheduled to join this year are the Incentive Travel & Conventions Meetings China in Shanghai, IMEX Frankfurt in Germany, IMEX America in Las Vegas, IBTM World in Barcelona and IT & CMA in Bangkok.
As Mice competition intensifies, many countries are using the sector as a tool to promote international arrivals and tourism.
According to the Business Strategic Group in Hong Kong, the global exhibition industry has been growing, especially in Asia, with China, Japan and Hong Kong as the top destinations.
In 2017, revenue from trade fairs held in Asia totalled US$5.6 billion, a 6% increase from the year before. Thailand ranked eighth, organising 92 trade fairs that generated some $218 million in income.
To attract international visitors, the TCEB has placed greater emphasis on the design of the Thailand Pavilion at each fair by offering local culture and architecture in the design.
This year's design, under the "New Dawn" theme, is based on Thai temple architecture. The pavilion serves as a business hub at the five major international trade shows, Mrs Nichapa said.
"Trade shows are highly competitive, and Thailand is competing against other countries who have their own national pavilions," she said. "These are the largest marketplaces in the Mice industry, and our national pavilion is a tool to attract buyers and clients."
Business at the Thailand National Pavilion during the five most recent trade shows (IMEX Frankfurt 2018, IMEX America 2018, IBTM World 2018, AIME 2019 and ITCM China in March 2019) has been brisk, producing a minimum of 10 meeting and incentive groups comprising 2,348 delegates.
These generated revenue of over 180 million baht, based on the TCEB's leads, excluding Thai suppliers' leads.
