The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has picked China as the first country in Asia to roll out its enhanced Extra Night Extra Smile (ENES) campaign during its roadshows to Shanghai and Beijing on June 18 and 21 respectively. This came following a return to normalcy in the Thai capital when several major international exhibitions opened as scheduled.
TCEB reassured the Chinese that the exhibition industry in Thailand has held up well despite the political unrest in May. China is one of the top five participant countries for Thailand.
Mrs Supawan Teerarat, TCEB's exhibition director, noted that despite the uncertainties in April and May, only one trade show was called off while others carried on as usual or were rescheduled.
Mrs. Premporn Saisaengchan of the Thai Exhibition Association (TEA) added that for exhibitions that proceeded as scheduled, such as Intermac and ProPak Asia, exhibitors and visitors were generally satisfied although turnout by foreign visitors was undeniably affected. ProPak Asia in fact gained a 15 per cent increase in space this year and no Chinese exhibitors dropped out.
In Beijing, H.E. Mr. Piamsak Milintachinda, the Ambassador of Thailand to China said that the fundamentals of Thailand's economy remain strong and Thailand's relationship with China remains close, warm, and cordial. He also gave his strongest reassurance yet to all Chinese businessmen on the comfort, convenience and absolute safety of their stay in Thailand.
In Ho Chi Minh City, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on June 30 between TCEB and the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade) to enable all Vietnamese delegates to enjoy the benefits of the ENES campaign. The MoU will pave the way for long-term cooperation in the MICE industry for the two countries.
Mrs Supawan added that although the global financial crisis and the fallout from the political unrest may dampen the performance of Thailand's exhibition industry in the short term, Thailand's core competency and appeal as an international exhibition destination remains intact.
