Thailand still holds the “Exhibition” market of Asia TCEB joins Bangkok in pushing ahead with the new marketing campaign as the second wave

Apart from that, the TCEB also joins hands with Bangkok in the joint campaign of “Bangkok…. the city of organising international exhibitions of Asian”, together creating various proactive marketing strategies both for domestic and international purposes, in an attempt to ensure the organisers and the participants of the exhibitions in Thailand to be positive towards the potential and readiness of Bangkok and Thailand as an Asian central exhibition center. Accordingly, in the previous year 2008, the TCEB drew up to 71 international exhibition events (Trade show type) to Thailand which is considered the highest amount in the Asian region, attracting over 96,184 businessmen and visitors across the globe into Thailand, and bringing in more than 6,861,000,000 Baht. More jubilantly, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) has announced the latest marketing research concerning the Asian MICE industry under the headline “The Trade Fair Industry in Asia 5^th Edition, 2009”, it shows that Thailand has still been holding its leadership in the Asian Mice industry for 4 consecutive years in four aspects: namely, the amount of events held in the country which amounted to 71 events, the annual size of the venue which covers 448,750 square meters, the average size per fair where Thailand has an average size of 6,320 squaremeters per fair, and the income.

Mrs. Supawan Teerarat, International Exhibitions Director and Acting Director of the TCEB, stated the overwhelmingly successful tactics used to push Thailand as a leader in the MICE industry of Asia. Her tactic is holding road shows in foreign countries, focusing on Asian countries like China and India as primary targets in an effort to open the markets for related entrepreneurs from the Thai MICE industry to have an opportunity to build business networks with entrepreneurs in those targeted countries through Business Matching activity. The heart of each road show is to build confidence and to publicise a positive image of the Thai MICE industry for foreign organisers and visitors to be acknowledged and take a look at the importance of trade and investment in Thailand as a door into Asia.

“It’s expected that the Thai MICE industry’s growth will increase by 10% next year. At present, there are approximately over 70 events confirmed to be held next year and they tend to be new, more specialized events. This will increase Thailand’s income from exhibitions by approximately 12,000 – 15,000 million Baht. Therefore, we must act with haste, to do more proactive marketing this year. According to the survey with the targeted organisers and the visitors of the exhibitions, it can be concluded that Bangkok and Thailand have outstanding points of spending their moneys worth, Thai uniqueness and Thailand’s diverse cultures which causes the campaign “Extra Night, Extra Smile” in joint cooperation with hotels to give an accommodation privilege of a free stay for one more night for these groups of tourists, as well as to offer tour special discount packages, a traveling discount package, department stores offering discount packages to business travelers who are organisers and visitors, including their aides, in the hope of attracting these business travelers to travel and participate in the fair faster and earlier, as well as to prolong their stay in Thailand for 1 more day from the usual stay of only 4-6 days.”

Mrs. Taya Teepsuwan, Bangkok Deputy Governor, as an alliance in the campaign “Bangkok…. the city of organizing international exhibitions of Asia”, said that Bangkok, as a capital city and a central business center of Thailand, gives importance on all the venues in Bangkok. In order to obtain smooth and successful managements and administrations, we join our cooperation with the TCEB in a bid to stimulate the market. As for Bangkok’s part, we excite the exhibition organisers and participants to see the potential and readiness of Bangkok as an international exhibition venue. Our work includes publicising so that they see the atmosphere and pictures of the city ready in business, entertainment, and lifestyle. With regards to the tourism aspect, Bangkok tries to get these tourists to prolong their stay in Thailand for 6-7 days when they usually only stay for 3-4 days. We see that these travelers have a high purchasing power; therefore, we have released the package “Welcome Package Bonus” to business travelers or organisation executives. The “Welcome Package Bonus” includes a one day trip, travelling along streams, and other packages joined by tourist attractions. For this year, Bangkok opens a campaign “Bangkok Smiles” which has the 5 smiles of arts & cultures, food, health & spa, travelling along streams, and value for money spending. In addition, we develop public facilities, such as improving and expanding traffic systems, accelerating the construction and completion of the airport link, accelerating the development of the extension from On nut to Bearing which is expected to be finished in 2011, the development of more green areas, over 2,000 rai, as well as increasing security systems such as installing more than 40,000 lights all over Bangkok and more CCTV cameras at the junctions. For the year 2010, Bangkok has placed a budget of approximately 200,000,000 Baht for tourism promotion, part of the budget will be used for publicising and marketing the campaign “ Bangkok…. the city of organising international exhibition of Asia”.

We all have to watch and cheer the working of the TCEB and the city of Bangkok, to see whether their plans in 2010 of proactive marketing into the international exhibition industry, and hope this second wave will be a success and Thailand will be able to defend its first-ranked leadership in the MICE industry in the Asian region, as well be able to increase its market share in order to hold the championship in the Asian market, as they have set the goal.