Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan and the ASEAN+6 regional grouping are key focus markets for Thailand’s business events sector this year. Led by the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Group (TCEB) an extended ‘Team Thailand’ is stepping up the CONNECT the World campaign initially launched last year.
TCEB president Nopparat Maythaveekulchai says that forging new connections is at the core of the team’s current approach as it seeks to rebuild momentum in the MICE and wider-ranging corporate travel sectors.
A target of 1,036,300 business travellers in the 2015 fiscal year is looking readily achievable after strong growth in October/December 2014 and a buoyant start to the calendar year.
The million-plus target is around 17% up on 2014 and is seen as likely to earn Thailand some US$3.559 billion. Fiscal 2016 is targeting 1,089,000 business visitors and just under US$4 billion in revenue.
While meetings and conventions are the leader categories in both numbers and earnings, an interesting aspect of Thailand’s MICE traffic, both current and projected, is the strength of the incentives category.
This is seen as having strong potential for development from Australasia and Southeast/East Asia.
CONNECT the World is being developed alongside Thailand’s MICE United II which introduces new partners both inside and outside the industry to strengthen the country’s marketing thrust – including joint roadshows – and at the same time implement an integrated strategy of delivering an enhanced experience to business visitors.
As we reported at the time, this united approach was initially formalised mid-2014 after evolving through steadily growing co-operation. Key partners with TCEB include the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thai Airways International and the Tourism Authority of Thailand, now extended under the Team Thailand concept to include the Thai Incentive & Convention Association, Thai Exhibition Association, the Tourism Council of Thailand and Thai Chamber of Commerce.
While such partnerships are sometimes more honoured in their promotion than reality, MICE-BTN has had the opportunity to discuss the strategy with senior representatives of most of these groups and can attest to the hands-on nature – and ‘can do’ attitude of Team Thailand.
The united approach includes a much stronger private sector involvement, adding to the pioneering participation of the Ratchaprasong Square Trade Association and the Bangkok Riverside marketing group. Adding to the effectiveness of the initiative are communications supplier True Corporation and Bangkok Mass Transit System, as well as members of the Tourism Council.
And an impressive 18 agencies of the Royal Thai Government have signed up as Team Thailand members.
Announcing the new and extended initiatives, Nopparat said they were likely to boost international confidence in Thailand’s MICE industry and drive the sector towards a leadership position in the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).
“Together with the government policies that recognise the importance of the business event industry, TCEB has adopted a 4Ps strategic approach – creating public-private-people-partnerships among strategic stakeholders to stimulate collaboration – creating both global campaigns and regional key market development initiatives.
“We are confident that these campaigns will mean the Thai business events sector continues to grow strongly in 2015.”
Mrs Supawan Teerarat, TCEB’s vice president of strategic and business development, explained that “to bring both of these core campaigns to life, TCEB has launched a series of targeted regional key market development initiatives in markets around the world where TCEB is focusing, maintaining and emerging”.
Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan and the ASEAN+6 regional grouping are key focus markets for Thailand’s business events sector this year. Led by the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Group (TCEB) an extended ‘Team Thailand’ is stepping up the CONNECT the World campaign initially launched last year.
TCEB president Nopparat Maythaveekulchai says that forging new connections is at the core of the team’s current approach as it seeks to rebuild momentum in the MICE and wider-ranging corporate travel sectors.
A target of 1,036,300 business travellers in the 2015 fiscal year is looking readily achievable after strong growth in October/December 2014 and a buoyant start to the calendar year.
The million-plus target is around 17% up on 2014 and is seen as likely to earn Thailand some US$3.559 billion. Fiscal 2016 is targeting 1,089,000 business visitors and just under US$4 billion in revenue.
While meetings and conventions are the leader categories in both numbers and earnings, an interesting aspect of Thailand’s MICE traffic, both current and projected, is the strength of the incentives category.
This is seen as having strong potential for development from Australasia and Southeast/East Asia.
CONNECT the World is being developed alongside Thailand’s MICE United II which introduces new partners both inside and outside the industry to strengthen the country’s marketing thrust – including joint roadshows – and at the same time implement an integrated strategy of delivering an enhanced experience to business visitors.
As we reported at the time, this united approach was initially formalised mid-2014 after evolving through steadily growing co-operation. Key partners with TCEB include the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thai Airways International and the Tourism Authority of Thailand, now extended under the Team Thailand concept to include the Thai Incentive & Convention Association, Thai Exhibition Association, the Tourism Council of Thailand and Thai Chamber of Commerce.
While such partnerships are sometimes more honoured in their promotion than reality, MICE-BTN has had the opportunity to discuss the strategy with senior representatives of most of these groups and can attest to the hands-on nature – and ‘can do’ attitude of Team Thailand.
The united approach includes a much stronger private sector involvement, adding to the pioneering participation of the Ratchaprasong Square Trade Association and the Bangkok Riverside marketing group. Adding to the effectiveness of the initiative are communications supplier True Corporation and Bangkok Mass Transit System, as well as members of the Tourism Council.
And an impressive 18 agencies of the Royal Thai Government have signed up as Team Thailand members.
Announcing the new and extended initiatives, Nopparat said they were likely to boost international confidence in Thailand’s MICE industry and drive the sector towards a leadership position in the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).
“Together with the government policies that recognise the importance of the business event industry, TCEB has adopted a 4Ps strategic approach – creating public-private-people-partnerships among strategic stakeholders to stimulate collaboration – creating both global campaigns and regional key market development initiatives.
“We are confident that these campaigns will mean the Thai business events sector continues to grow strongly in 2015.”
Mrs Supawan Teerarat, TCEB’s vice president of strategic and business development, explained that “to bring both of these core campaigns to life, TCEB has launched a series of targeted regional key market development initiatives in markets around the world where TCEB is focusing, maintaining and emerging”.
Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan and the ASEAN+6 regional grouping are key focus markets for Thailand’s business events sector this year. Led by the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Group (TCEB) an extended ‘Team Thailand’ is stepping up the CONNECT the World campaign initially launched last year.
