TCEB's new chief charts new course for Thailand's MICE industry
Bangkok, July 20, 2017

Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau's (TCEB) newest president, Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, is keen to use the business events industry to play a larger part in developing Thailand.

“It is expected that in the 2017 budget year, there will be a total of 27.1 million MICE travellers in Thailand, generating revenue of 155 billion baht (US$4.6 billion), separated into 1.1 million international MICE visitors, generating a revenue of 101 billion baht, and 26 million domestic MICE travellers, generating 54 billion baht in revenue,” Chiruit pointed out.

Chiruit added: "To build MICE into a key sector in developing the country requires the use of four directions for enhancing the MICE industry to create more stability."

The four steps he indicated are:

1. Growing in parallel with the development of the country, which focuses on keeping the current market and finding new markets by placing business events in parallel with the development of the country’s economy, pulling the industry into other target industries, such as those covered by Thailand 4.0, as well as into special economic areas

2. Growing in a high potential market, focusing on the regions with high growth and strong connection with the development of Thailand’s economy, such as South-east Asia, Greater Mekong Subregion, East Asia/South Asia and Australia/New Zealand

3. Growing with equality, by increasing the opportunities for business events industry growth in provinces with potential, such as Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, Pattaya/Chonburi and Songkhla

4. Growing strongly, which involves the development of an internal system to meet the needs of the market, developing the organisation and regulations to better support the industry in the future

Five strategies will be undertaken to achieve the four directions. They include developing and enhancing the capabilities of local business event operators through certification; integrating public and private sectors to attract more world-class events into Thailand; distributing economic development to other regions through the business events industry; driving the use of innovations and building business events Intelligence to support and enhance competitive capabilities; and improving TCEB as an organisation with good governance.

Meanwhile, Chiruit also shared that Thailand will play host to a number of international conferences this year, such as the 2017 PCMA Global Professional Conference – Asia Pacific, UIA’s Associations Roundtable Asia-Pacific 2017, IT&CM Asia & CTW Asia Pacific, and SIGGRAPH Asia. In 2019, the country will also play host to UFI The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry and SITE Global Conference 2019.

Original article: ttgmice.com/article/tcebs-new-chief-charts-new-course-for-thailands-mice-industry/