The Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) in cooperation with the Trade Exhibition Association (Thai) or TEA, will host an “Industry Media Familiarization Tour” for…
The Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) in cooperation with the Trade Exhibition Association (Thai) or TEA, will host an “Industry Media Familiarization Tour” for foreign and local media organisations representing some 10 countries from the 14 – 16 June 2006.
The Bureau`s establishment reflects Thailand`s growing stature as a destination of choice for international meetings, conventions and exhibitions. Meanwhile, TEA’s mandate includes the promotion of the effective operation and servicing of national and international exhibitions as well as the promotion of international standards of facilities and services for exhibitors and visitors. It is therefore the goal of TCEB and TEA to help position and promote Thailand as ASEAN’s next regional exhibitions hub.
The purpose of TCEB’s and TEA’s “Industry Media Familiarization Trip” is twofold:
- To promote international exhibitions and attract exhibitors by introducing and familiarizing exhibition-related media to the advantages that Thailand possesses as an exhibitions hub
- Promote international visitors to come to Thailand to visit exhibitions, by engaging mainstream and business media
During the two and a half day visit, participating journalists representing media from China, India, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand will meet with top TCEB and Trade Exhibition Association (Thai) or TEA executives to discuss the many advantages that exhibitions staged in Thailand offer Asian multinational corporations as well as small-medium sized companies in a variety of industry sectors.
In addition, all participating journalists will visit five of Thailand’s world-class purpose-built exhibition venues and facilities including Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC), The Royal Paragon Hall, Siam Paragon; IMPACT Muang Thong Thani, Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (QSNCC); and the Pattaya Exhibition & Convention Hall (PEACH). In 2007, Central World will become Thailand’s sixth major exhibition venue.
During their visits to the venues, presentations will be made by some of Thailand’s leading resident Professional Exhibition Organisers (PEOs) regarding the benefits of participating as exhibitors and visitors in exhibitions staged in Thailand. These include CMP, Reed Tradex, TBP, BES, DEP, TTF, Union Pan, MDA, NEO and Asia Congress.
Mr. Vithaya Sintharapantorn, Director – Exhibitions Sector, Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), announced that Thailand is being aggressively positioned and promoted as ASEAN’s next exhibitions hub because of the country’s growing stature as a destination of choice for international meetings, conventions and exhibitions.
Says Vithaya “Factors contributing to its rapid growth include the availability of world-class purpose-built exhibition venues and facilities, the considerable experience of resident Professional Exhibition Organisers (PEOs), the country`s exceptional economic performance, with strong growth in high-profile trade sectors such as food, automobiles and jewellery, and Thailand’s role as the gateway to Indochina which is also increasingly being recognised by exhibitors and visitors who participate in trade fairs.”
Vithaya went on to say that “Complementing Thailand’s impressive economic recovery, there has also been an enormous increase in exhibition space of international standard. Today, with a mature MICE industry and sophisticated service infrastructure in place, Thailand vies for regional leadership.”
With its well-deserved reputation as a world-class leisure destination offering outstanding value for money, Thailand is attracting an ever-increasing number of regional trade shows. This development comes at a time when economic growth in Asia is expected to greatly outpace the West with its more mature markets. Exhibitors actively seek out new markets, and in so doing help stimulate their development.
Ms. Benjawan Wisootsat, President, Trade Exhibition Association (Thai), stated that exhibitors and trade visitors are attracted to Thailand for many reasons.
“The Kingdom is already performing very strongly in categories such as automotives and auto parts, automation and computers, construction and infrastructure, food and livestock, furniture, gifts and household goods, jewellery, health and spas, light manufacturing, packaging, traffic and routing systems, water technology, sports equipment – and much more,” stated Ms. Benjawan.
“At the same time, the cost of doing business in Thailand is lower than Malaysia and Singapore, much lower than Hong Kong and comparable to China,” she added.
Apart from price, Thailand`s wealth of resources and attributes are highly attractive to potential exhibitors and investors: supportive government; abundant raw materials; high value and well-trained labour; and burgeoning manufacturing and agricultural sectors.
“Already a regional hub for many important economic sectors, Thailand has strong domestic demand for imported technologies and know-how. International exhibitors are assured that domestic buyers will be keen to buy equipment and technology and participate to find out more through exhibitions. With its significant domestic market, Thailand is an increasingly attractive exhibition market in its own right,” Ms. Benjawan continued.
“Also, as a gateway to five other less developed but growing economies in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) – Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar (Burma), Vietnam and China`s Yunnan Province, there is no other country better placed in simple geographic terms to exploit regional exhibition potential in the overlapping ASEAN and GMS markets than Thailand,” she added.
According to Vithaya, Thailand’s robust economic climate has experienced annualized GDP growth running at around six per cent over the past four years, while the country’s industry annual growth rate has been running at close to 12 per cent. Also, bureaucratic bottlenecks and institutional dampeners on business development are being swept away in an ongoing process that strongly favours many sectors, not least the exhibition industry.
Mr. Vithaya commented further by saying “Shows are growing both in terms of content quality, presentational sophistication and marketing. Strategic partnerships are also being created between various ministries, state enterprises and agencies, and private local and international trade show organizers, all helping to support Thailand’s bid to become ASEAN’s exhibitions hub.”
Mr. Vithaya noted that TCEB is strongly supporting new exhibition initiatives by giving financial and non-financial assistance to new exhibitions as well as existing ones in the country.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
