By Anthony Tan email: anthonykhtan@yahoo.co.uk
Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (Public Organisation) or
TCEB has set a target to make Thailand the centre of exhibition industry for
ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in three years with their strategic roadmap (2013-2015)
with the plan to promote strong network of exhibition business operators across
the ASEAN. To achieve this goal, TCEB will target industries with high
production and export potential.
With this set target, TCEB hoped to boost Thai exhibition industry by
30 per cent and to generate Bt30 billion by 2015.
In making the announcement in Bangkok, Mr. Thongchai Sridama, Acting
President of TCEB, said, “Exhibition is a key mechanism in driving a healthy
development in ASEAN. Close cooperation between public and private sectors is
crucial to the success of AEC implementation. Through exhibition, we believe
close cooperation will be established.
“Thailand is in the right position to
nurture such cooperation and has the capability to be the exhibition centre for
the region for many reasons. The country is in a strategic location in the
heart of ASEAN. We have continuous growth in infrastructure and international-standard
convention centres as well as facilities nationwide, including international-standard
convention centres in Pattaya which is the largest centre outside Bangkok, and
Chiang Mai which will be opened in April 2013. There is a great network of
exhibition business operators that enables the country can handle large and
complicated exhibitions.
In addition, being the production and
export hub for many industries, Thailand offers greater business opportunities
for exhibition operators and business owners. With these supporting actors,
there is a high potential to upgrade Thailand as the major exhibition platform
for the region.
“With the 3-year strategic development
plan, TCEB will be in the right direction to help Thai exhibition business
operators improving their capability to handle large-scale exhibitions through
state-of-the-art technology and innovation implementation. We believe that this
will help increase the traffic of exhibition attendants and exhibitors from
other countries. We expect the overall international exhibition market in the
country will grow by 30 per cent. We also expected to attract 300,000 visitors,
generating income of 30 billion Baht in 2015,” said Mr. Sridama.
Mr. Sridama said, “TCEB has earlier
been very successful in driving a brand strategy entitled “Bangkok, the
exhibition platform of ASEAN”. Under that program, we have seen exhibition
traffic in Bangkok increased by 10-15 per cent per year. In the next three
years, we have drawn a new roadmap to further expand this success to cover the
entire nation, not only Bangkok, and to build our own brand of Thailand. This
reflects the impressive progress in nationwide exhibition industry development.
As the country, along with other ASEAN nations are entering into an economic
integration, we believe that by setting a new goal to make “Thailand as the
exhibition platform for AEC”. Thailand will be a significant mechanism in
driving success of AEC.”
In driving close cooperation among all
concerned parties, TCEB will lend its expertise in business opportunity
creation though exhibitions. In achieving this, TCEB will take different roles
in the next three years, starting from being a Connector/Facilitator role who
connects and support the private sector in growing their business network. Then
in the following year, its role will be evolved to Marketer/Partner who helps
operators promote their business overseas, develops marketing campaign, and
provides comprehensive support and services. Finally, its role will be evolved
to Creator/Initiator, focusing on attracting mega-international event
organizers to hold their exhibitions in Thailand. This will help emphasise
Thailand’s potential as the platform for international exhibition organizing in
ASEAN.
Under the strategic road map, TCEB’s
Exhibition unit, under its role as the Connector/Facilitator will focus its
activities in branding, marketing communications, marketing promotion and mega
event promotion and development.
Activity highlights under this
framework includes marketing communication activities to raise awareness.
Digital media will be mainly used as these new media directly reach target
audience. Some of the tools used are mobile applications on iPhones, mobile
site www.tceb.or.th/exhibitions/m /Exhibition Now online magazine. In addition,
there are other marketing campaigns and activities, such as Be My Guest, 100
A-Head, The Next Best Show and the latest one to be launched late this year is
ASEAN We Stand.
In 2013, TCEB has successfully
attracted mega international events to be held in Thailand. Among them are ITU
Telecom World 2013 which is expected to attract 20,000 participants and the
World Stamp Thailand 2013 which is expected to attract 10,000 participants from
all over the world.
To achieve its ultimate goal, TCEB will
promote 9 major industries which have Thailand as their exhibition centres.
They include automotive and machinery; construction, design and home
furnishing; agriculture and food; communications technology; travel and
tourism; medicine and pharmaceuticals; accessories and fashion; and energy.
These are the key industries in Thailand worth around 8 trillion Baht in terms
of production and exports and at the same time they are in high demand in ASEAN
where development in communications and transport infrastructure, energy,
education, culture, travel and tourism and society is moving at a very fast
pace.
“The development of TCEB’s roles and
our three-year road map will concretely upgrade and make Thailand’s exhibition
industry ready to become the platform for AEC. Exhibition business will not
only promote goods, service and exhibition standard upgrade, but also
strengthen collaboration between business operators and related government
agencies. It is with such a concerted effort between public and private sectors
that the region will be developing fast and becoming the new future of the
world,” said Mr. Sridama
In 2013 fiscal year, TCEB is allocated
with 870 million Baht budget from the government. This is to serve its mission
to strategise and promote the country’s MICE industry. Exhibition Department is
allocated with a total budget of over 100 million to accomplish both operational
activities and the organising of mega exhibition events.
TCEB targets to attract 792,000 people
to attend all MICE events this year, which will generate over 63,920 million
baht to Thailand’s economy.
