Crisis washes away much business for event organisers
Event organisers rue a sharp drop in business this quarter as major shows are postponed to next year because of the flooding.
Kriangkrai Kanjanapokin, president of the Event Management Association, told The Nation that the EMA had expected a 20-per-cent surge to Bt14 billion thanks to grand events lined up this year. They included the BOI Fair originally set for next month and the celebrations for the 84th birthday of His Majesty the King in December.
But after severe flooding hit businesses and factories in many provinces, some local and international event organisers and government bodies, which had lost confidence in the situation in Bangkok, cancelled their bookings or rescheduled them to next year. BOI Fair 2011 at Impact Muang Thong Thani, for instance, was pushed back from November 10-25 to early January.
The organisers of birthday celebrations for His Majesty and outstanding festivals such as Loy Kratong and the New Year countdown are considering scaling them down in many key provinces because of the natural disaster.
After the postponement of the Bt3-billion BOI Fair, event organisers awarded contracts for pavilion construction and management will receive about 25 per cent of their fees, while the rest will be paid later next year.
The event-organising industry will witness just 10-per-cent growth from last year
