Royal Paragon Hall woos more foreign exhibitors

“To prepare for the AEC, Royal Paragon Hall has formulated plans that cover every aspect, such as joining overseas roadshows with the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau to promote the venue among foreigners,” general manager Arun Theng said yesterday.
The hall will also launch a website to facilitate online searches and reservations and send staff to more training courses, such as personality development, languages and service-related programmes, to improve their skills.
The government should upgrade the standards of the local MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) and related industries to prepare them for the AEC and to compete with other destinations such as Singapore and Hong Kong.
As a leader in the MICE market, Royal Paragon Hall expects more than 70-per-cent occupancy this year. Located on the fifth floor of the Siam Paragon shopping complex, the centre accommodates local and international conferences, seminars, concerts and exhibitions.
With the best potential in town and most convenient location, it is geared up for major activities throughout the year to fit in with consumer needs and lifestyles, Arun said.
Under a new strategy, Royal Paragon Hall will cater to every lifestyle and activity of customers such as seminars, conventions, exhibitions and entertainment, he said. The venue is privileged by its prime location, connectivity to the shopping mall and its adjacent hotel, and easy access to public transport.
“We are pleased to welcome more customers and host 10-12 events per month. As our marketing strategy for the third and fourth quarters, we will spend Bt15 million on the venue’s complete renovation to serve private and public clients better that organise seminars and conferences here. We target revenue of Bt150 million and the occupancy rate at 70 per cent this year,” he said.
Royal Paragon Hall focuses on government business, especially weekday seminars. The convention centre is often fully booked on weekends. To find new channels, it is expanding its market internationally, mainly to Asean.
Besides renting out space, the centre has moved into event organising. It has been contracted by the Thai Red Cross Society to host the Diplomatic Red Cross Bazaar for four years in a row, with great success each year, Arun said.
Royal Paragon Hall, in collaboration with the Vintage Car Club of Thailand, conducted the vintage-car contest in 2008 and 2009. It joined with the Suntaraporn Foundation to stage the “Because You Are Important … Timeless Songs of Suntaraporn in Your Heart” concert in mid-2011.
A “go green” committee has been appointed to supervise corporate-social-responsibility projects, such as unbleached napkins, energy-efficient bulbs that cut electricity consumption by almost 70 per cent, and eco-friendly materials. Through these initiatives, the venue is confident of gaining 20 per cent more clients this year, Arun said.
In the future, the facility will enhance its functions to meet the needs of each target group, he added.