TCEB unveils 2015 strategy for MICE
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The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has revealed its 2015 strategy dubbed "Invent-Clone-Upgrade" to boost the number of trade fairs and exhibitions being hosted in Thailand.
The TCEB says it has earmarked a sizeable budget to support the government and private sectors in developing trade events to keep existing markets and win new ones in line with the government policy to expand the border and regional markets at the dawn of the Asean Economic Community (AEC). Supawan Teerarat, TCEB vice president for strategic and business development, told a news conference that the bureau’s support for trade fairs and exhibitions had been one of its main missions since the very first day of its existence. Thailand currently generates a great deal of income through this industry, with its name on the list of top earners in Asia.
In fact, the MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) industry earned Bt88.48 billion in revenue during the fiscal year 2013. Of that, Bt13.75 billion came from the exhibition and trade-fair sector.
The bureau says it is confident that MICE revenue this year will touch Bt96.9 billion, an increase of about 10 per cent. In spite of political disturbances, the number of MICE visitors to Thailand in fiscal 2014 is estimated at 888,210, generating as much as Bt87.21 billion of revenue – a target corresponding to that of 2013.
The total value of the domestic MICE market is Bt13.34 billion, of which Bt5.94 billion came from domestic trade exhibitions and fairs.
Explaining its “Invent-Clone-Upgrade” strategy, the TCEB said it would encourage eligible organisers to “invent” or create new kind of trade fair; “clone”, or replicate some of the country’s most successful fairs in other zones; or “upgrade” the existing trade fairs in Thailand to achieve higher standards.
“In fiscal 2015, which has just begun this October 1, we are moving forward with these strategies under the ‘Invent-Clone-Upgrade’ policy for our trade fairs and exhibitions, to make room for opportunities that are opening up in the AEC era,” Supawan said.
“The plan is to emphasise the ‘invent’ and ‘clone’ portions of the strategy, from Bangkok outwards to other parts of the country.”
