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The Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is continuing to drive the MICE Capabilities Development Plan to serve the business-events industry for 2016-2017 through five extended education projects, in line with government policy, said bureau president Nopparat Maythaveekulchai.
 The “2nd MICE Academy & Career Day” is being launched as part of the plan to produce 20,000 MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) graduates in the next five years, in an effort to push Thailand to become an Asean MICE education hub, he said.
 The education minister has appointed the TCEB to chair the Public and Private Participation Subcommittee for Vocational Education Development in charge of MICE clusters, in order to |support the work of the panel under |the theme “Vocational education |development to produce professionals for the country”, he added.
 MICE business, which is a part |of the service industry, is facing a |serious lack of vocational workers. – The Nation
 
IMPACT READY TO TAKE STEPS TOWARDS MICE SUSTAINABILITY
In response to the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau’s MICE Sustainability Thailand scheme, Impact Exhibition Management is committed to reducing energy consumption by 3 per cent annually in order to help lower energy costs from the current level of over Bt200 million.
 The company – operator of Impact Exhibition and Convention Centre, Muang Thong Thani – will discuss the matter with Impact Growth REIT unit-holders and seek their approval for construction of solar rooftop panels, which will support its energy-conservation policy strictly implemented in alignment with the ISO 50001 energy-management standard, managing director Paul Kanjanapas said.
 It also purchases organic rice from local farmers for its catering services, giving the clients the opportunity to help promote the sustainable development of local communities. – The Nation
 
CENTRAL PATTANA ANNOUNCES BT46-BN INVESTMENT PROGRAMME
Thailand’s largest shopping-mall developer, Central Pattana, aims to invest about Bt46 billion from 2016 to 2018 – mostly on developing new projects – to boost average revenue growth to 15 per cent a year.
 The company plans to spend about Bt15 billion-Bt16 billion this year, when revenue is forecast to rise 15 per cent, senior executive vice president Naparat Sriwanvit said during an earnings presentation.
 Revenue growth came in at 9 per cent last year.
 Central Pattana, controlled by the Chirathivat family’s retail conglomerate, Central Group, invested Bt17 billion last year to launch three new projects, buy a shopping mall in Phuket and renovate two existing centres.
 This year, the firm plans to open one new shopping mall in Nakhon Sri Thammarat, renovate four shopping centres and launch three condominium projects to make use of vacant areas near its shopping malls, she added.
 It plans to open two new malls next year and is on track to open the Bt8.3-billion Central I-City shopping mall in Malaysia in 2018, the executive said. – Reuters