Three Thai cities to host international power and energy conferences

The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and IEEE Power & Energy Society (Thailand) have successfully secured three international power and energy conferences, which will be held in three cities in three years.

The three events are IEEE PES Asia-Pacific Power & Energy Engineering Conference 2023 in Chiang Mai, IEEE International Smart Cities Conference or ISC2 2024 in Pattaya, and IEEE PES Grand International Conference and Exposition Asia 2025 in Bangkok.

TCEB said it has played the role of being the key driver of Thailand’s MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions) industry and has distributed income to all sectors in a sustainable way.

It also acts as a “national bidder” in proposing the country and its host city options to attract world-class events.

Before Covid-19 in 2019, the MICE sector generated expenditure of approximately 280 billion baht, value addition worth 277 billion baht, created roughly 410,000 jobs, and generated tax payments of around 20 billion baht.

TCEB senior vice president Nichapa Yoswee said that Thailand’s success in winning the three consecutive international power and energy conferences is the result of TCEB’s strategic planning and strong collaboration with local associations and partners, including the proposed host cities.

“The partnership collectively elevates the event owners’ confidence in bringing forward its financial investment and world-class intellectual know-how to Thailand.

She said that the three events were expected to attract more than 10,000 participants from around the world, expenditure of approximately 837 million baht, and value-addition worth 465 million baht, creating some 586 jobs, and generating taxes of around 29 million baht.

Nichapa added: “They will also be a great opportunity for Thai professionals and students in related fields to have access to world-class knowledge from experts in power, energy, and smart cities from around the world.

“The positive impacts and legacies will encompass economic, social, and subject matter advancement aspects for Thailand and especially the host cities. This resonates greatly with TCEB’s strategy in using MICE to drive the local economy throughout Thailand and uplifting MICE events in the 10 strategic MICE cities and more.”

IEEE PES also plays an important part in driving power and energy advancement in Thailand, which will help increase the country’s opportunity to host world-class events in the future.

IEEE PES senior vice chairman Somchai Homklinkaew unveiled more details of the three conferences. “The 15th Annual Asia-Pacific Power & Energy Engineering Conference to be held in December 2023 in Chiang Mai is expected to attract around 700 participants

“The IEEE International Smart Cities Conference or ISC2 2024, the main annual conference of IEEE Smart Cities, is being held in 2024 in Pattaya, Chonburi province, and is expected to attract more than 500 participants

“We anticipate that more than 10,000 participants will attend the IEEE PES GTD Grand International Conference and Exposition Asia, the largest international conference and exposition on power and energy, which will take place in 2025 in Bangkok.”

Proposing the right host city in the bidding process was also a key factor in winning the conferences for Thailand.

The vice governor of Chiang Mai, Weerapan Dee-on, said: “Research focusing on energy conservation and renewable energy in Chiang Mai is knowledge that will be shared at the conference. These studies combine global knowledge with local processes and resources.”

"This, coupled with Chiang Mai city development plans and support from the public and private sectors, will boost Chiang Mai’s development in many areas, in particular sustainable energy for better quality of life.”

Deputy Mayor of Pattaya Titipun Pettrakul added: “The IEEE ISC2 in 2024 will be a platform for knowledge, technology, and experience exchange for Pattaya in its path to developing into a smart city, and with a goal of becoming ‘city of opportunity, balanced economy and quality of life for all’. We look forward for us to push forward clean energy for sustainability together.”

Deputy director-general of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism at the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, Sing Limpirat, shared a similar view “The upcoming IEEE PES GTD Asia in 2025 will provide great benefits to all sectors in Bangkok and other provinces while also upgrading academic knowledge, most useful for students and professionals in the fields of power and energy engineering.”