Telecom, realty, beverage drive event organiser CMO
CMO Group targets Bt1.3 billion in revenue this year from event organising, thanks to high competition in the telecommunications, real-estate and beverage industries.
Chief executive officer Sermkhun Kunawong said yesterday that the three telecom giants would aggressively market their new third-generation cellular service, property developers would continue expanding in Bangkok and the provinces, and Serm Suk’s est carbonated drinks were gaining on the leaders after entering the beverage market last year.
According to the Media Agency Association of Thailand, among the top 10 advertising spenders, telecom, retail, beverage and real-estate players will continue to spend heavily this year to communicate with their customers.
CMO is seeking more business from those clients. This year, event organising is expected to account for most of its revenue, government functions for about 25 per cent and overseas business for a small portion.
This quarter, the company has already signed contracts worth about Bt300 million to run series of marketing events throughout the year, he said.
Under CMO-TEE Entertainment, a 50:50 joint venture with TEE Entertainment, CMO will benefit from its highly experienced partner, TEE chairman Somchai Cheewasutthanon, in various businesses, particularly entertainment, food and beverages, new media and real estate, Sermkhun said.
Besides entertainment, which will be the centrepiece of its strategy this year, CMO will focus on museum management, an up-and-coming field, with an ambitious plan to secure at least Bt120 million in contracts this year.
There is high potential in this market segment as some key ministries, departments and organisations have been around for more than 60 years and now they want to spread the word about their history and achievements from the past via their own museum.
Medium-to-large local companies are also seeking an opportunity to set up their own museums to present their great successes from the past and present and in the future.
There are about a hundred museums in the country owned by the public and private sectors. This could double in five years, Sermkhun said.
CMO now has 11 management deals worth Bt70 million, involving turnkey management, design and construction, and research and planning. The projects include the Laem Chabang Port Museum in Chon Buri, the Bueng Boraphet Aquarium Commemorating the King’s 80th Birthday in Nakhon Sawan, the Administrative Court Museum and the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives Archives, he said.
CMO registered Bt1.23 billion in revenue last year. Yesterday, its board declared a dividend of Bt0.1 per share.
