THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
nationthailand

Taking the North all round the world

Taking the North all round the world

THE THAILAND Convention and Exhibition Bureau and the Northern Handicrafts Manufacturers and Exporters Association (Nomex) hosted a two-day Craft Design Fair & Business Matching last weekend as part of Chiang Mai Design Week.

Striving to promote Chiang Mai as a creative city, the fair showcased a wide range of eye-catching lifestyle products, gifts and handicrafts created by 50 local brands.
“We aim to support the MICE industry – meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions – for which Chiang Mai has great potential. It’s considered one of Thailand’s top five MICE cities,” said bureau vice president Supawan Teerarat. “We want to promote Chiang Mai as the economic centre of the northern region.”
Nomex president Phiyanun Mahanupap said the organisation has more than 200 members in the North. “We’ve always shown the latest collections at fairs both locally and elsewhere, such as the Bangkok International Gift and Houseware Fairs. But this is the first year we’ve organised a ‘business-matching’ to involve interior designers and architects.”
One of established stars in the North is the Royal Orchid brand, which uses actual flowers, fruit and herbal plants in luxurious gold-and-silver-coated jewellery.
Established 36 years ago, the brand has used orchid and rose petals, lychee, coffee beans, parsley, guava and pomegranate in its earrings, necklaces, rings and brooches.
“Our aim is to increase the value of these local materials,” says marketing manager Victoria Nimmanahaeminda. “We use special techniques to maintain the shapes of the fruit and plants and then coat them in gold, silver or black rhodium. 
“And, for now, while America and Europe are recovering from their economic crisis, we’ve shifted our target market to Asia.”
 
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