A master plan set to enhance MICE venues
The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has announced a five-year master plan (2016-2020) for the standardisation of venues as part of developing the Kingdom's capabilities in the hosting of meetings, incentive tourism, conventions and exhibi
Nichapa Yoswee, director of the TCEB’s MICE capabilities department, said that after initiating the Thailand MICE Venue Standard (TMVS) scheme in 2013, the bureau was now formulating the MICE Venue Standard Model Scheme and shaping its mission based on six strategies.
The strategies are meeting international standards; developing human resources in relation to TMVS; developing an advanced information-technology system for the scheme; boosting public relations and marketing activities; supporting the Asean MICE Venue Standard project; and mobilising TMVS towards sustainability.
As per the master plan, the bureau has set aside a budget of Bt66 million to implement 41 projects. In addition to standard certification for meeting rooms and exhibition and event venues, the bureau will create a venue-standardisation curriculum, conduct a survey on the necessity of IT system for TMVS, facilitate adoption of the Asean MICE Venue Standard and expand human resources to cover TMVS tasks.
Nichapa said the TCEB had formed collaborations with its strategic partners, including the Thailand Incentive and Convention Association, the Thai Exhibition Association, the Thailand Management Association and the Thai Hotels Association, to kick off TMVS in 2013 in the category of meeting rooms. To improve the MICE venue standardisation process, the TCEB recently joined efforts with the Management System Certification Institute (Thailand).
At present, 42 Thai MICE entrepreneurs with 114 meeting rooms have achieved TMVS certification. This year, the project has been expanded across five MICE cities, namely Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Khon Kaen. MICE venue operators have until next month to submit their applications, with the target for the project this year being 120 venues. Next year, the bureau will extend the scheme to cover exhibition venues.
Nichapa said Thailand was regarded as the first Asean country to have the highest number of MICE venues certified by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO). TMVS is also a role model for the ongoing development of the Asean MICE Venue Standard.
The list of certified venues will be incorporated in the marketing strategy as a crucial selling point to draw international MICE events to Thailand.
