Convention group holds international innovation competition

The contest aims to gather ideas to accelerate the efficiency of holding Mice (meetings, incentives, conferencing and exhibitions) events with the goal of boosting the nation’s competitiveness in the global digital era, said TCEB president, Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, said.
He noted that a digital strategy is one of the key mechanisms for national development under the 20-year national strategy, which was created drive Thailand towards stability, wealth, and sustainability in terms of the economy and society.
TCEB has cultivated a vision that correlates with the government’s policy, said Chiruit. They have set three major goals, which are generation of revenue, innovations for national development and building prosperity with income distribution.
“Annually, Thailand’s Mice market average growth rate is 5-10 per cent, but with innovative and technological tools, TCEB expects that Thai Mice can achieve up to 20 per cent growth each year,” said Chiruit. “TCEB foresees opportunities through networking with strong affiliates, which in turn will help to increase Mice awareness among startups or other business segments.
“Furthermore, Mice will be a profitable platform for all businesses, and also the cycle of Mice business development can be widened and strengthened. This way, new business opportunities will be urged, whereas knowledge in Mice will be exchanged to improve Mice events. Eventually, Thai Mice can compete with international Mice in a sustainable way.”
TCEB has kicked off the “Thailand’s MICE Startup” under a three-year strategy oriented at utilising efficient innovations and digital technologies with MICE events.
The project has received support from the National Innovation Agency or NIA, the Digital Economy Promotion Agency or Depa, and The National Science and Technology Development Agency or NSTDA to build the business development arena.
The project aspires to create a sphere for activities and innovative Miceevents in order to share knowledge and to enhance understanding about Mice businesses among innovation networks from both the public and private sectors.
Through this platform, entrepreneurs, designers and developers are encouraged to merge their ideas for the advancement of the Mice sector and startups to increase the value of the economy and to bolster the competitiveness of Thailand.
“Thailand’s MICE Startup” kicked off in May 2019 with 47 teams of competitors from Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Russia, United Kingdom, Philippines, Czech Republic, India and other nations. Based on their presentation of innovative ideas that lead to the betterment of the environment, artificial intelligence, customer service, logistics and Mice user experience improvement, 12 teams will be selected.
Judging criteria include unique innovation, social and environmental impacts, business models with stable financial sustainability, the inventor’s responsibility to participate in the project’s activities, team-working and value addition.
The 12 qualified teams will present their technological solutions designed for Mice to the committee in the final round on July 4, with three finalist teams picked to join “Thailand’s Mice Startup Accelerator”.
With the collaboration of ImpacTech (Thailand), the three best teams will get the chance to learn from specialists from various fields how to transform ideas into technology or products, an issue that directly targets the needs of Mice entrepreneurs and investors for solutions that can be put into commercial use.
Further, the finalists will be prepared to represent Thailand and showcase their work at the final competition, to be held at the major congress of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry or UFI, to be hosted by Thailand this November.