Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau TCEB highlights its strategy to make Thailand a central exhibition hub for GMS countries. Chiang Mai would likely gain from the opening of its convention centre.
BANGKOK – The Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) announced strong performance for the first nine month of the fiscal year 2011-2012. Focus in the final quarter will be on the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) with hope to make Thailand the region’s hub for exhibition and trade show business. Thongchai Sridama, Acting President of TCEB, said, “Our goal and mission are to make Thailand the leader in ASEAN exhibition and trade show industry. In the first nine months of this fiscal year, from October 2011 – July 2012, the industry experienced a significant growth. Thailand won bids to host three mega shows, including the AFECA AGM 2012, Inter Expo 2012 and World Stamp 2013. Meanwhile, we successfully convinced 15 trade shows and exhibitions to organize their shows in Thailand. We support 33 international upgrade shows in Thailand. At the same time, the number of show audit Certified Trade Exhibition by TCEB rose to 27 events.
“The strongly positive trend in the exhibition and trade show industry in the first three quarters are the result of continuous economic growth in Thailand and the country’s strong potential as the region’s hub for this business. ASEAN market is in our focus. The government’s clear policy and measures to promote exhibition industry are significant promoting factors. In addition, TCEB’s proactive roles and activities in promoting and facilitating exhibitors have also encouraged more exhibitions and trade shows business operators to host their events in Thailand.”
“From now till the end of the fiscal year and continuing into 2013, TCEB will focus its effort in promoting the business among the five GMS member states, including Myanmar, Lao PDR, Vietnam, Cambodia and Yunnan in the south of China. GMS is today one of the world’s most dynamic region with the highest potential. It has more than 250 million populations and covers a combined area of approximately 2.3 million square kilometers. What’s more important is that the region is rich of natural resources, strategically located in the center that links South Asia, East Asia and Southeast Asia regions together, and enjoyed impressive economic growth rate. Considering these strengths, Thailand, which is located in the center of the region and strong economy and trade, therefore has the highest potential to lead the GMS region’s exhibition and trade show industry. We strongly believe that this industry will play a significant role in accelerating the development in GMS region,” said Mr. Sridama.
The first strategy is coordinating with the governments of GMS states in promoting and supporting international exhibition industry. Cooperation and agreements will be signed while seminars will be held to educate and encourage investment. The second strategy is to attract more businesses from Yunnan to Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Yunnan is closely linked to the economic corridors of the GMS.
In Chiang Mai, new convention facilities will be soon completed, increasing the city’s capacity to support higher volume of trade and investment from Yunnan through exhibitions and trade shows. TCEB will also provide marketing promotion activities to attract more visitors from Yunnan to the exhibitions and trade shows in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. The third strategy is to promote and support marketing activities for the GMS region. This includes road shows, meetings with government agencies, chamber of commerce, trade and business councils and associations and related organizations. This will enable us to reap new opportunities and build wider network with the business sector. TCEB will also provide financial support to exhibitions in which countries in the CLMV (Cambodia, Lao, Myanmar and Vietnam) participate. The “100 Ahead” campaign and the “Be My Guest” campaign that offers free accommodation through exhibitors will be instrumental in promoting group participants attending such exhibitions and trade shows.
In addition TCEB will focus its efforts in promoting more business people from GMS states to attend exhibitions in Thailand. We will highlight Thailand’s potential through seven major industries of the region, namely energy, infrastructure construction and agriculture, food security, environment and biodiversity, ICT and tourism. At present, Thailand is the manufacturing hub for eight major industries, including automotive, jewellery, agriculture as well as food and drugs, garment and textile, tourism, energy, construction and design, and medical service. “We are strongly confident that by promoting Thailand’s strength that it provides easy access to GMS will make Thailand stand out from the crowd and put the country one step ahead arch rivals like Singapore and Malaysia,” added Mr. Sridama.
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
