TCEB INAUGURATES ‘THAILAND CONNECT THE WORLD’ BRAND COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN FOR 2015

Bangkok, 1 October 2014 – Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (Public Organization) or TCEB has spearheaded a response to the government direction of advancing key policy areas by announcing a campaign to reassert Thailand’s MICE industry leadership position among the international business community. Making the announcement at the IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific 2014, the bureau introduced the ‘Thailand CONNECT The World’ brand communications campaign for the 2015 fiscal year, which highlights the three key fundamental pillars of the Thailand’s MICE industry including ‘Destinations of Thailand: Your modern metropolis, the world’s business events paradise’, ‘Business in Thailand: Your borderless business potential, the world’s biggest market of opportunities’, and ‘People of Thailand: Your Success with Proficient Professionals’. In doing so, TCEB aims to position Thailand as a strategic linkage between global business excellence and local expertise to drive the economy, and expects the robust Thai MICE industry to attract over one million MICE travellers in 2015, earning the Thai economy more than THB 100,000 million (US$ 3 billion).

As host country for IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific for the 13th consecutive year, Thailand is home to the world’s only double bill event of its kind from 31 September to 2 October 2014 at the Bangkok Convention Centre, Centara Grand at CentralWorld Bangkok. TCEB also aims to use the Asia-Pacific flagship MICE trade show as a strategic platform to officially launch its latest brand communications campaign to 2,657 delegates from 57 countries and territories around the world.

Mr Nopparat Maythaveekulchai, president of TCEB revealed that, “The strategic direction to promote Thailand’s MICE industry is in response to the government policy of reinforcing international confidence in Thailand, and especially boosting the vibrancy of the country’s MICE industry, which helps connect business events to global success. For 2015, TCEB has developed the ‘Thailand CONNECT The World: Global Businesses and Local Experts Link to Boost Business Events Success’ brand communications campaign, building on Thailand’s 2014 brand campaign.”

The Thailand CONNECT The World campaign builds on the strong legacy of the three fundamental pillars of Thailand’s MICE industry including (1) Destinations (2) Businesses and (3) People, by showcasing the best of all three elements.

1. Destinations in Thailand: Your Modern Metropolis, the World’s Business Events Paradise - highlighting three key attributes, which include:

     (1) The World’s Most Desired Happy Hour for Business Events – Thailand never sleeps and business events in Thailand are never stuck in business hours. Business events in Thailand ramp up as the sun go down, making your event a guaranteed all-time favourite;

     (2) The World’s Most Advanced Connectivity Components for Complete Connections – Expansion of airports and major ports will see the country emerge rapidly as an ideal destination for global business events. Thailand is connected to regional arterial networks, and first-class 3G/4G LTE offers seamless connections covering 98 per cent of the country, while Wi-Fi is offered on board by Thai Airways and Nok Air;

     (3) The World Most Amendable & Delightful Destination for Business Events Paradise – Thailand’s numerous cultural and natural attractions offer delegates a vast array of facilities, infrastructure, and DIY (Do Itinerary Yourself) extracurricular activities to enjoy in their downtime.

2. Business in Thailand: Your borderless business potential, the world’s biggest market of opportunities - highlighting three key attributes, which include:

     (1) The World’s Biggest Marketplace for Boundless Business Benefits – Thailand is making use of international frameworks to further its interests in achieving stable and sustainable business events industry growth. With full implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), Thailand will become the centre of the world’s biggest market of opportunities with a regional population around 3,358 million, thanks to being within easy reach of more than 16 countries, and an upcoming collaboration and partnership programme: Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), Regional Cooperation and Integration (RCI), Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), and Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). In addition, Thailand is an international commercial hub and leading producer in a range of global industries including automotive, electric & electronics, food, and gems & jewellery, and features strong market recognition and robust government collaboration and support.

     (2) The World’s Newest Business Agreements for Advancement of Your Achievements – Negotiations for an EU-Thailand and Thailand-EFTA Free Trade Agreement marked an important step in European and Thai relations. In addition, Thailand has also formed new connections with progress of profitable agreements with BIMSTEC and Chile.

     (3) The World’s Most Interconnected Hub for Your Unparalleled Success – Thailand is home to world-leading international government and non-profit organisations including United Nations ESCAP, Amnesty International, UNDP, UNICEF, PATA, GBTA, and AACVB, and plays host to many intergovernmental conferences, ministerial summits and conferences, and regional sporting competitions.

3. People of Thailand: Your Success with Proficient Professionals, the World’s Best Workforce with Global-minded Service - highlighting three key attributes, which include:

     (1) The World’s Best Service with a Siamese Smile for Seamless Success – Thailand’s skilled business events workforce not only boasts world-leading expertise, but ‘glocalised’ service with local flexibility which will help ensure business events success.

     (2) The World’s Most Preferred Business Alliances for All-round Business Success – Business events in Thailand mean partnering with an enthusiastic team of imaginative industry experts, comprised of all-round stakeholders from both public and private bodies.

     (3) The World’s Clearest Certified Curriculum for the Next World-Class Business Event Leaders – Thailand invests in building human capital by improving both the quality of and access to its educational institutions through a strengthened business events curriculum and teacher training initiatives.

In conjunction with the IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific 2014, Thailand also hosted the 7th Asia for Asia Summit: Rock the Generation, a high-level panel discussion encompassing business event trends and current and emerging needs in Asia.

A diverse range of private and public sector participants offered access to innovative ideas, strategies and networks to anticipate and harness future industry trends. The industry’s brightest young and emerging stars addressed issues such as: (1) future trends applicable to Asian customers and Asian needs; (2) factors that influence decisions taken by young management in organizing an event and; (3) MICE professionals’ offerings to attract clients from Asia.

Driving the growth of the regional MICE industry with strong government collaboration and support, Asian member countries including China, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand, as well as other member countries of the AACVB, strive to maintain the region’s leadership position as a global hub for major business events.

“The organization of the IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific 2014, along with the 7th Asia for Asia Summit: Rock the Generation will help to boost confidence in Thailand among the international business community. It will also reinforce our strong capabilities proposition as a vital link between global businesses and local experts to boost business events success, and propel the prosperity of the global economy in a sustainable way,” Mr Nopparat added.

This year it is expected that Thailand will welcome 888,210 international MICE visitors, generating total MICE revenue of THB 87,210 billion (US$ 2.9 billion). Looking ahead, TCEB forecasts that the launch of Thailand CONNECT The World, together with other market initiatives will enable Thailand to welcome 1,036,300 MICE visitors (a 17 per cent increase from 2014 targets), earning the Thai economy a total of THB 106,780 million (US$ 3.55 billion) (a 22 per cent increase from 2014 targets).

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For more information, please contact Corporate Communications Division

Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (Public Organization)

Ms Arisara Thanuplang    Tel: +66 2 694 6095    Email: arisara_t@tceb.or.th

Mr Pishnu Plaikaew    Tel: +66 2 694 6000    Email: pishnu_p@tceb.or.th

Ms Kanokwan Kadeedang    Tel: +66 2 694 6006    Email: Kanokwan_k@tceb.or.th

Ms Kwanchanok Otton    Tel: +66 2 694 6096    Email: kwanchanok_o@tceb.or.th