THAILAND STRENGTHENS BILATERAL MICE INDUSTRY TIES WITH GERMANY THROUGH INNOVATIVE OUTREACH STRATEGY

Berlin / 18 May 2015 – The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (Public Organization), or TCEB, has today unveiled the next step in its strategy to boost confidence among German and EU business events stakeholders in Thailand’s MICE industry, positioning the country as a gateway to success in ASEAN. The bureau is spearheading both global initiatives including the Thailand CONNECT The World and Thailand’s MICE United II campaigns, and targeted initiatives for Germany, such as special financial subsidies of up to €25,000 for large corporate meeting groups, per head incentives for groups who engage in business matching activities, among others.

The bureau reported that during the 2014 fiscal year – from October 2013 to September 2014 – a total of 919,164 business events visitors were attracted by Thailand’s endless choice of business destinations, global standards of service, and diverse business opportunities, generating revenue of €2.116 billion. As a top 10 source market contributing to the vibrancy of Thailand’s business events industry, European markets continue to show significant growth both in terms of visitor numbers and revenue.

The momentum continued to grow in the first half of the 2015 fiscal year – October 2014 to March 2015 – when Thailand welcomed 70,316 high quality visitors from Europe, who generated €172.4 million for the Thai economy. Germany ranked second in Europe by number of business events visitors to Thailand in the first half of the 2015 fiscal year with 7,860 visitors.

Mr. Nopparat Maythaveekulchai, TCEB’s President, commented on the close collaboration between the Thai and German business events sectors, stating that, “As the Thai government’s official flagship body for the business events sector, we are proud to build on the strong and long-standing relationship the between Thai and German MICE sectors, and showcase Thailand as a gateway to ASEAN success for German businesses.”

A core part of TCEB’s outreach to German business events stakeholders is Thailand CONNECT The World, an integrated campaign highlighting Thailand’s unrivalled destinations, business prospects, and people. Under ‘Destinations’, Thailand’s five top tier business events cities are showcased, offering limitless options both inside and outside the event venue. ‘Business’ highlights how, as a world leader in a range of industries, Thailand harnesses regional integration to offer global prospects and opportunities to businesses seeking a springboard for AEC success. ‘People’ emphasises Thailand’s proficient professionals who serve with effortless simplicity, gracious smiles and signature Thai service, as well as benchmark-setting industry standards.

“Thailand CONNECT the World highlights how Thailand’s diversity of destinations are enriched by world-class infrastructure and seamless connectivity, and it is a core part of our strategy to strengthen confidence in our MICE industry among German stakeholders. This is especially relevant after the recent official lifting of martial law, given the vastly improved political environment” Mr. Nopparat added.

The second key initiative is Thailand’s MICE United II, a strategic campaign with collaboration from nine public and private organisations, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Thai Airways International PLC, the Ratchaprasong Square Trade Association, the Bangkok Riverside Marketing Partnership, the Thailand Incentive and Convention Association, the Thai Exhibition Association, True Corporation PLC, and Bangkok Mass Transit System PLC. TCEB recently kicked off the first activity of Thailand’s MICE United II by joining forces with TrueMove H and BTS Skytrain to introduce the Thailand CONNECT Welcome Package, designed to attract international MICE visitors to experience Thailand’s MICE industry, and strengthen Thailand’s position as a preferred MICE destination in Asia. The package comprises a special Thailand CONNECT edition BTS Connect SmartPass, and one-hour Free WiFi Trial by TrueMove H, with more than 100,000 True WiFi hotspots around the country.

To bring both of these core campaigns to life, TCEB has also launched a series of targeted, local promotions for German stakeholders.

The first is a special Meetings Bonus, which offers organizers generous financial subsidies for groups of 100 or more delegates who visit Thailand for three nights or longer to attend corporate meetings and incentives. Applications are open from now until 30 June, and travel needs to take place before 30 September. For groups of 200 or more, organisers will receive a subsidy of THB100,000 (€2,500), while larger groups of 500 or more will receive THB300,000 (€7,500), and organisers facilitating Mega Incentive Events with groups of 1,000 people or more are eligible for THB1,000,000 (€25,000).

TCEB is also reaching out to meetings and incentives organisers with the Thailand: Inspiring Destination campaign showcasing how they can add value to their business event in Thailand by elevating it to the next level with a range of fulfilling CSR activities. Whether at the beach – releasing turtles, cultivating coral, or renewing mangroves – in the city, volunteering at schools or reading for the blind, or in the mountains – building check dams, or aerial reforestation – delegates will conclude their visit feeling both personally and professionally fulfilled.

TCEB is also offering special incentives for conventions organisers and delegates, through the Convene and CONNECT in Thailand campaign, which features three key elements: CONNECT People, which encourages networking by enhancing organisers’ social events, with cultural support to the value of 50,000-100,000 baht (€1,250-€2,500) for between 100 and 300 people, and financial support for a cultural performance for 300 people or more. CONNECT Business helps organisers of events with at least 300 international delegates gain more attendees from ASEAN+6 countries, through support for up to three marketing activities per event, with maximum support of 200,000 baht (€5,000) per activity. Finally, CONNECT Destination offers delegates to all TCEB-supported conventions held in Bangkok in 2015 a welcome package that includes a BTS pass and Wi-Fi connection.

Lastly, TCEB has prepared special incentives for the exhibitions sector. As part of its role as a ‘one stop shop’ exhibition partner in ASEAN, TCEB is offering the ‘One to Goal’ package for organisers. With a mission to seamlessly coordinate the efforts of government and private sector partners to ensure successful exhibitions, support covers business matching through TCEB’s extensive database, in-depth industry research, networking, lead generation, marketing expertise across ASEAN, India and China, and more.

TCEB also revealed its confirmed lineup of corporate meetings and incentive travel groups from Europe, including groups from the UK, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Portugal and Spain, alongside upcoming exhibitions by German organiser Messe Düsseldorf, such as Bevtec Asia from 6-8 May, T-Plas from 26-29 August, Pack Print International from 26-29 August, Medical Fair Thailand from 10-12 September, and Wire & Tube Southeast Asia from 16-18 September. Thailand will also host THAIFEX, with collaboration between Koelnmesse & the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), from 20-24 May.

To enhance Thailand’s MICE industry in 2015 among German and EU business events stakeholders, TCEB organised the Ambassador Meeting at the Royal Thai Embassy in Berlin from 16-17 May to discuss on the development of Thailand’s MICE promotion in Europe with ambassadors and representatives of the Kingdom of Thailand to the Kingdom of the European Union from 20 countries. Today, TCEB connects more than 100 European and German industry experts and media together in a series of simultaneous events during the “Thailand CONNECT the World: Germany Business Events Road Show 2015” in Berlin. From 19-21 May, TCEB is hosting the Thailand Pavilion at IMEX Frankfurt 2015 in collaboration with 15 of Thailand’s leading business events entrepreneurs.

“We are confident that through a combination of our global initiatives including Thailand CONNECT The World and Thailand’s MICE United II, as well as targeted local initiatives such as those we’re presenting to German stakeholders, the Thai business events sector will continue to grow strongly in 2015. Thailand expects to welcome 1,036,300 business events visitors in 2015, generating revenue of approximately THB106.78 billion or €2.67 billion,” Mr. Nopparat concluded.