A Fresh Framework for Success in 2020
The success of TCEB’s exhibition industry this year will be attributed to the wider success of Thailand as a destination primed for the economic growth of its investors.
28 January 2020 Thailand’s per-capita GDP grew at a rate of 3.47 per cent in 2019 and is expected to grow by 3.55 per cent in 2020 according to Statista.com. And, the development in the exhibition industry help driving Thailand’s economic growth. Nine new trade shows take place in the country this year, with 24 more in the pipeline, in automotive, building and construction, energy, food and beverage, infrastructure, logistics, marketing, metalwork, digital and sport.
The number of international exhibitors in Thailand rose 31 per cent last year to 31,509 exhibitors and 12,552 companies, primarily based in China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore. They met with almost 77,000 international visitors, up 60 per cent on the figure for 2018, arriving predominantly from China, India, Japan, South Korea and Australia to attends shows in industries including food & agriculture, healthcare, engineering, energy and Infrastructure.
To capitalise on this surge in demand, the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has set a tough target for 2020; making revenue of THB 21 billion baht (US $663m) across our partner exhibitions. To achieve this, we are building our strategy around four key pillars, established to accommodate the needs of organisers looking to stage their shows in Thailand.
These include advocacy that connects the global exhibition industry to the towns and cities outside of the capital. A rising tide lifts all boats, as the wisdom states, and our involvement in the UFI Annual Congress has already enabled us to shine a light on potential partners from the lesser-known exhibition and MICE event destinations in Thailand.
Crossing borders
Of course, an event in Thailand connects you with more than just domestic partners, it’s is an invitation to do business across our borders. It is with this in mind that we will boost the number of visitors at events in Thailand from China, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore through our ASEAN+6 initiative, as well as building on event attendance – both buyers and sellers – from the CLMV countries Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.
But business development is not all about geography. The next two strategic pillars involve building event clusters around specific industries, and working more closely than ever with our government which – as anyone familiar with doing events in Thailand will know – is uniquely supportive of the international exhibition industry.
By combining exhibitions, conventions, events and festivals the organisers of these events can share visitors, introduce economies of scale, and court larger audiences that justify the creation of more memorable attractions for visitors. The involvement of the public sector in the implementation of these events also increases the return on investment for those who attend the events, cementing the host city’s reputation as a place for trade events in that industry.
TCEB foresees an importance in working collaboratively with a government by offering its in kind support under Joint Operating Committee or JOC to elevate the ease of doing business in Thailand. A government collaboration initiative we call One Ministry One Expo brings the public sector into the value chain for exhibitions in Thailand more than ever before.
These are just a few of initiatives that sit at the heart of our campaign, ‘Exhibition Redefined; 360-degree Exhibition Success’, giving global organisers the support that our research shows they need if they are to launch successful, sustainable events in Thailand.
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