Bangkok--27 Sep--JWT Public Relations Boosting Thailand’s Leadership in meetings industry, Unique Get-Together Events for Professionals and Industry Newcomers Thailand has set a new, important milestone en route to become the hub of international meetings, incentives, conventions & exhibitions (MICE) industry in Asia when Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), the promotion arm of the Thai government for MICE industry, clinched the deals to hold two major world’s events for professionals of meetings industry in October this year. In Pattaya City, Chonburi, the 46th ICCA Congress & Exhibition will take place from 27 to 31 October at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort and PEACH Convention Complex. Just before the event in the eastern seaboard city starts, the 15th Incentive Travel & Conventions, Meetings Asia (IT&CMA) and the 10th Corporate Travel World (CTW) Asia-Pacific will be held in Bangkok, at CentralWorld’s brand-new Bangkok Convention Centre (BCC) on 23-25 October. TCEB Acting Director General, Mr. Kwanchai Modpradit notes, This year, Thailand was selected as the venue for the 46th ICCA Congress & Exhibition and the 15th IT&CMA and 10th CTW Asia-Pacific out of several strong bids from many countries in Asia due to the active role of TCEB. “The Bureau’s success in the liaison for the bids for the 46th ICCA Congress & Exhibition and the 15th IT&CMA and the 10th CTW Asia-Pacific reflects Thailand’s growing stature as a destination of choice for world-class MICE events. These two major events will need collaboration from several parties of Thai people as a proud, efficient and warm-welcoming host. The more success we obtain from these events, the more emphasis of leadership in MICE Thailand can expose to the world,” Mr. Kwanchai continues. The 46th ICCA Congress & Exhibition is a major annual event that brings together industry top-level executives, managers and sales directors to strengthen and solidify their businesses in a variety of ways in order to create new trend for convention and trade industry. It is a venue for exchanging development ideas, to learn about technological advances and to make invaluable networking connections. This annual event also provides informative forums, sessions and workshops to help learners and entrepreneurs in the industry understand thoroughly about the business and to exchange fresh views of how to operate successful organizations of venues, convention and trade events. TCEB Director of Conventions Mrs. Suprabha Moleeratanond says, “Alongside the 46th ICCA Congress & Exhibition incorporating the ICCA General Assembly, TCEB also co-organizes two side events, the ‘Asia’s Meetings Industry Summit: Challenges and Opportunities in the Next Decade’ on 26 October 2007 and the ‘Asian Meetings Industry Young Professionals Conference 2007’ on 29 and 30 October 2007 at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort, Pattaya.” The Asian Summit is a one-day unique event for the leaders in the industry to get together and discuss the future of Asia and how they can cooperate with each other to bring Asia up as a leading region for the meetings industry. Most importantly, the summit intends to arrive at a communiqu? on strategies that would take Asia to its next level of growth in the meetings industry. Panel discussants will include senior representatives from various industry sectors, such as national tourism organizations, convention bureaus, convention venues, conference organizers, and the academia — from China, Hong Kong, India, Korea, Singapore, and Thailand. “And while Asian Summit is for the seniors in the industry, it is also crucial to lay the foundation for the future and groom our young professionals to take over the industry in the years to come. Therefore, the “Asian Meetings Industry Young Professionals Conference 2007” is specially tailored for this purpose. This event is the opportunity for Asian young professionals to rub their shoulders with the industry gurus since many of the very same people who will be speaking at the ICCA Congress will also be speaking at the Young Professionals Conference. Besides, they will have an opportunity to meet and network with their industry peers form other Asian countries,” TCEB Director of Conventions adds. Apart from serving as the host country for the 46th ICCA Congress & Exhibition, Thailand is also scheduled to host two premier regional shows for meetings, incentive travel, and corporate travel industries in Bangkok on 23-25 October 2007. Held as a double bill event at CentralWorld’s Bangkok Convention Centre (BCC), the 15th Incentive Travel & Conventions, Meetings Asia (IT&CMA) and the 10th Corporate Travel World (CTW) Asia-Pacific will highlight Bangkok and Thailand as the destination of choice for trade and MICE events in the Asia-Pacific region. Supported by TCEB, IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific will provide an international platform for local MICE players who have rare chances to promote their services abroad. This annual event will showcase Thailand’s latest MICE products and services to 500 potential buyers and 100 international MICE industry media. The event is not only a travel show: it also features ‘motivational’ conferences and seminars that will contribute to sustainable development of the Thai MICE industry. The support for this year’s event is stronger than ever with more and more partners teaming up in the name of the host country, including Thai Airways International and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. And, TCEB is working actively to promote Bangkok as the MICE capital of Asia. Mrs. Malinee Kitaphanich, TCEB’s Director of Meetings & Incentives, shares her secret of giving high priority to qualified buyers, “The previous IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific in Pattaya were extremely successful because of the effort our team had given to handpicking potential buyers. And, of course, new buyers are what every industry is after. The responses from all suppliers were indeed delightful: they met many new buyers who have potential business in hand. Some of regular buyers who know Thailand so well have also traveled on their own in order to join the show, which is a proof that IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific is a must-attend show, and that business is really there.” The previous IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific were attended by some 1,300 delegates from 40 countries. More importantly, TCEB has already reached an agreement with Singapore’s TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd, the organizer of IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific, to continue hosting this event for the next 5 years, starting from 2008 until 2012. Four Asian destinations have participated in the bidding to host this event, but Thailand, represented by TCEB, won the bidding because of the added values offered. Among other commitments in customer relationship management, TCEB promised only top quality of product and services to delegates. “In fact, it is all the contributing factors through strong support from the industry players that make Thailand won the bid. We are talking about quality of partnership to nourish MICE in this region, and we will explore for more and more opportunities to promote Thailand in the future,” adds Mrs. Malinee. Mr. Kwanchai Modpradit, TCEB Acting Director General, added the overall Thai MICE industry, and TCEB’s role “The Thai MICE industry has enjoyed double-digit growth during the last eight years, providing an impetus for the establishment of TCEB in 2004 as the national flagship for the country’s rapidly growing MICE industry. TCEB’s existence represents a long-term commitment by the Thai government and private sector to the promotion, sustainable growth, and development of the country’s MICE industry.” For more information, please contact: Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau Khun Parichat Svetasreni Tel: 662 694 6000 Ext. 6091 Mobile: 6681 840 4701 E-mail: [email protected] Khun Arisara Thanuplang Tel: 662 694 6000 Ext. 6092 Mobile: 6681 561 4745 E-mail: [email protected] JWT (Thailand), JWT Public Relations Khun Wongchan TangsongsakTel: 662 204 8221 Mobile: 6689 127 2089 E-mail: [email protected] Yada Srisammasheep Tel: 662 204 8214 Mobile: 6684 640 0058 E-mail: [email protected]