Bangkok--26 Mar--TCEB
TCEB has joined forces with a troop of Thai leading business event operators as part of the Thai government’s “Thailand Moving Forward” initiative, heading up for an aggressive 2009 Japan roadshow.
As part of the Thai government’s policy to restore confidence in Thailand as a top business event destination, Thailand Conventions and Exhibitions Bureau (TCEB) will be coordinating with many of the country’s business event industry leaders to take Japan by storm with the 2009 Thailand-Japan Road Show. The event is due to coincide with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between TCEB and the convention bureaus of Osaka, Nagoya and Sendai, signaling a strengthening of the partnership between the two countries.
TCEB’s Meetings and Incentives Director, Mrs. Malinee Kitaphanich, said, “The Royal Thai Government has been traveling the world assuring governments that Thailand is open for business and offers Business Event opportunities that are unrivalled in Asia, the centerpiece of which is the upcoming visit to Japan. The visit forms part of the government’s investment and tourism restoration policy. Approximately 60,000 Japanese business travelers visited Thailand last year, which formed 15% of the total. The revenue made from Japanese business travelers was around THB 5,100 million.”
TCEB has invited Thailand’s tourism and business event operators, from hotels and convention centers to tourism agencies and airlines, to join them in Japan and demonstrate the almost endless capacity and huge variety of Thailand’s Business Event industry. The most important part of this trip will be the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau, the Nagoya Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Sendai Convention Bureau and TCEB. Together, these four organizations will work together to improve the regional business event industry by exchanging information, training personnel and learning from the strategies taken by each respective country. It is expected that business events industry will be enhanced by the partnership, with the volume of traffic between the two countries expected to increase.
Mrs. Malinee said, “Even though Japan remains one of our industrial competitors, we have maintained a close and cordial relationship with the country for centuries. The partnership between TCEB and its Japanese counterparts represents a win-win situation. Working together, the two countries could form the most attractive business event packages ever seen in Asia, able to compete with the likes of Europe, the United States of America and India. Ultimately, we expect Asia to become the hub of the business event industry and this partnership is one step closer to realizing this.”
Mrs. Malinee added, “TCEB has also formulated a number of campaigns with the Meetings and Incentives market in mind. The meetings and incentives industry will be able to take advantage of the “Meetings More Memorable” and “Meetings Plus” promotion packages, which provide a range of benefits, making Thailand an even better value business event destination. TCEB has also initiated a promotion specifically for Japan whereby groups of 25 Japanese business travelers will be eligible for additional incentive packages ranging from spa treatments, golfing opportunities, reception party reductions and free access to cultural performances.”
For the conventions market, besides the “Thanks A Million” campaign which offers rebates of up to one million Thai Baht for large groups of 1,000 delegates throughout 2009 and 2010, TCEB is also offering smaller conventions of just 20 delegates the “Bring More, Enjoy More” package. The package gives the organizers the option to take advantage of cash rewards and a welcome package which includes a Thai cultural performance at the opulent Chalermkrung Pavilion. Japan will be the first country to be offered the package, and will be followed by China, India, Korea, Philippines, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.
Thailand’s business event industry has generated more than THB 52,000 million in revenue and brought on average 636,000 business travelers to Thailand in recent years, making it one of the country’s most important industries. Besides the visit to Japan, TCEB will participate a further nine tradeshows and seven road shows this year, in an attempt to promote the country’s business event industry. The push is expected to restore Thailand to its rightful place in the business event world: as the preferred business event destination in Asia.
For more information, please contact:
Marketing Communications
Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB)
Ms. Parichat Svetasreni
Senior Manager of Public Relations
TEL: 662-694-6092 or 08-1-840-4701
Ms. Arisara Thanuplang
Manager of Public Relations
TEL: 662-694-6095 or 08-1-561-4745