NEW PATH OF THAILAND FOR INDIAN BUSINESSMAN

Major Thailand MICE Promotion for Indian Businesses In order to showcase Thailand’s unique attractions and great value as a MICE destination, the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has launched a major road show to inform India’s business community of the business opportunities and great value in doing business events in Thailand. TCEB’s first integrated India roadshow brings all TCEB’s MICE marketing team to offer Indian businesses an ambitious and attractive MICE promotion. Mr. Natwut Amornvivat, TCEB president stated that the India road show has been made possible through close cooperation between the Thai government, represented by TCEB, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the Department for Export Promotion (DEP), the Thailand Incentive and Convention Association (TICA), and the Trade Exhibition Association of Thailand (TEA) in collaboration with 6 private sector MICE stakeholders: 4 venues and hotels, PEACH, Pattaya ,the Banyan Tree Bangkok Hotel, and Siam City Hotels, and Resorts, Bangkok, and Moevenpick Resort, and Spa Karon Beach, Phuket. 2 key destination management companies, Karey (Thailand) Co., Ltd., and Diethelm Events from Bangkok. Moreover, it is the second time that Siam City Hotels, and Resorts, Bangkok, and Moevenpick Resort, and Spa Karon Beach Phuket have joined the roadshow for MICE as their commitment to tap Indian MICE business. During the roadshow, TCEB announced an attractive new “Thanks A Million” promotional package to serve the international convention market. For any convention of three days or more held in Thailand from now until October 1, 2009, TCEB will reimburse international convention organizers for their local expenses in Thailand. Organizers of events bringing 1,000 delegates to Thailand will be eligible for support of one million baht. This package applies to event size from 100 delegates or more, and initial applications can be made via the TCEB website www.tceb.or.th. Approximately 200-300 India corporates, travel agents, trade associations, professional exhibition, and convention organizers attended the India road show. With Asia’s economies surging ahead, the region’s demand for meetings, conventions, and exhibitions are growing fast. Increased corporate profitability, and greater use of incentives by industry sectors and corporates for performance improvement, and the higher growth of Asian development are all helping to drive double-digit growth in Asia’s MICE sector. Now, India plays significant roles in Asia, and also Thailand. As shown that India’s FDI in Thailand has risen to 830 million US dollars currently. It is ranked 18th in India’s total FDI, and top sectors include food, and processing, hotel, and tourism, construction, and electrical equipment, telecommunication, trading, and transportation. For Thailand, today, we are recognized as a preferred world-class MICE destination in Asia, with an envied reputation for world-class venues, professional services, and the competence to meet the needs of the most complex and demanding of events. Its unique culture, wonderful cuisine and unique hospitality have all helped drive MICE growth by 20% a year for the past four years. Last year the MICE sector earned almost 1.6 US billion in foreign exchange earnings. Thailand’s reputation as a vibrant destination, well-served by its sophisticated service infrastructure, world-class venues and meeting facilities and internationally-recognized award-winning hotels and resorts are well-established, especially among MICE professionals around the world. In 2007, Thailand hosted many major MICE events, including the 15th IT&CMA and 10th CTW and ICCA Congress & Exhibition 2007, Glasstech Asia 2007, the World of Muslim 2007 and ANGVA. With a vastly improved transport infrastructure, Thailand's capabilities to host more meetings, conventions, and exhibitions are set to be further enhanced. In 2008, world-class events to be held in Thailand in 2008 include ITU Telecom Asia 2008, the 2008 Lions Clubs International Convention, and IBM Asia Pacific 2008. In the next few years Thailand is expected to host events for tens of thousands of international participants, whose bookings have been secured with TCEB’s support. For more information, contact Marketing Communication: Thailand Convention, and Exhibition Bureau (Public Organization) or TCEB Ms. Parichat Svetasreni, or Ms. Arisara Thanuplang Tel. (66) 2 694 6000 Ext. 6092, or 6095 Email : Parichat_s@tceb.or.th or arisara_t@tceb.or.th