MEETING planners in Singapore will benefit from a new incentive scheme jointly developed by the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and Thai Airways (THAI).
Unveiled at a launch party in Singapore yesterday evening, the new OptiMICE Pass offers a host of perks to meeting groups that fly out of Singapore to Thailand.
The Silver package for groups with 10 to 30 delegates offers fast track clearance, Thai souvenirs, special airfares, one complimentary air ticket, advance group check-in and pre-assigned group seating.
Groups with 31 to 99 delegates can enjoy the Gold package which comes with all the benefits offered by the Silver package, as well as two complimentary air tickets, a special on-board announcement, additional 10kg baggage allowance and a cultural welcome performance.
The Platinum package, available to groups with at least 100 delegates, will dish out all the perks above, as well as four complimentary air tickets and BTS Skypass.
Kittiphong Sansomboon, general manager of Thai Airways Singapore Office, told TTGmice e-Weekly that the OptiMICE Pass was developed to offer greater value and convenience to meeting planners in Singapore.
“Meeting planners will shop around before determining the destination, and they will ask the convention bureau and airlines for offers and support. We (TCEB and THAI) figured we could simplify the process by offering combined support right from the start,” said Kittiphong.
“We chose to debut this programme – the first collaboration of this nature between TCEB and THAI – in Singapore because of the large pool of small and medium-size enterprises here, and this community will be a strong source of meetings. Moreover, Singapore is a market with very strong purchasing power,” he added.
Noting that Singapore is Thailand’s fifth largest MICE source market, generating 35,783 visitors in 2012, Vichaya Soonthornsaratoon, director of meetings industry department, TCEB, said: “We hope to further stimulate growth through OptiMICE Pass and encourage even more corporates in Singapore to take their events to Thailand.”
Although some OptiMICE Pass perks, such as souvenirs and cultural welcome performances, are also provided by TCEB’s regular MICE support programme, Vichaya said “unique tweaks” were made for the new deal.
“For instance, the souvenirs will be different. Also, OptiMICE Pass makes cultural welcome performances available to groups with at least 31 pax, whereas a minimum of 100 pax is required under TCEB’s support programme. It is a good deal for Singapore meeting planners,” she explained.
To qualify for the OptiMICE Pass, bookings must be made between April 1 and July 31 for travel by October 31 this year. TCEB and THAI may extend the validity period should the programme prove successful.
