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TCEB unveils local MICE fair |
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By Sirima Eamtako
The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) will stage its first annual MICE event in Bangkok next year to raise local professionalism and know-how.
Called ASEAN MICE Mart, it will take place at IMPACT Challenger Hall 2 from March 8 to 11.
TCEB exhibitions director, Mr Vithaya Sintharapantorn, said MICE professionals and experts and representatives from state-owned MICE-related bureaux and agencies from South-east Asia would be invited as guest speakers and panellists. TCEB has allocated 40 million baht (US$1 million) to the mart, which will be supported by the Thailand Incentive and Convention Association and the Trade Exhibition Association.
CM Organiser, based in Bangkok, has been appointed the event’s organiser. Mr Vithaya said: “We hope the event will eventually be self-financing, but in its early years we will be bearing most of the costs and will be collecting only minimal fees.”
The mart will take up 10,000m² and TCEB is expecting at least 50,000 trade and public visitors. More than 1,000 paying delegates have been targeted for the conference. The four-day event will be an “edutainment platform for the public and an exhibition and conference platform for the trade”.
Mr Vithaya said: “Our key targets in the first year are Thais, local institutions and professional associations, as MICE for Thais is still new. But we want more people to work in this industry, so it is important we create awareness on the positive results the MICE business has on our economy. We also have a new target – students.”
Thailand has hosted the annual international MICE event, IT&CMA (Incentive Travel & Conventions, Meetings Asia), for the past five years including last month’s show in Pattaya. It will be in Bangkok next year. Organiser, TTG Asia Media managing director, Mr Darren Ng, and Mr Vithaya confirmed they were exploring the possibility of making TCEB’s mart a component within IT&CMA.
Mr Vithaya said: “TTG Asia Media can be a big help to ASEAN MICE Mart especially in terms of PR and marketing as it has a good database.”
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