Bangkok’s events industry continues to build traction and momentum towards regaining pre-pandemic levels of success
Bangkok’s business events industry has restored its traction and built on its recovery momentum this year, and the city is well on its way to regaining previous levels of success obtained prior to the pandemic.
According to the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), 1Q2023 saw Thailand saw the arrival of 7.9 million business events travellers, 183,618 of which were from overseas, generating 8.5 billion baht (US$240.2 million) for the industry. Buoyed by this, the Thai government has forecast a bumper 2023/2024, aiming for around 18.6 million business travellers, and a target of 109 billion baht for the sector.
International travellers may be flocking to Thailand, but domestic organisations are also loving Bangkok as a host destination for conferences, meetings and expos, observed Tim Russell, head of marketing communications at local DMC and tour company, Smiling Albino.
“With ongoing health concerns and increasing flight costs, we found that in the last couple of years, Thailand has hosted a lot more domestic MICE trips, as Thais who might normally travel abroad have been rediscovering the delights of their own country, and realising why foreign visitors love it so much.”
Confident in the attraction of Thailand and Bangkok to both locals and global visitors as an attractive business events destination, TCEB has put together a bold five-year plan to maximise footfall and bring in more than 160 million MICE travellers and generate 945 billion baht for the country.
Dubbed TCEB Go, the plan incorporates the Thailand MICE to Meet You 2023 campaign, which has already seen some vital updates to the country’s event infrastructure. These include dedicated MICE Lanes at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports, which processed 3,500 business events travellers between October 2022 and March 2023.
TCEB has also made an effort to recognise 52 organisations with the Thailand Sustainable Event Management Standard (TSEM). The certification enables event and travel planners to easily select experienced and knowledgeable local partners and suppliers who understand the importance of sustainability, while being able to provide cutting-edge audiovisual, lighting, data analysis, electronic ticketing, and reservations solutions.
Stefan Bruns, general manager Thailand, Diethelm Travel Group, has noticed that the popularity of the Thai capital has led to significant changes to existing infrastructure.
“The MICE business in Bangkok is seeing a notable surge, particularly for conferences and incentives. A prime example of this growth is the increasing prominence of Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) as a venue for both conferences and exhibitions.”
Located in the heart of Bangkok, after three years of remodelling inside and out, QSNCC’s refurbishment was completed at the end of 2022. Its top-down renovations mean the venue now provides more than 78,500m2 of event space across four conference rooms, eight exhibition halls, four conference halls, and four assembly spaces, alongside 50 meeting rooms and breakout areas.
Since its official opening, QSNCC has held over 400 international and domestic events to date, with more slated to happen in the coming months.
“Previously, QSNCC mainly hosted domestic exhibitions and meetings, but (since the revamp), we have welcomed international tradeshows, global conferences, and entertainment events,” Sutichai Bunditvorapoom, executive vice president – marketing, sales and operations division from QSNCC told TTGmice.
He further shared that QSNCC’s portfolio has also changed slightly after its top-to-toe overhaul, where new clients include luxury brand launches such as Porsche and Lamborghini, as well as music concerts. Longstanding clients, such as the annual Book Expo Thailand – which registered around 160,000 in footfall during its October 2022 show – also continue to hold their events at QSNCC.
When asked to outline QSNCC’s strategy for the next five years, Sutichai shared: “Our profile will be clearer next year. This is because we are also trying to bring in new events in the innovation and technology space, as well as fintech. One notable win is Money 20/20, which announced (in April) that our venue will be hosting the 2024 edition.”
Moving forward, QSNCC will be focused on luring more business from Asia, as the “economy is strong, and corporates are willing to spend”. Further afield, the venue will continue to seek out business in France, Germany and the UK as well.
For Bruns, the centre’s accessibility is a highlight: “Its strategic location, in proximity to Sukhumvit hotels and the MRT station, makes it even more appealing for attendees favouring public transportation.”
QSNCC isn’t the only venue with a packed calendar, where events this year include the 62nd ICCA Congress 2023 (November 12-15) and Asian Pacific Digestive Week 2023 (December 6-9).
Other venues with major upcoming events include the World Allergy Congress 2023 (December 1-3) at Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld, while the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC) will host Oil & Gas Thailand 2023 (October 18-20), Mobility Live Asia 2023 (November 1-2), and Thailand Friendly Design Expo 2023 (December 7-10). – Additional reporting by Rachel AJ Lee
