The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has unveiled a strategic roadmap for its meetings and incentives sector for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.
TCEB’s strategy centres on four key pillars: maximising opportunities for Thai business events stakeholders; bolstering support measures to influence buyer decisions; elevating both online and offline platforms for showcasing Thailand’s offerings; and fostering industry knowledge advancement to keep Thai stakeholders at the forefront of the sector and global trends.
Supanich Thiansing, director of meetings and incentives at TCEB, also addressed the growing significance of safety and security during the Thailand Innovative Meetings Exchange 2024 (TIME 2024) held on June 17, 2024, in Bangkok, Thailand.
Political stability and health security have also become paramount concerns for event planners and attendees. Additionally, the global economic landscape presents additional challenges, with inflation fuelled by rising costs due to supply chain disruptions, energy price hikes, and increasing food prices.
“Geopolitical tensions can disrupt travel, impacting accessibility and attendee patterns. Safety and security now outweigh other considerations, even budgets,” Thiansing remarked.
She elaborated: “Inflation caused by supply chain issues, energy price hikes, and rising food costs are also a concern in many countries. This could lead to higher event costs and potentially lower hotel and entertainment spending within the MICE industry.”
In response, TCEB is committed to cost optimisation, offering flexible pricing models, and enhancing the overall value proposition of hosting events in Thailand.
Other strategies include developing airline partnerships, where the focus will be on unlocking more opportunities in the Middle East – a burgeoning market for Thailand – and fam trips to second-tier business events cities across the country for key source markets like Singapore, Vietnam, and China.
“Penetrating the Middle East market is crucial for next year, given its strategic location and booming economy. We plan to achieve this through partnerships and network expansion,” Thiansing added.
