Drawing on over 15 years of experience in the business events sector with Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and a recent tenure as president of the National Food Institute, Supawan Teerarat, the fourth president of TCEB, now leads the organisation with a bold vision: positioning Thailand as Global-Asia's Trusted Gateway. She shares her strategies, challenges, and opportunities for the industry’s next chapter
What is your vision for Thailand’s business events industry?
My guiding philosophy is “Change That Matters”. MICE cannot be measured by numbers alone. Our role is to win events that create real impact for the economy, industry, and local communities. This means being selective – targeting events that strengthen Thailand’s global profile while transferring knowledge and opportunities to our people.
We frame this through four strategies: Global Reach via smart bidding and partnerships; Local Strength through MICE city clusters and flagship events; Capabilities Excellence with sustainability and standards; and Organisational Transformation embracing digitalisation, talent development, and South-east Asian expertise.
What has it been like coming back to TCEB? What are some of the biggest differences?
The challenge in the MICE industry is much greater than before, because the competitors around us have also developed. Look at Vietnam – they’ve sprung up very powerfully.
There has also been a generational shift in leadership. Four or five years ago, we said Gen X was the new president. Now it’s millennials and Gen Z. Their mindsets and expectations are very different, which means we must adapt our approaches to event design, technology, and engagement.
On top of that, the environment has changed dramatically. We are dealing with the lingering impact of Covid-19, ongoing political and economic volatility, the push toward de-globalisation, and the rise of new technologies. All of these factors have made business events more complex, and expectations are higher on destinations to deliver innovation, safety, and credibility.
How central is sustainability to your vision for the industry?
Sustainability is no longer optional – it must be the default for every event. Our goal is to make Thailand’s business events eco-friendly by design, moving toward carbon neutrality and zero waste. When international organisers look at destinations, the first question they ask is whether hotels, venues, and cities have strong green policies – whether we are a Green City or Smart City.
How does this translate into practice for events held in Thailand?
Wellness, safety, and hygiene are now habits. To build trust and confidence, Thailand has to embed these principles in every meeting. We are talking about creating standards that align with ESG principles and ensuring organisers see visible proof of our commitment.
What lessons do you take from global benchmarks?
Leading festivals such as EDM and Tomorrowland are already at the forefront of sustainability. They don’t just run events – they leave behind knowledge bases for the industry and for local students. Thailand must do the same: use each event as an opportunity to transfer knowledge and create long-term benefits for communities, not just short-term tourism receipts
Where does Thailand stand today in terms of performance?
In 2024, Thailand welcomed 19 million MICE visitors, nearly back to our pre-pandemic peak of 20 million. What’s critical is their spending power of 60,000 to 100,000 baht (US$1,889 to US$3,148), which averages 80,000 to 90,000 baht per delegate. This underscores our industry’s outsized value.
But growth in 2025 is forecast to add only two to three per cent to GDP, reflecting fragile business confidence and global economic headwinds.
Exhibitions are our highest-value segment, followed by conventions and incentives. Corporate meetings make up about 20 per cent, but they remain the most sensitive to political and economic shifts.
What challenges must Thailand overcome to remain competitive?
One of our biggest gaps is outside Bangkok. Too few MICE operators are based in secondary cities, so organisers must import teams from the capital, raising costs. Compare this with Korea, Japan, or China – their secondary cities are already event-ready. That is their “product”. Thailand must compete on products too.
Our task now is to strengthen the 10 existing MICE cities while developing new ones tailored to different event types – whether meetings, incentives, conventions, or exhibitions. Alongside this, we are creating a digital platform where local operators, influencers, and partners can connect with organisers.
How do you plan to improve Thailand’s international credibility and perception?
Perception is as important as infrastructure. For too long, Thailand has been labelled a “cheap destination”. That must change. We want Thailand to be seen as worth the price: a premium destination delivering networks, partnerships, and opportunities, not just headcount spend.
Safety perceptions also need rebuilding, and credibility comes from consistent standards. Organisers will come if they are confident in standards and support. They need clarity, and that must be our responsibility. TCEB itself is expanding its role; no longer just a facilitator, but also a regulator and ecosystem designer, ensuring readiness nationwide.
What opportunities are on the horizon?
We have outpaced Singapore in hosting medical conventions and are building strength in science, technology, innovation, and digital events. Partnerships with Chinese exhibition organisers and Tencent are opening doors to large-scale pavilions and incentives.
At the same time, collaboration with the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Ministry of Foreign Affairs extends our reach in overseas markets where TCEB has no offices.
Which headline events should buyers watch for?
Our upcoming calendar shows the scale of Thailand’s ambition: Amway China (13,000 visitors); Gastech Bangkok 2026 (50,000 visitors, March 2026); the IMF–World Bank Annual Meetings (10,000 visitors, October 2026); and the Udon Thani International Horticultural Expo (3.6 million visitors, November 2026–March 2027).
How can business events drive change for the nation?
Ultimately, MICE must evolve from volume-driven tourism into an engine of impact.
Our global reach strategy is to bid for events that create change, secure international recognition, and then cascade benefits across Asia and South-east Asia. To do this, we will work with national ministries tied to target industries, and we leverage Thailand’s priority issues as anchors to attract high-impact events.
