SPURRED by strong demand from Asian feeder markets and expanding trade from Europe, Thailand’s MICE industry grew 12 per cent over the past three quarters, chalking up a revenue of 64.3 billion baht (US$2 billion), according to the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB).

TCEB is confident the industry will bring 940,000 delegates to the country with a revenue of 88 billion baht this financial year which ends in October.

Nopparat Maythaveekulchai, TCEB’s president, said: “We expect the fourth quarter shall bring (similar) growth. The progress will be (driven) by the execution of strategic marketing movements… as well as the strengthening of Thai MICE to tackle the launch of AEC (Asean Economic Community in 2015),” he said.

International conventions were the key driver of the industry’s growth during the first three quarters of the current financial year, drawing 223,463 delegates, or 29.9 per cent of total MICE arrivals, and generating a revenue of 22.1 billion baht. Incentives drew 196,088 travellers (26.3 per cent), generating 12.5 billon baht, followed by meetings (174,701 delegates,18.2 billion baht) and international exhibitions (152,820 delegates, 11.5 billion baht).

Asia accounted for 72.7 per cent of MICE travellers (543,016 delegates), delivering revenue of 46.8 billion baht. During the same period, 83,772 European delegates visited Thailand, generating 7.2 billion baht, while MICE arrivals from the US was 43,165, contributing 3.7 billion baht.

Thailand-based DMCs have witnessed similar trends.

James Drysdale, director of Inspired Event Travel, told TTGmice e-Weekly: “The MICE market has been very buoyant, driven primarily from the Asian markets. We have seen both conference and incentive groups coming into Thailand from Australia, the UK, Europe and the US, so while Asia is the larger of the feeder markets, the other markets are performing too. Yields from Australia, the UK and the US remain higher than Asia, as has typically been the case.”

“Quoting activity is up on prior years. However, we are seeing significant downward pressure on costs. Clients are looking more than ever to maximise the reach for their spend,” he added.

Asian Trails also saw growth in its MICE business but had not experienced shortening lead times from Asian clients, which is an emerging trend across the industry.

CLUB Melbourne Ambassador Program, which has won more than 70 international conferences for the Australian city through leaders of multiple industries since 2005, was relaunched on August 27 with a fresh direction and six new ambassadors.

The new direction will addresses increasing international competition to create an even stronger, focused and more supportive network to secure and host international conferences in Melbourne.

The governor of Victoria, Alex Chernov, who is the patron-in-chief of the programme, said: “Club Melbourne provides a unique opportunity to connect prominent thinkers and leaders in the promotion of Melbourne as one of the world’s premier conference and event destinations. Its influence is global and the way it drives knowledge is pivotal to all our future as a forward thinking, smart economy.”

According to a press statement from the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), where the programme’s relaunch was celebrated, business events contribute over A$1.2 billion (US$1.1 billion) annually to the local marketplace.

Over the last 12 months, Melbourne hosted 10 international conferences that were secured by CLUB Melbourne Ambassador Program over the last eight years. These events brought in almost 10,000 visitors from 49 countries, and contributed A$41 million in economic impact to Victoria.

MCEC chief executive, Peter King, said: “Through our ambassadors’ hard work, MCEC regularly hosts some of the largest and prestigious conferences in the world.

The six new faces that will join the programme in promoting Melbourne as a destination for conferences include Cathy Foley, chief of CSIRO’s Materials Science and Engineering Division; Milton Hearn, director of the Victorian Centre for Sustainable Chemical Manufacturing and deputy director of the Green Chemical Futures Centre at Monash University; Christina Mitchell, dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Monash University; Ingrid Scheffer, chair of Paediatric Neurology at The University of Melbourne and The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health; Hugh Taylor, chief of the Indigenous Eye Health Unit at The University of Melbourne; and Jan Tennent, CEO of the Bio 21 Cluster.