Thailand is actively seeking increased business events participation from Taiwan, recently organising the MI Plus Thailand Roadshow Edition on March 12 and 13 in Taipei.
The event was attended by 30 meeting planner agencies and 10 corporate travel buyers.
Led by the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), other stakeholders included the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Thai Airways International, Thailand Incentive and Convention Association, and 15 Thai suppliers comprising DMCs, hotels and meeting venues.
TCEB’s two-day roadshow in Taipei updated Taiwanese buyers on Thailand’s latest government policies aimed at enhancing business events. The event covered essential details such as minimum night stay requirements, financial support for international group sizes, fast-track immigration lanes, cultural performances, locally-made souvenirs, and other relevant terms and conditions.
Key industry sectors being eyed from Taiwan include insurance companies, banking, technology, and direct selling multi-level marketing groups.
According to Supanich Thiansing, TCEB’s director with the Meetings & Incentives Department, Thailand is promoting itself as a gateway for unforgettable experiences and sustainable growth.
“With a focus on achieving net-zero carbon emissions and fostering sustainable practices, Thailand stands out as a prime destination for those seeking to make a positive impact,” she noted.
The MI Plus campaign name and concept, Supanich commented, aims to show meeting and incentive groups Thailand’s “plus and added value”.
TCEB also emphasised its commitment through its “3Ls” marketing strategy, focusing on creating meaningful experiences that benefit communities (“Larger than Life”), offering immersive cultural engagements (“Localised”), and driving socially responsible actions for lasting change (“Lasting change”).
Supanich noted corporate groups from Taiwan that stay an average of five days and four nights tend to visit multiple destinations, while those staying four days and three nights pick a single destination.
According to K&A International’s deputy manager, Andrew Gung, it was the first time the DMC partnered with TCEB to organise a roadshow, adding it previously helped the CVB organise an exhibition roadshow in Taipei and Shanghai.
Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi has appointed a new director of culinary, Remi Van Peteghem, who brings three decades of culinary experience.
The French national arrives in Hanoi from Singapore, where he most recently served as culinary director and assistant vice president of F&B for Resorts World Sentosa, overseeing its overall culinary operations, including at Michelin-star Table65.
Prior to that, he was executive chef at InterContinental Doha The City, executive chef at Royal Monceau Paris (home to the Michelin-star Il Carpaccio) , and executive Sous Chef at Peninsula New York. During his tenure at Peninsula Hong Kong, he oversaw the management of the French fine dining restaurant Gaddi’s for four years.
Other Michelin-star restaurants Van Peteghem has worked with include Le Sensing (one star), in his first position as chef de cuisine in 2011; Lasserre (two stars); Pavillon Le Doyen (three stars); L’Arpège (three stars); Grand Véfour (three stars); Il Cortile (one star); Montparnasse 25 (one star); and Carré des Feuillants (two stars).