TCEB adopts educational role

BANGKOK, 3 February 2012: Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau join hands with Thai Incentive and Convention Exhibition and Thai Exhibition Association to build a MICE curriculum for students.

Identified as MICE 101 it will help prepare students for the upcoming ASEAN Economic Community 2015.

TCEB president, Akapol Sorasuchart, said MICE 101 will introduce students to corporate meetings, incentive activities, international conventions and international exhibitions and trade show management. Read more

Domestic events shrink

BANGKOK, 26 January 2012: Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau says domestic MICE revenue and visits are not likely to grow in 2012 due to  financial damage caused by last year’s floods.

TCEB MICE director, Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayutthaya, said domestic MICE industry this year would stagnate as government agencies and private companies are limited spending on meetings and incentives.

“Companies hurt by the floods have cut unnecessary expenses including meeting budgets so they can concentrate on rebuilding operations,” he said. Read more

TCEB asks for Bt300 million

BANGKOK, 28 December 2011: Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau says it will ask for Bt300 million for the fiscal year 2012/2013 to support its World Expo 2020 bid.

TCEB president, Akapol Sorasuchart, said the bureau is working with the Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to establish the budget that would kick-in 1 October 2012 at the start of the new fiscal year.

“Due to a disastrous floods the government cut our budget by 20% including the World Expo campaign budget to divert funds for flood rehabilitation.” Read more

TCEB fears political conflict

BANGKOK, 29 November 2011: Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau has urged the government to ensure no further damage is inflicted on an already shaky events business.

TCEB warned that even rumours of growing political conflict or  provocation on the political front would be a disaster for the country at a time it needs to rebuild confidence.

TCEB president Akapol Sorasuchart said: “If there is a political conflict it will upset confidence of foreign investors as well as business visitors to the country.

Read more

MICE will be back in Q3

BANGKOK, 21 November 2011: Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau says the events business should recover by the third quarter of 2012 after massive cancellations due the central plain floods have almost wiped out any progress this year.

TCEB president, Akapol Sorasuchart, said during a brainstorming session with the private sector late last week the MICE industry lost Bt3,323.3 million or around 250,861 visitors who were booked to attend meetings  that were subsequently cancelled.

TCEB’s 2012 budget was cut by 23% to Bt572 million to allow funds to be diverted to flood relief, but it still believes the events industry can draw 750,000 MICE visitors and generate Bt60,120 million in 2012 Read more

TCEB events down the drain

BANGKOK, 4 November 2011 – Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau says Thailand’s flood crisis will cost the country Bt2,976.1 million in lost revenue, October to the end of November, for both international and domestic events.

TCEB president Akapol Sorasuchart said, earlier this week, 96,478 MICE visitors had cancelled plans to visit Thailand.

He cited 14 large scale business events that have been cancelled in Bangkok and the central region.

Read more

World expo bid still on track

BANGKOK, 18 October 2011 – Thailand’s bid to host World Expo 2020 remains on track despite serious flooding that has inundated most of Ayutthaya province for almost a month.

Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau president Akapol Sorasuchart gave the assurances, Monday, when asked if this year’s flooding would prompt a rethink on the venue linked to the country’s bid to host the 2020 expo.

“ We don’t think the flood will impact on our bid,” said. “The proposed expo site near the Bang Sai Royal Folk Arts and Crafts Centre has suffered little flooding.” Read more

TCEB signs MoU

BANGKOK, 13 October 2011 – Thailand Conventions and Exhibition Bureau has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Negotiations, under the Ministry of Finance, to help prepare the events business for ASEAN free-trade agreements due to come into play in 2015.

TCEB president, Akapol Sorasuchart, said: “The AEC free trade era will impact on Thailand’s MICE industry. We need to improve skills through MICE associations so we can compete with skilled labour that will move to our country.”

Department of Negotiations general director Srirat Rastapana concluded the agreement would lead to four areas of cooperation. Read more

TCEB woos more exhibitions

BANGKOK, 23 September 2011 – Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau launched a Bt85 million project, The Next Best Shows,  to draw more exhibitions to Thailand and generate Bt14,billion in tourism related revenue by 2014.

TCEB will spend Bt85 million supporting new exhibitions with Bt22 million in 2012; Bt25 million in 2013 and Bt38 million in 2014.

Initially, it is understood 20 exhibitions could qualify, but it was not explained if they were new exhibitions, or companies already hosting events in the country. Read more

TCEB makes MICE hubs

UBON RATCHATHANI, 1 September 2011 -  Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau’s MICE-Believe in Thailand project, is expanding to include Ubon Ratchathani.

The campaign has a lofty objective to promote the northeast town as an events hub for the Greater Mekong Sub-region. The town is about 100 km west from the border with southern Laos and 150 km north of the Cambodian border. There are no large towns in either of the two neighbouring countries that could deliver delegates to events in Ubon.

TCEB president, Akapol Sorasuchart, explains the strategy claiming it will upgrade the “business model and boost the overall economy at macro level,” which in turn will help boost Thailand’s share of the international MICE market. Read more

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