EVENTFAQS - “The main objective of the campaign is to link the show organizers”

Interviews

“The main objective of the campaign is to link the show organizers”

23 May 2012

The Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is a public organization that has been in operation since 2004. TCEB's main objectives are to promote meetings, incentive travel, conventions and exhibitions, and to strongly develop this collective industry in order to make Thailand a regional hub for MICE events. The Bureau's successes since its establishment reflect Thailand's growing stature as a destination of choice for international meetings, incentive travel, conventions and exhibitions.

In an interview with EVENTFAQS, Supawan Teerarat, Director of Exhibitions, TCEB discusses the trend in the exhibition industry, India's participation in the same, and their latest campaign.

Please draw a comparison between the increased number of exhibitions in Thailand in the last three years and India's participation in the same.

Over the past three years, the accumulated increment in the number of exhibitions has averaged around 30-35 per cent. In terms of India's participation, we have seen an average growth of 80 per cent from 2008 to 2011.

What kind of government support (incentives, etc.) has this industry received for these exhibitions? Is this expected to grow in the future? Please elaborate.

As a government agency fully in charge of supporting and developing international exhibitions, we design the supporting policy to serve three main missions: supporting the organiser, increasing the number of overseas attendants to the shows, and developing and upgrading trade shows. The programs to accomplish this are ‘Better the Best', which supports the flagship shows of Thailand; ‘The Next Best Show', which supports existing shows with the potential to be upgraded; ‘A100ahead', which focuses on qualified group trade visitors; and ‘Be My Guest', which is a buyer's appreciation program.

Please elaborate on the 100 A-Head campaign. How is this expected to tie into the formation of the ASEAN Economic Community?

The 100 A-Head campaign is designed to increase the number of qualified group trade visitors to any international trade shows held in Thailand and being supported by TCEB. The main objective of the campaign is to link the show organizers; both locally and internationally; and trade associations in Thailand with key trade associations/trade missions/organizations from the ASEAN Plus 6 countries. This is to propel the positioning of Thailand as a gateway to the ASEAN exhibition platform, where the business opportunities are formed, and also to prepare show organizers in Thailand to be ready for the ASEAN Economic Community, which will conglomerate in 2015.