Thailand: Marketing Plan provides Private Sector with Innovative MICE Tools

Bangkok – Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (Public Organization) has announced its online marketing strategy and outreach program targeting MICE markets worldwide. Also, in line with the innovative initiatives was the development of the state-of-the-art website which will be shown in five languages.

The bureau expects to implement seven marketing campaigns focusing on both domestic and international MICE markets. In addition, the strategy will highlight the digital platform that enables collaboration between TCEB and the private sector to synergize in the digital marketing realm while making Thailand the ideal destination for regional MICE events.

The online marketing strategy will be implemented under 3 key frameworks which include the development of an online comprehensive MICE database, the production of digital sales and marketing tools, and innovative online marketing & public relations activities. Domestic and international marketing promotional campaigns aiming to attract target groups to join social media activities are comprised of seven campaigns under a 45 million baht budget.

TCEB President Nopparat Maythaveekulchai noted that, “Our online marketing plan prioritizes participation from the private sector within the MICE industry – including organizers, MICE travellers, foreign business partners and entrepreneurs – to join online marketing activities. The strategy will allow the private sector to efficiently reach the MICE market’s target groups, while cost and time saving are also achieved.”

Nopparat Maythaveekulchai also announced that, “TCEB has launched the www.businesseventsthailand.com website as the center of the complete MICE database that provides updated information for worldwide MICE target groups. Currently, the website is in three languages – English, Thai and Chinese – with five more languages – Japanese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Korean and Russian, being added in 2014.

TCEB has also developed sales and marketing tools designed for MICE entrepreneurs to better utilise and create their own sales media with their preferred formats and contents according to their own business requirements. The online tools can be easily downloaded, saving time and resources which would otherwise be used in producing their own digital sales kits.

TCEB’s online marketing activities include domestic and international marketing support campaigns. International campaigns include 3 campaigns:

1) Spice Up Your Business Agenda: a special privilege campaign, with collaboration between TCEB, Tourism Authority of Thailand, Thai Airways International Plc, Department of International Trade Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and VISA. The collaboration will pool privileges of various products and services, such as air tickets, airport shuttles, golf, spas, entertainment and internet service, specifically for registered MICE travellers joining exhibition fairs in Thailand. The Spice Up Your Business Agenda campaign will officially kick off in April 2014.

2) Dream Meeting Contest: An online marketing activity on Facebook designed to invite MICE travellers worldwide to join online games in order to inspire the holding of MICE activities in Thailand while competing for special Thailand travel prizes.

3) Itinerary Contest: An itinerary design contest that challenges contestants to create a pre- or post-trip itinerary in Thailand to introduce attractions and interesting activities for MICE organisers, MICE travellers and the general public.

Nopparat Maythaveekulchai further explained that domestic markets will be running under the “MICE in Thailand” campaign with the objective to promote MICE activities in Thailand. TCEB has put in place four domestic campaigns throughout 2014:

1) Thailand MICE Venues Vote Awards 2014: A voting campaign that looks for the best MICE venue in Thailand; 2) MICE Photo Contest @IG Project:  Targeting Instagram users, the campaign calls for submission of photos of favourite MICE activities in Thailand with grand prizes every month; 3) Share and Like Your MICE Experiences: Targeting institutes, organisations or corporations, this campaign highlights Thailand’s impressive MICE activities’ photos with special prizes; and 4) MICE Guru: An online service offered by TCEB that provides updated information and clarification on MICE activities in Thailand.

He concluded: “TCEB is confident that our online marketing plans for 2014 will play an important role in attracting MICE travellers to Thailand to meet our target of 987,000 travellers, with 96,900 million baht of revenue. Essentially, this effort will help drive the expansion of MICE-related business and establish Thailand as the premier destination for the world’s MICE industry in the near future.”