Bangkok, 07.10.2013 – Asia thinks in cycles! Thus, this year marked Thailand’s 12th year in hosting the premier double-bill 21st Incentive Travel & Conventions, Meetings Asia (IT&CMA) and 16th Corporate Travel World (CTW) Asia-Pacific at Bangkok Convention Centre, Central World in Bangkok on October 1-3. A continuous year-on-year-growth of the event strengthens Thailand as the regional focus for the business travel and meetings industry and confirms Bangkok as its prominent venue.
On behalf of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), Supawan Teerarat, Vice President, Strategic and Business Development, revealed during the official press conference on October 1 that the MICE industry has played an important role in the Thai economy. In 2013, Thailand is on track to welcome some 940,000 MICE visitors, generating annual revenues of about 2.93 US billion dollars. In 2014, it is expected that 987,000 MICE visitors will generate a revenue growth of 10% to 3.09 billion US dollars.
In order to raise awareness of the diversity of choices and opportunities that Thailand has to offer, TCEB launched a new global branding campaign called “Thailand Connect” to target buyers from around the world, focusing on Thailand’s winning combinations of qualities, such as a diversity of destinations, incomparable business, and people – by linking public and private connections.
The event was successfully organized by TTG Asia Media from Singapore and supported by Airports of Thailand, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, and Tourism Authority of Thailand among others, while THAI Airways International was the official airline. It opened with a local traditional puppet show, while in an impressive keynote address, guest speaker Rohit Talwar, CEO of Fast Future Research, delved into the future, which is created now and promises emerging opportunities, such as the immortality of human beings in 2045.
In the evening there followed a splendid opening ceremony and welcome reception at Plaza Athenee Bangkok, A Royal Meridien Hotel, under the theme “Connecting Asia” as Asia, especially ASEAN with its 600 million inhabitants, is on track to becoming the world’s crossroads for meetings and leisure pursuits. Some 360 hosted buyers and 100 media delegates enjoyed a high-powered acrobatic show and creative network.
On October 2-3, media briefings were held by Tourism New Zealand, TCEB, Airports of Thailand, Dusit International, Japan’s Fukuoka Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Taiwan among others. The exhibition hall itself featured exciting booths from the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Macau, Hong Kong, South Korea, and last not least from Jordan and Egypt. Other sellers came from different hotels such as the luxurious Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, Hyatt Regency Hua Hin, and the prestigious Rembrandt Hotel & Towers Bangkok.
Also, there were booths from Thailand’s provincial MICE cities of Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, Pattaya and Phuket. Interesting to note is that Sukosol Hotels, an exceptional boutique collection in Bangkok and Pattaya, presented a special gala musical in the evening of October 2 called “New York New York” at the Sukosol Hotel in Bangkok. Kamala Sukosol, President and CEO, and her family invited especially the media delegates to a cocktail party to enjoy song and dance, food and wine, fun and laughter. So there were no more late-night functions necessary.
IT&CMA closed on a high note with the 12th Sticky Awards Lunch at the Delegates Bar beside the Exhibition Hall. There were happy faces all around. It was announced that the next show of IT&CMA will be held in Bangkok again on September 30-October 2, 2014. Then a new cycle will begin. AT/Reinhard Hohler (sara@cmnet.co.th)