An experience-filled programme too meetings and incentives buyers from the pulse of the Bangkok capital to the calm of Khao Lak.
As the Thailand Innovative Meetings Exchange (TIME) wrapped up an experience-filled week of knowledge exchange, business meetings, site inspections and activities, the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau’s (TCEB) left participants with the all-important message that business events are as much about moments as they are about meetings.
Themed Siam Moment, TIME brought together over 100 international buyers, Thai MICE professionals, public authorities and other stakeholders. With the event spanning the week of 31 August to 5 September, TCEB was eager to highlight “the many rhythms of Thailand”, whether they be “Moments of Pulse” in the dynamic Bangkok capital or Moments of Calm in Khao Lak located in the sleepy southern province of Phang Nga.
Thailand’s competitive edge
Speeches and panels highlighted not just MICE facilities but the rising quality of life in the country.
The governor addressed the reservations that event planners might have about Bangkok, like traffic and pollution, head on. The capital’s premier exhibition venues – International Multi-Purpose Arena, Conference and Trade Complex (IMPACT) BITEC (Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre) and Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) – are now connected to Bangkok’s rapidly expanding mass transportation system.
The Governor of Bangkok Chadchart Sittipunt – who was greeted at the event by a reception worthy of a rock star, including from Supawan Teerarat – had more than made good on his promise to plant a million trees in his first term. The actual number, according to the Governor, exceeds 2.7 million.
Only in Thailand
A site inspection of the brand new One Bangkok complex where the Ritz-Carlton Bangkok and Andaz One Bangkok hotels are located also included a craft beer tasting at the Chang Canvas brewery and Wireless House, a nod to the Wireless Road location’s past as the site of the country’s first radio transmitter.
One of Bangkok’s newest mixed-use spaces also includes the 10,000-capacity arena at One Bangkok Forum, and a multitude of venues for events of all sizes, including hidden rooftops and open-air spaces.
When the event moved south to Phang Nga, the group’s first stop at the glass-bottomed Nangshi Skywalk was not just a group-friendly photo op in front of the dramatic karstic formations of Phang Nga Bay but a chance to weave in legends of a devout nun making offerings.
The Thailand Innovative Meetings Exchange focussed on showcasing the destination’s diverse and purposeful MICE possibilities.Everywhere the group stopped, from the Bangkok branch of the Phuket classic eatery Prai Raya to the Spice Market inside the Anantara Siam Bangkok to the opulent buffets at the Avani+ Khao Lak or the JW Marriott Khao Lak, Thai food proved to be unanimous crowd-pleaser, with special attention paid to the stories behind regional dishes like khao yam, a southern Thai rice salad with aromatics.
From volume to value
The message behind the stories and demonstrations of soft power was that TIME – and business events – is about creating moments and leaving a lasting impression.
While destination marketing is key to TCEB’s charge, it plays a larger role to contribute to Thailand’s economy, support local communities – and build trust one step at a time.
“[Trust] can win us the future,” she said. The key is changing strategies, “shifting from volume to value, because that is what creates new business opportunities”.
“What stays are the relationships,” she said. To that end, she called on the delegates to “MaxiMICE Thailand”, one of the catchphrases of TIME 2026.