The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has launched the first Thailand Incentive & Meeting Exchange 2016 programme. TIME 2016 will offer the MICE industry a new platform for knowledge exchange and business negotiations with an initial focus on meetings and incentives in China, a key MICE market for Thailand.
"Last year, the MICE industry as a whole attracted 1,095,995 visitors contributing THB 95.9 billion baht (US$2.7 billion) to total MICE industry revenues. Customers from China were ranked first, followed by India, Singapore, Malaysia, USA, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Australia," said Nopparat Maythaveekulchai, president of TCEB.
"In a broad collaboration with private sector partners and industry bodies, the TIME 2016 initiative offers a new platform for knowledge sharing among MICE operators to support the meetings and incentives business, for example in providing strategic marketing guidance and exchange of perspectives," Maythaveekulchai said. "It also aims to expand the MICE industry by targeting quality MICE travellers with high potential spending power. This will help to stimulate Thailand's broader economy."
This first event is focused on attracting Chinese MICE events to Thailand through a series of marketing campaigns and promotions that present a wide range of innovative products and services tailored specifically for the Chinese market.
Among the activities at TIME 2016 are knowledge exchange, a forum in which keynote speakers which will cover key issues related to China's MICE industry; business exchange, a session for Thai MICE operators and more than 40 MICE agents from China sales to meet; and experience exchange, an organized familiarisation trip to Phuket Chinese MICE agents, media and corporate customers.
"We are confident that the TIME 2016 event can play a major role in helping Thai MICE operators boost both numbers and quality of Chinese MICE events held in Thailand," Maythaveekulchai said.