The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) recently invited key exhibition industry leaders from Europe and Asia to come and see for themselves the country’s potential for hosting trade fairs.
The Exhibition Industry Summit 2024, held in Bangkok on 25 October, was also a showcase for the Thai government to share its policy to promote the exhibition industry and its open business culture.
Organisers were also able to strengthen their business networks with local Thai partners and the Summit’s theme ‘See Tomorrow Now’ sparked enthusiastic discussion among participants around future business opportunities in Thailand.
Mr Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, TCEB president, hailed the Summit 2024 as “a great success” that would bring huge benefits to Thailand. It was, he said, the first time that the leaders and key decision-makers of leading exhibition organisers from Europe and Asia had met in Thailand to obtain insights about Thailand’s vision and exhibition industry development direction directly from Thailand’s top decision-makers. “This is really important to their future decisions on venue selection for big events. We also received valuable recommendations on areas of development to propel the exhibition industry forwards while effectively addressing the changing needs in the global market,” the TCEB president said.
Mr Prasert Jantararuangtong, deputy prime minister and minister of digital economy and society, and Dr Pasu Loharjun, chairman of the Board of TCEB, took the international guests to pay a courtesy call on the Thai prime minister, Ms Paetongtarn Shinawatra, at the Government House and heard her confirm the government’s full support to drive the growth and success of the business sector, paving the way for Thailand to become a top exhibition destination. She said the government was building a One Stop Service System to enhance exhibition activities.
“You know a country means business regarding exhibitions and business events when the prime minister makes time to invite and sit down with senior industry representatives and asks for 1:1 input,”, said UFI CEO Kai Hattendorf, who represented the association at the event.
“The event clearly showed the country’s commitment to hosting and supporting more exhibitions in Thailand in the years to come, and how it was organised should serve as a blueprint and model for other markets looking to position themselves. However, these now all definitely have a tough act to follow,” Hattendorf added.
The exhibition industry leaders also joined a roundtable discussion with key figures of the Thai government and heard that the wider tourism industry currently contributes 12% to the Thai GDP, with a strong focus on high-value tourism, including the exhibition industry.
At the forum, TCEB highlighted Thailand’s use of hybrid vehicles and electric boats for delegate transport, the widespread use of local ingredients at event dinners, and strong policies on minimising food waste.
TCEB said it expected to draw approximately 60 new international exhibitions to Thailand throughout the next three years (2025-2027), which should generate 7.4m baht ($218m) to the country, and attract 426,000 international and local visitors. Economic value created by travellers attending exhibitions in Thailand is expected to reach 11.6m baht.
