TICA MICE UPDATE

ASEAN

How TCEB plans for Thailand to be ASEAN top dog of MICE

Aiming to add more than 1,200 rooms by 2023, TCEB believes the plan will see Thailand become host to the largest number of MICE venues in ASEAN. Furthermore, Thailand Sustainable Event Management Standards: TSEMS will be launched this year in regard to respond to the world’s trend toward business operations with social and environmental concerns. The new set up will build upon the success of the previous development model, which ran from 2015-2019, with 6 key strategies, including the development of Thailand MICE Venue Standard (TMVS) to conform to international standards, the development of MICE personnel knowledge, growing extant IT systems. This will be compounded by better marketing and public relations strategies and the “enforcement” of MICE venue standard in line with sustainability criteria.

Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya (main image, centre), president of Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau or TCEB, divulged the importance of the TMVS to ensure that the local infrastructure is able to compete at an international level.

“Standardisation is a key element of trustworthiness and is a tool to assure the country’s readiness. It reflects the professionalism of Thailand’s MICE venue operators in regard to attract events, as well as domestic and international organisers to choose industry-standard venues.

“Launched in 2014, the project has been warmly welcomed by venue operators. Thailand is the first in ASEAN to initiate MICE venue standard certification, and push forward as ASEAN MICE Venue Standards: AMVS.”

Certified venues

Currently, the number of businesses which have successfully received TMVS certification totals 371 venues, which consist of 949 rooms/spaces nationwide.

These sites can be divided into:

• Meeting room category: 344 venues, totalling 910 rooms
• Exhibition venue category: 11 venues, totalling 23 halls and
• Special event venue: 16 venues, totalling 16 spaces.

Additionally, there are Thai entrepreneurs who successfully received the ASEAN MICE Venue Standards or AMVS certification in Meeting Room Category, which accounted for 33 venues nationwide.

Key force

Na Ayuthaya went on to opine that as the world is now moving towards sustainable development, it is necessary to bring regional venues into line with standards which inform the choices of event planners.

“As the only organisation in Thailand that offers certification in venue standard and sustainable event management standard (Certified Body in MICE venue standard), TCEB aims to boost the capabilities of Thailand’s MICE by escalating the quality of venue standard and ensuring sustainable event management.

“These endeavours and the results will become the key force for Thailand to soar as the MICE business hub and MICE education centre of Asia, as well as the leader of sustainable events of the region, for which will guarantee employment, workforce and income for every sector of Thailand and further to other parts of the country in a sustainable way.”