Welcome to the September-October edition of the TICA newsletter. As president of TICA I am pleased to see all the positive indicators that Thailand’s MICE industry is on the road to recovery. We are all acutely aware that there have been some major setbacks over the past few months, but the trouble appears to have abated and more enquiries are coming in each day for future MICE related event bookings.

As always TICA has been busy promoting Thailand to the world. Recently the 19th edition of the CPS&CONVEX (Convention Promotion Seminar & Convention Exhibition), was held in Chiang Mai. The three day convention ran from September 24th to 26th, and it proved to be one of the association's best attended events so far.

Congratulations on a job well done are also in order for TCEB, who were recently awarded the title of ‘Best Convention and Exhibition Bureau’ by TTG Asia Media. The award was presented at the IT&CMA 2015 gala dinner. Likewise, Don Mueang International Airport is to be congratulated on their latest milestone, as the facility was recently named the busiest airport for Low Cost Carriers (LCC). Thailand continues its push to be the gateway to ASEAN, and Don Mueang, Bangkok’s old grand airport, served an astounding 22.5 million passengers between January and August of 2015, even though the airport's official capacity is just 18.5 million per year.

In other news, the TICA Membership Quarterly Luncheon took place on September 22nd, at the Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao, and Mr. Michael Marshall, Chief Commercial Officer of Minor Hotel Group, was the keynote speaker at this luncheon. He spoke to the assembled members about “E-Commerce and Revenue”, a subject everyone was eager to find out more about.

Last but not the least, I would like to once again underscore the fact that Thailand needs to work harder, and our members need to cooperate fully with each other, if our industry is to remain strong. As competition for the MICE market in the Southeast Asian region heats up, we have to make sure the world knows that our beautiful country, with its rich cultural heritage, is ready, willing, and able to accommodate events of all scales. And having a unified front gives us an advantage that’s tough to beat.