TCEB announces three-pronged international MICE strategy

Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has outlined a three-pronged strategy for 2022. It focuses on developing more cities and organisations for international MICE, upgrading skills and standards, and the pursuit of prominent hosting opportunities. According to Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya (pictured), president of TCEB, the organisation’s 2022 strategy will focus on three pillars. The first is to reinforce the national MICE sector. This means upgrading more cities to become MICE-ready, creating new events, and helping event organisers meet international standards to achieve greater economic impact. To create new events, TCEB has introduced the concept of ‘Festival Economy’ to cities in various regions. The idea is to create a signature international festival – or ‘1 City: 1 Licence Event’ – that can translate a region’s unique advantages and appeal into an economic driver. TCEB’s financial support for domestic meetings, which is now in its third phase, has so far attracted more than 1,000 applicants, while support for 645 meetings has already been approved. The second pillar is for TCEB to partner with professional associations such as Thailand Incentive and Convention Association (TICA) and International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) to prepare the workforce and venues for the return of international MICE. The third pillar is to attract as many international events as possible. Thailand is hosting The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit 2022 that is expected to support TCEB’s plan to attract more high-profile events in the following years. Deputy secretary-general of the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC), Wirot Nararak, said: “NESDC has a policy to promote MICE aimed at driving the economy, generating income in each region and making Thailand a destination of high-quality travel. In this regard, we have developed strategies to spur our regional economies and MICE cities.”