TCEB to Spotlight Venue Standard, Promoting Thailand as Asias MICE Business Hub

Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (Public Organization) or TCEB is planning the 5-year venue development model scheme (2019-2023) for Thailand with the intention to promote Thailand as Asia’s MICE business hub that meets international standards, as well as the centre of MICE education of ASEAN. Following the bureau’s overwhelming success, TCEB has eyed to make more than 1,200 industry-standard rooms available by 2023 for which will feature the largest number of MICE venues in ASEAN. Additionally, Thailand Sustainable Event Management Standards: TSEMS will be launched this year in regard to respond to the world’s trend towards business operations with social and environmental concerns.

Mr. Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, President of Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau or TCEB, disclosed that Thailand MICE Venue Standards: TMVS is one of key projects that aims to leverage the capabilities of Thailand’s MICE industry to grow in par with international competitors with genuine competitiveness, which is in accordance with the government’s policy to feature MICE as one of the businesses that generates main income for the country.

“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”

Achievements of the project have fulfilled the previous 5-year venue development model scheme (2015-2019), which comprises 6 key strategies, including the development of Thailand MICE Venue Standard to conform to international standards / development of personnel’s capabilities / development of IT system / public relations and marketing support / promotion of venue standard among ASEAN countries / enforcement of MICE venue standard towards sustainability.

Currently, the number of entrepreneurs who successfully received TMVS certification totalled 371 venues, which consist of 949 rooms/spaces nationwide. The venues can be divided into 1) Meeting Room Category: 344 venues, totalling 910 rooms 2) Exhibition Venue Category: 11 venues, totalling 23 halls and 3) 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.

Moreover, with this project, 187 specialists in MICE venue have been developed through Venue Management Course: VMC. Public relations and marketing promotion were provided for certified entrepreneurs who receive the TMVS mark in order to enhance their reputation via offline and online platforms.

In any case, TCEB has prepared to amend the venue development model scheme of Thailand for 2019-2023, which is a 5-year scheme to drive national MICE forward with the ultimate objective to soar as MICE business hub of Asia that meets international standards. Focusing on increasing industry-standard MICE venues in MICE cities and secondary cities, according to the government’s policy, the mission will be implemented by bringing the number of entrepreneurs with TMVS and AMVS certification in Meeting Room, Exhibition Venue and Special Event Categories to reach 600 venues in total, or equivalent to 1,200 rooms, by 2023.

Meanwhile, TCEB has been highly determined in cultivating more than 500 specialists through the Venue Management Course: VMC and in promoting Thailand as the leader of the aforementioned training through ASEAN-standard certification. As well, endeavours on public relations and marketing promotion towards the industry standard have been spent via online and offline platforms. Survey of satisfaction has been conducted among service providers and users of such standard in regard to realise economic impacts on each region. In addition, IT system was particularly developed to serve TMVS using Data Platform System for data storage. Database on different types of venues has been built and assessed, while sales opportunities have been expanded through Matching Program powered by our state-of-the-art IT System.

Mr. Chiruit added that the world is now seriously shifting towards sustainable development, and thus is affecting the choices that event organisers make in terms of venues. For this reason, TCEB is currently working on the Thailand Sustainable Event Management Standard: TSEMS. Designed as the standard that helps to prepare entrepreneurs to serve market demands, TSEMS will leverage competitiveness by adopting the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act Cycle) as the tool for determining the measures and scope of operations, along with training and assessment. It is expected that the number of MICE venues with successful certification will total 15 for the first time in Thailand.

“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 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.” concluded Mr. Chiruit.