Thailand to Attract More MICE Events

2012 Rotary International Convention The Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is planning to declare 2013 as the Year of MICE, as part of an aggressive strategy to win more major events for the country. According to TCEB president Akapol Sorasuchat, the Year of MICE initiative, derived from a private-public sector discussion held in January, had already been tabled to the Thai cabinet for approval. “The plan comes as Thailand is scheduled to host 17 major events this year. It is also in line with our long-term strategy to prepare the country’s MICE industry for regional economic integration under the ASEAN Economic Community agreement in 2015,” he said. Thailand is targeting 750,000 overseas MICE visitors this year, up from 720,000 in 2011. The number is expected to grow to 958,320 visitors in 2015, and hit one million in 2016. IMPACT Arena Exhibition & Convention Centre Meanwhile, Thailand has won the rights to host an 18,000-pax Amway China incentive event in Phuket this year, as well as a 1,700-pax incentive group from Unilever Hindustan. The two MICE wins are on top of other major events already confirmed for the year, such as the 2012 Rotary International Convention for 38,000 pax at IMPACT Arena Exhibition & Convention Centre, the Million Dollar Round Table for 5,000 delegates, and the International Congress on Infectious Diseases for 3,000 delegates.