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Suprabha Moleeratanond Director of Conventions Thailand Convention& Exhibition Bureau
The ‘new’ meeting attendee: individualistic and adventurous
As the group travel market continues its slow but steady return to health, what will your destination be doing to remain competitive? The group travelmarket has recovered much faster thanwehad anticipated, highlighting Thailand’s fundamental attractiveness as both a business and leisure travel destination. Thailand has it all—a unique culture, cuisine, shopping, beaches, and stun- ning natural beauty; so in terms of value-for-money, service stan- dards, and hospitality, we are second to none. What we should do and are already doing is to strengthen and maintain our com- petitive edge and ensure long-term sus- tainability. We are constantly upgrading our facil-
ities and infrastructure, and particularly our human-resource capabilities, in order to maintain our global competitiveness. Beyond this ongoing long-term effort,we recently launched our “Believe in Thai- land” campaign. Developed by the Thai- land Convention&Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), “Believe in Thailand” is the result of intensive industry consultations. Its ultimate aim is to boost international operators’ confidence in Thailand’s MICEindustry, highlighting the country’s three major assets: renowned hospitality, countless business opportunities, and many destinations within the country. Its key message is “Thailand: providing inspiration for your business success.”
What is your destination doing to help planners meet their goals for sustainability and CSR? Thailand was among the first nations in Asia to initiate green meetings as a standard.We worked closely with the Thailand Environmental Institute to conduct a “Green Survey.” The results formed the basis of our Green Meetings Guidelines, which have been presented to Thai MICE players, including major hotels, convention centers, organizers, and contractors. Additionally, we are targeting service buyers through such
activities as our “Green Meetings, Greening Your Lifestyle” event to raiseawareness of the green meetings concept. This two-
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pronged approach—buildingMICEindustry readiness and cre- ating green meetings demand amongst the Thai people—will pave the way for Thailand to be recognized as a leading green meetings destination at the global level. To spread the word, we’ve created a dedicated website at www.greenmeetings thailand.com, where visitors can download the Green Meetings Guidelines and stay up-to-date on the latest green meetings news and upcoming activities. A green meetings marketing package provides marketing support of about $664 for green meetings events held in Thailand by organizers certified under the Thai- land green meetings standard.
What innovations in the realm of social media/networking and technology in general will your destination be pursuing in 2011 and going forward? TCEBhas developed a 2011 digital plan to embrace new social-networking media. One core element is a website (www.tceb.or.th) which offers a com- prehensive online gateway for MICE industry professionals and the general public, providing essential industry news, statistics, policy, forthcoming events, and details of the latest TCEB promotional
campaigns, as well as information and search tools for deci- sion-makers. TCEB also plans to build a stronger community among sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and YouTube.
How has attendee behavior changed over the past two years? In general, attendees today are more adventurous and more individualistic, and do not mind being alone in their private time. They tend to enjoy culture and seek more lifestyle experiences.
‘INTELLIGENCE PROJECT’: By the end of this year, Suprabha Moleeratanond plans to have a MICE industry master database.
LEADERSHIP PROFILE