Thailand reinforces its strong position as the exhibitions powerhouse of ASEAN as leading professional exhibition company are making the country their home to Asia-Pacific headquarters, according to the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau.
More
oversea visitors to Thailand’s tradeshow also confirm its status as
a platform of AEC.
Two
professional exhibition management companies; VNU Exhibitions Asia
Pacific Co., Ltd. which is a joint venture between VNU Exhibitions
Europe Co., Ltd., Europe’s top five trade
show and exhibition management company from
the Netherlands and Bangkok-based TCC Land, and Asian Exhibition
Services Ltd., under the US-based DMC Services Group.
Mrs.
Supawan Teerarat, Director of Exhibitions, the Thailand Convention
and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), said, “This milestone clearly
demonstrates Thailand’s positive long-term potential and the
availability of huge supporting infrastructure and services. More
importantly, it confirms our success in driving a strategy entitled
“Thailand, An Exhibition Platform of AEC” which has boosted
exhibition traffic in the country by 10-15 per cent per year. This
is in
result to the growth number of the new
trade and the upgrade show in 2012 and the
expansion of oversea exhibitors and visitors of the major shows in
Thailand.
According
to Mr. Gerard Willem Leeuwenburgh, Managing Director of VNU
Exhibitions Asia Pacific Co., Ltd.; he said, “The world has
observed the power shift to Asia. ASEAN is emerging as a rising star
in the world economy given its rich resources and strong economic
growth. Thailand, being strategically located in the center of the
region, is a high potential location with easy transport link to
other ASEAN countries, its best infrastructure and service-minded
people. In addition, our collaboration with a leading Thai partner
makes it viable for us to call Thailand our Asia-Pacific
headquarters. With our firm footstep in this region, we are ready to
bring our expertise and experience to professionalize Thailand’s
events and services to drive the country become the exhibition
platform of the AEC.”
Mr.
David Aitken, Managing Director & CEO at Asian Exhibition
Services (AES) Ltd., said, “We have established our head office in
Bangkok since August 2011 as a professional exhibition management
company serving the Asian markets. AES is an international Board of
Investment listed company with Stock Market investors, organizing
their international trade events in Thailand representing the
Southeast Asian market for events in Europe, the US, China and South
Korea. AES has identified Bangkok as the strategic hub to stage
international events in the region and with close TCEB support has
successfully established a very strong portfolio with further
projects to be launched in 2013.”
In
2012, TCEB has successfully convinced 15 new tradeshows to organize
their shows in Thailand and upgraded over 37 shows. At the same time,
the number of show audit Certified Trade Exhibition by TCEB rose over
to 40 events. In addition, the 4 major trade
shows under TCEB’s Better the Best
campaigns, the champion show of Thailand, including VIV Asia, Propak
Asia, Metalex, Renewable Asia, had grew up their international
visitors to 36%, reflecting the high confidence among the
international arena
Furthermore,
in 2013, TCEB has successfully attracted mega international events to
be held in Thailand. Among them are ITU Telecom World 2013 which is
expected to attract ministerial level and high profile of
20,000-30,000 telecom participants and the World Stamp Thailand 2013
which is expected to attract 10,000 participants from all over the
world. All these events will ensure more confidence among the
international exhibition professionals and return in a high number of
exhibitors and visitors that help expand the growth of Thailand’s
exhibitions industry.
“The
forthcoming ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015, Thailand and
ASEAN will adapt to be the single market and production base which
will be the highest economic growth market. The establishment of
these two firms is the stopping stone for Thailand to become the
platform of AEC. With the strong potential of Thailand, I believe
that more international exhibition professional companies will turn
their eyes more on our country to set up their regional office”,
left Mrs. Supawan.
It
is expected that the international exhibition market in the country
will grow by 30 per cent as well as to attract 300,000 visitors,
generating income of 30 billion Baht in 2015.