Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau or TCEB has officially appointed Thailand’s first representative in Shanghai effectively from April 2009 onwards.
Announced globally, the appointment is in line with the aggressive international exhibition marketing strategy and aimed at attracting more Chinese organizers, exhibitors & visitors while positioning Thailand as the preferred exhibition destination in ASEAN.
According to the current economic situation worldwide, yet Chinese’s economic growth is still performing relatively well. China, nowadays, is playing a vital role in shaping the Asia of tomorrow. Indeed figures put China’s economic growth in 2008 at GDP 3,460 Billion USD and it is expected to grow more 6% in 2009.
Apart from this, it is reported by UFI that the outlook of Chinese exhibition industry in 2007 has grown 27 per cent comparatively to previous year in terms of exhibition venues.
“As of today’s significance in China’s exhibition industry, TCEB regards China as a foremost destination to breakthrough. We are, as such, moving in a gigantic step by appointing the Thailand’s first representative in Shanghai, China” states Supawan Teerarat, Director of Exhibition, Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, “The appointment is aimed at attracting and increasing more Chinese business travellers to Thailand.”
Mr. Zheng Shijun, Deputy Director – General of Exhibition Department, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) reveals that “Following by MOU signed earlier in CEFCO 2009 in Nanjing, CCPIT and TCEB will work collaboratively to enhance exhibition industry both China and Thailand and exchange on the visitors and exhibitors as well as the significant on ASEAN market.
The Global Trade Atlas, recently, reported that in 2008, China and Thailand have established close relationship through the bilateral trade estimated at 41 billion US$. The Thailand export value in 2008 was around 25.6 billion USD, compared to 22.6 billion USD in 2007 with 13% increased. While the total value between China and ASEAN countries are estimated at 231 billion USD.
Thailand’s representative in China is appointed to act on behalf of TCEB as one-stop-service centre in collaborating and communicating among the trade association, exhibition organizers and other relevant parties in Shanghai, Beijing and other cities in China. In addition, the representative will be responsible in helping to escalate the awareness of Thailand’s exhibition industry in China.
“The number of Chinese business travelers, marking Thailand as a remarkable marketplace, has grown considerably with approximately 10,000 delegates from China came to Thailand visiting the exhibitions during 2008. We are expected that Thailand’s representative appointment, this time, will boost up more Chinese business travelers to Thailand and help us inform China’s business community of the potential opportunity and real value of holding exhibition and business events in Thailand” adds Supawan.
Thailand’s representative appointment is implementing relatively under the bureau’s aggressive international exhibition marketing strategy including; representative appointment, online marketing and forceful road show programs as well as direct approach to the potential strategic alliances that is aimed to demonstrate the world that Thailand has the great potential and is ready to become the preferred exhibition destination.
While Mr.Gong Weigang, Vice Chairman of Shanghai Convention and Exhibition Industries Association (SCEIA) leaves with confidence that “After experiencing with Thailand’s all-round ability in business opportunities last year, SCEIA sees an enormous potential to trade with Thailand. SCEIA is, thus, confident that being Thailand’s representative will not only enhance the exhibition and drive more economic development between China and Thailand, particularly in Shanghai, but will also strengthen relations between the two countries.”
Thailand today is marked as the preferred exhibition destination in ASEAN compelling with its competitiveness in the regional exhibition industry, particularly in terms of high quality international exhibition event, full-equipped of facilities and infrastructure, strong support from TCEB, government and private agencies. In addition, based on data available to date, TCEB says that, despite new global economic uncertainties, Thailand, in this first two month, is on schedule to host 173 international business events from the expected 500 events.
For more information, visit Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau
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