Thailand’s trade show industry is a major mechanism to drive the country’s economy and industries and a record of 17 new shows, the most in the past ten years, will be launched in 2019, to help thousands of others grow their businesses. Whether the digital exhibition InfoComm organised by InfoCommAsia Pte Ltd, pharma show CPhI South East Asia by UBM Asia, Asia Lifestyle Expo organised by NEO and ComAsia, or ANDTEX organised by E.J. Krause & Associates, Inc., from the USA, there is a show that will suit your enterprise.
This builds on last year’s success when almost 200,000 visitors met with 35,000 exhibitors on a combined show floor of more than 640,000 sqm (net space sold), generating revenue of 19.15 billion baht (US$602 million).
Of course, these are just numbers. The real story here is that Thailand is the largest profitable market in South East Asia, according to a report by Paris-based Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, UFI. According to ‘The Trade Fair Industry of Asia 14th Edition’ (2017), Thailand placed eighth in Asia behind China, Japan, India, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia with 92 trade fairs. It also grew its total exhibition space 26 per cent that year, an achievement repeated in 2018. Our ranking in Asia continues to climb.
As does our performance at home. In Q1 of this year, Thailand’s exhibition visitors grew by 60.6 per cent, from 21,845 to 43,100, while revenues leapt 44.6 per cent year-on-year, from 2,223 to 3,214 million baht.
This year the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is helping forge these connections more efficiently than ever before, and our REDEFINE campaign is a big part of the reason why. This 360-degree exhibition success initiative offers global event organisers and businesses a multitude of ways to boost the impact of their events.
TCEB has launched several initiatives under its REDEFINE campaign, each one designed to connect international participants with regional industry, and make participation in Thailand’s trade show scene as rewarding as possible. Of particular interest to Thai companies is the Bidding Fund Programme, which provides marketing support for collaboration between local and overseas organisers in bringing new shows to Thailand, offering unparalleled access to the industries with which they wish to connect.
The initiative gives companies registered in Thailand marketing activity support as part of their attempts to bring new or cloned shows to Thailand. Organisers outside of Thailand can apply for a site inspection programme while TCEB, as co-creator, will arrange meetings with government agencies and trade associations in Thailand, familiarising international organisers with the various industries with which they wish to connect. Moreover, TCEB will facilitate in any kinds of joint venture exhibition projects by arranging partnership programmes in terms of due diligence.
In addition, the ASEAN+6 Privilege Campaign is conceived to improve business match-making by efficient interaction with regional visitors, and the Exhibiz in Market campaign gives new businesses a platform in Thailand’s national pavilions at international trade shows.
“TCEB’s core role remains to make staging trade shows in Thailand as simple and effective as possible,” explains Miss Kanokporn Damrongkul, Exhibition Director of TCEB. “Initiatives launched under our REDEFINE umbrella campaign will help position your company for global exhibition success through a series of marketing activities.”
“This fresh and innovative approach to building successful trade events in Thailand is already boosting trade both domestically and regionally. As the largest trade show destination in South East Asia (according to recent figures from the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, UFI), TCEB is focused on building ties with its neighbours, including launching road shows in Myanmar, and Vietnam at the beginning of this year.”
Take Myanmar as an example of the potential for event growth. Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce puts bilateral trade between Thailand and Myanmar at US$7.6 billion in 2018.
To continue forging partnerships between the two countries, earlier this year six Thai organisers joining the TCEB’s Myanmar road show met with trade associations there and generated leads with 10 trade visitor groups, all committed to visiting trade shows in Thailand in the medical/pharmaceutical, food processing & packaging, retail, logistics and sport sectors.
TCEB is focused not only on campaigns to attract new shows, but also on enabling local organisers to collaborate with international organisers launching new events. With that in mind,
we are staging a workshop at the end of this year to help these domestic operators understand the processes involved in joint projects with international organisers staging shows in Thailand.
Towards the end of the year, Thailand will celebrate being the stage for the industry association’s flagship global event: The 86th UFI Global Congress, taking place at AVANI+ Riverside Bangkok Hotel and Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort, during 6-9 November 2019. That’s right! – the event of the year, for the people who put on the greatest shows in the world is coming to the capital. TCEB and its partners are joining hands to ensure that this global event is a memorable success.
Leverage your business success today. The future of Thailand’s exhibition industry is bright.