Thailand Confirms Confidence with New 'Extra Night, Extra Smile'

BANGKOK, Jun 11 /PRNewswire/ -- TCEB offers maximum benefits to all exhibition delegates under the 'Thailand Extra Value' campaign.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100611/NY19633)

In line with the government's plan to revive the county's economy following the end of the unrest, the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) reassures the world in its confidence in Thailand as a dynamic exhibition destination in Asia by unveiling a brand new marketing offer: "Extra Night, Extra Smile". This offer is under TCEB's "Thailand Extra Value" campaign, which was launched to confirm TCEB's faith in Thailand's MICE industry. The offer includes both financial and non-financial subsidies to revitalize the Thai exhibitions industry and restore confidence among exhibition delegates worldwide.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva stressed that the government is working hard with the authorities to restore peace to the country. He has also continued to assure the Thai people that the government remains on top of the situation and that he still strongly believes that they are capable of returning normalcy to Thailand.

"We are very serious about reinforcing Thailand's reputation as a globally preferred destination for MICE activities and boosting the country's MICE industry during this period, especially now that the protests and violence have ended," said Mr. Akapol Sorasuchart, President of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau. "Thailand is a country that has prided itself on the quality of its hospitality and service, and the friendliness of its people for decades. Despite the recent news, we believe that this has not changed. When reconciliation is achieved, we are positive that Thailand will continue to be an attractive destination for MICE events."

As part of a broad-ranging update about Thailand's exhibition industry after the crisis, Mrs Supawan Teerarat, TCEB's Exhibition Director, told the media that according to the Ministry of Finance, the long-term economic impact of the protests on the country as a whole is expected to be limited, with latest forecasts anticipating 4.5% GDP growth this year, an increase from its 3.5% forecast last December. This still reflects the strong confidence that the world has in Thailand as a globally preferred exhibition destination, and confirms that the country is still at top in ASEAN. This, together with TCEB's new "Extra Night, Extra Smile" promotion, means that TCEB continues to expect an increase in the number of exhibition visitors to Thailand."

The "Extra Night, Extra Smile" incentive is set to offer maximum benefits to exhibition visitors and is intended to add value to international trade shows and encourage international exhibition visitors to come to Thailand and get first-hand experience of Thailand's capability and readiness to welcome back exhibition visitors. In the part of the "Extra Night", delegate groups that stay for two nights or longer will be offered a third night free. In addition, the "Extra Smile" component will give special group fast track immigration and airport transfers, a complimentary Bangkok city tour by tram car, and special discounts at leading department stores and entertainment outlets. The campaign will run from now until the end of December 2010.

In conclusion, Mr Akapol said, "With the new marketing campaign, which further highlights Thailand's three key attributes - value for money, variety of choices and Thai-style hospitality - we are confident that Thailand will win back more business events and persuade the exhibition visitors to return to the country. We also believe that it will help to rebuild Thailand's image as the globally preferred destination in the international arena once again. We know safety is one of your greatest concerns, and safety is one of our highest priorities. We assure you that we will do everything with can, with the utmost professionalism, to ensure the successes of your events. We are ready to welcome you with open hearts and thank you for your continued confidence in us."

Despite the political crisis, TCEB says that recent protests have not caused significant impact on the exhibition industry. Only one trade show has been cancelled, while the other international exhibitions have confirmed that they will continue their show in Thailand, including ProPak Asia 2010, Asian Paper 2010, Renewable Energy 2010, ThaiFex, and others.

Note-to-Editors:

International exhibitors and visitors participating in trade fairs in Thailand are encouraged to visit TCEB's Extra Night, Extra Smile campaign website (http://www.tceb.or.th/exhibition/enes) and register online to earn special privileges and discounts, including a complimentary 3rd night accommodation at participating hotels. The special privileges and discounts are available until December 2010.

About Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau

Working under the Prime Minister's Office, Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) was expressly created as a vibrant, 21st-century, cutting-edge professional organization. TCEB's organizational design, with its flat and agile structure, facilitates rapid response, thus enabling the TCEB Team to deliver prompt and superior service, whilst achieving the highest level of operational efficiency and effectiveness. These are essential to Thailand's MICE competitiveness on the regional and global stages. TCEB promotes ethical and responsible business behaviour based on its core values of customer enthusiasm, integrity, teamwork, innovation, continuous improvement, and responsibility. Knowledge sharing at TCEB has evolved over time. We aim to become the standard-setters for the industry.

SOURCE Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB)