Nopparat Maythaveekulchai, TCEB president, said 100 Thai MICE entrepreneurs with total event space of 227 rooms were guaranteed with the Thailand Meeting Venue Standard (TMVS) in the 2016 fiscal year.

In the 2015 fiscal year the number was 42 and comprised 114 meeting rooms. The bureau is moving to implement the second phase of the standardisation of MICE venue standards in accordance with a five-year model by expanding the implementation into a regional scale.

The planned advancement of MICE capabilities in 2016 covers four aspects – trade education, a MICE academy, meeting international standards and sustainable natural conservation.

The TMVS is the official model for the development of the Asean MICE standard.

The 43rd Asean Senior Officials Meeting on tourism, held this month in Manila, agreed to include the MICE venue standard formulated by Thailand in the Asean Tourism Strategic Plan 2016-2025. This means that Thailand is steering Asean’s MICE standards.

Thailand was appointed the host committee of the subcommittee for the development of MICE standards. It is working with the nine other Aseanmember countries.

The regional venue standard manual is expected to be active in 2017.

In the 2016 fiscal year, it is forecast that Thailand’s MICE revenue will increase by 5 per cent, equal to a million travellers. MICE revenue next year is forecast at Bt92 billion.

The TCEB has produced the model for the Thai MICE venue standard for 2015-2019. It comprises six key strategies that cover six dimensions of development. They are venue; personnel; information technology; public relations and marketing promotion; the promotion of the Asean MICE venue standard; and using the standard to create sustainability for 41 projects under a Bt66-million budget.

In 2016, the operation will be divided into two parts. First, the MICE Venue Standard Development Project will be conducted across five cities – Pattaya, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Khon Kaen – with the collaboration of the Management System Certification Institute.

Second, the TCEB plans to expand it operations to develop an exhibition venue standard, as Thailand has been well recognised by the Global Association of Exhibition Industry as the region’s top exhibition-staging country.