Thailand
Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) inaugurates its first
official collaboration with Indonesia’s exhibition industry through
the signing of Memorandum of Understanding with Directorate General
for National Export Development (DGNED) at Trade Expo Indonesia 2012.
The
objective of this Memorandum of Understanding is to jointly promote
and enhance cooperation in the
trade exhibitions through communication and
discussion, and on the basis of equality and mutual benefit between
two countries. The agreement is in line with TCEB’s strategic
approach under the “ASEAN MICE Collaboration” aimed at promoting
the MICE industry in the region, as well as ensuring that ASEAN MICE
industry is ready to become the world’s leader.
The
MoU with DGNED would prepare the way to establish a long-term
mutually purposeful affiliation; especially in Exhibition Industry in
particular; in facilitation to delegates in exhibition and trade
events, support in cross-promotion, exchanging market
surveys in ASEAN, and exchanging of trade
exhibition information and related supported campaigns.
Mrs.
Supawan Teerarat, Director of Exhibition Department at TCEB, said
that “As a government agency dedicated to promoting the MICE
industry where Exhibitions have played the vital role in country’s
economy and industry’s development, TCEB is keenly aware of the
importance of regional cooperation to boost the growth of the
industry. We expect the forthcoming economic integration within ASEAN
in 2015 to drive a major expansion of the exhibition industry in
Southeast Asia, and it is therefore crucial to develop multifaceted
bilateral cooperation with other member countries to contribute to
ASEAN prosperity and development in the region.”
According
to the Royal Thai Ministry of Commerce, Indonesia is
currently ranked 6th as global trade
partners with Thailand. The trade value
between the two countries is worth around 17 billion US dollars in
2011. On the other hands, on Thailand Exhibition Industry,
The Indonesia ranks the sixth among Asian nations in term
of visitors attending Thailand’s exhibitions. Indonesia visitors
accounted for 7.4 percent of total overseas visitor attending
Thailand’s exhibitions in 2011.
“The
signing of MoU with TCEB will help boost relations between the two
countries, especially in term of the TradeExhibition Industry
via the bilateral cooperation and business development
policies. By the cooperation, DGNED will work closely with TCEB to
encourage trade
promotion and
exhibition in Indonesia and Thailand in order to support
the 2 countries enterprises community for their business development.
This collaboration will help enhance mutual economic benefits. It is,
in addition, significant that ASEAN members should help facilitate
one another in order to prosper from the region’s advancement”,
added by Mr. Gusmardi Bustami, Director General of National Export
Development Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia
According
to “The Trade
Fair Industry
of Asia 8th Edition, 2012” reported by the Union des Foires
International (UFI), Thailand’s trade fair industry is
the 8th largest trade fair market in Asia, and the largest
in Southeast Asia, the same position it held in 2011. The report
covers the Greater China and South-East Asian markets, Japan, Korea,
India, Pakistan and Australia. Thailand continued its growth rate of
6.9% year-on-year in its trade fair industry. Total
revenues generated by Thailand’s trade fair industry
reached USD 151 million with some 77 trade fairs identified. In terms
of estimated annual size, total space sales were 462,500 sq. m. as
well as having nine well-equipped exhibition venues. The report is
also confident of positive trend
in
the Thai trade fair industry, thanks to the country’s
facilities and growing, export-led economy. When the ASEAN Economic
Community integration becomes effective in 2015 and with the
government’s consistent support via TCEB’s promotions, subsidies
and incentives, the industry and businessopportunities through
exhibition will expectedly grow.
To
further enhance and provide understanding of
the business opportunities available via exhibition
platform in Thailand and the potential sectors of Thailand that
Indonesian businessmen can tap on, the Focus
Group Meeting event will be organized by TCEB
Exhibition after the MOU Ceremony on 19th October, 2012 with an aim
to provide first-handed information about TCEB’s supporting policy
and business opportunities available for Indonesian trade
associations, trade missions, and chamber of commerce.
With compliment to the strategic location of Thailand at the heart of
ASEAN, it also provides accessibility to the surrounding markets,
especially the emerging market of Greater Mekong Sub-Region. As such,
the participation in trade
shows organized in Thailand will bring not lonely
the networking opportunities with Thai businessmen but also with
regional stakeholders at both G2G and B2B level. This will open up
Indonesian businesses to
increase trading value through Thailand’s exhibition platform.
In
2012, Thailand is expected to welcome approximately 750,000 MICE
visitors to the country, generating expected revenues of 1,940
million US dollars whereby accumulated to exhibitions and trade fairs
of 80,000 visitors, generating expected revenues of 255 million US
dollars.
