New initiative aims to enhance the value of local identities and generate revenue to support the locals.
To enhance the regional business events industry, Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is promoting the use of community identity to produce local souvenirs to serve the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibition (MICE) events through the “Product MICE Premium” activity.
The initiative will expand business opportunities for souvenir products in the MICE market, which is currently worth over THB2.1 billion (USD55.7 million). Overseas travellers’ purchase account for 400 million baht, while domestic travellers make up the other 1,700 million baht.
Mr Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, President of TCEB, said: “Since 2021, TCEB has developed creative MICE projects to empower communities across Thailand. The objective is to bring the community identity into creating unique charm for MICE events and impress MICE travellers who join MICE activities in the area.
“The important activity under the project is ‘Product MICE Premium’ aims to develop local products and services further to serve the MICE industry, such as organising catering with local food, snacks, or souvenirs to add value to products or services of the local communities.
“That creates marketing opportunities for MICE cities in every region, enabling them to use resources, raw materials, and the opportunity to sell a large sum of good quality community products. The project is another approach that uses MICE as a tool to generate income and create opportunities to expand regional economies across the country.”
TCEB selects community products for MICE events from three criteria: culture, ways of life, and community raw materials. It also takes part in the co-development of products, processes, and repackaging to make the products’ standards appropriate for the targeted MICE markets. The products include souvenirs and local cuisine that are unique to the community. TCEB has collaborated with communities in three regions: Southern, Northern and Northeastern regions. Currently, there are a total of 15 products as follows:
Southern region – A convertible beach bag made by Sano Tik tie-dye fabrics from Baan Naka community, Cracked Face Cookie from Phuket Old Town, and Pineapple Pie from Baan Bang Rong community.
Northern region – Clutch bags from the On Tai community, Organic Rose Tea from Pink Lotus Organic Farm, and aroma diffusers made by the Nantaram community.
Northeastern region – Eri Silk Hat from Nong Ya Plong Silk Weaving Community, Cricket Pasta from Cricket Powder Group, and Dinosaur Rock Salt from Baan Boh Herbal roup.
TCEB’s Southern Regional Office has cooperated with local partners to organise workshops with product and service owners in the community. It also provides consultants to provide advice on making premium products as well as ways to present the products through TCEB’s media channels and partners.
This year, they expanded their collaboration with Phuket, Songkhla, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Krabi and Ranong provinces. In August, TCEB organised a “MICE Bazaar” event for marketing and business matching for “Product MICE Premium” in Phuket for the first time. The event was said to be highly successful with over 28 manufacturers from MICE cities across the country joining the event. Buyers from 27 Southern Business Associations, 10 regional associations, 68 buyers from both outside and inside the southern region and 16 sellers took part, resulting in 381 business matching.
TCEB’s Northern Regional Office promoted the “Product MICE Premium” by creating a business negotiation platform for various agencies such as Doi Tung, Pracharath Rak Samakkee Social Enterprise (Thailand) Co., Ltd., as well as both domestic and international Destination Management Companies (DMC).
They focus on educating the community about how to use Soft Power to produce products and services creatively. This year, TCEB expanded the areas of organising the activities from in Chiang Mai, to Sukhothai and Phitsanulok as well by closely working with the private sector, The Imperial Hotel and Convention Centre Phitsanulok, in bringing local ingredients to make alternative menus that show the province’s unique identity while also bringing local products to be presented in the province’s important events, such as having Phitsanulok’s cereal-wrapped banana products as a snack for cyclists participating in L’Etape Phitsanulok by Tour de France 2022, which will be held in December this year.
TCEB’s Northeastern Regional Office focuses on promoting comprehensive sales and marketing by recommending the products through online media, organising business negotiations in the area, and jointly integrating the plans with the Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Council, and tourism business associations of the three MICE cities: Khon Kaen, Nakhon Ratchasima and Udon Thani.
They are also considering the plans to expand the activities to potential provinces such as Buriram and Ubon Ratchathani to develop northeastern-style MICE products to be in MICE venues such as hotels, convention centres, and exhibition centres in the area.
Mr Chiruit added, “In 2023, TCEB plans to organise ‘MICE Bazaar’, a grand event that will enhance the ‘Product MICE Premium’. The event will take place at Koh Samui, Surat Thani Province. Another event, ‘MICE Mart’, a market for ISAN MICE products, will be held at Khon Kaen to focus on business negotiations of all entrepreneurs in the northeast region.”
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