Thailand MICE Venue Standard

Underscores the Quality of Thai Meeting Venues

Since TCEB has developed the Thailand MICE Venue Standard (TMVS) to serve as a role model to create a unified ASEAN MICE Venue Standard and raise the standard of Thailand’s MICE entrepreneurship, many business owners and service providers to MICE meeting venues, both public and private sector, have asked to obtain the assessment of the Thailand MICE Venue Standard. Many MICE operators have already passed the evaluation process and received the “Thailand MICE Venue Standard” accolade that guarantees their certified MICE venues for organising MICE events on the global stage. 80 MICE operators have asked to obtain the evaluation of the Thailand MICE Venue Standard. TCEB and an assessment committee drawn from related associations has surveyed the venues to evaluate and assess them in line with criteria requirements of the Thailand MICE Venue Standard – Category: Meeting Room Certification Handbook, developed by Thailand Incentive and Convention Association (TICA), Thai Exhibition Association (TEA), Business of Creative and Event Management Association (EMA) and other concerned parties over many years. As a result, 42 MICE operators, including convention centres, exhibition centres, hotels & resorts, and government venues, have passed the assessment and received the TMVS accolade. Today, Thailand has a total of 114 meeting venues that have been certified by the TMVS. Mr. Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, Vice President of Administration and Strategic Support of TCEB, revealed the promotional policy to push the Thailand MICE Venue Standard forward, noting that: The development of Thai MICE operators is one of the TCEB’s main missions. TCEB realises the importance of having an effective tool to measure service excellence and quality – especially for MICE venues – in order to elevate MICE services and standards for operators in Thailand and ASEAN. The standardisation will serve as a guideline for investments, operations & management, and marketing support. The standard also helps create a good image for organisations and builds customer confidence in Thailand’s MICE standard. The TMVS also serves as a role model to create a unified ASEAN MICE Venue Standard for wider regional application. It is also a good start to further the development of other aspects relating to the MICE industry in the future. Mrs. Nichapa Yoswee, Director of MICE Capabilities Department TCEB, stated that: Thailand’s MICE Venue Standard has been developed under cooperation with all related parties in the MICE industry, including academics, operators, organisers, service providers, and customers. This ensures that the TMVS requirements were set up with agreement from all parties. We have also applied the requirements developed by the global leading MICE institutes and other international MICE standards. Therefore, those obtaining the TMVS badge of honour will gain global acceptance which creates a good image and enhances the international competitiveness of Thai operators more effectively. Representatives of the assessment committee for the TMVS described details of the assessment process and the benefits that MICE operators will receive. Ms. Prachoom Tantiprasertsuk, Chairperson of Marketing Committee, Thailand Incentive and Convention Association (TICA), revealed that: This standard will be an effective tool to help enhance the competitiveness of Thailand’s MICE industry internationally and will provide benefits to all related parties in the MICE industry. For executives and investors, this standard will provide an operational framework and guide them to what they should improve to raise their business potential in order to compete with other competitors. This also helps boost confidence among buyers and sellers in terms of quality and standard of the MICE venue, or more specifically meeting venues. Moreover, the TMVS is also an effective tool to raise awareness of the MICE operators in terms of sustainable business plans related to environmental responsibility, including saving energy costs. This will help Thailand’s MICE industry grow going forward. Mr. Thalun Teng, Secretary General, Thai Exhibition Association (TEA), said: Using this standard will give Thailand a great advantage within the ASEAN context going forward. It is also a great opportunity for all stakeholders to work closely together and help each other develop MICE Thailand in the same direction. It also marks a good start in the further development of other aspects of the standard and standards for other categories of Thailand MICE venues or for service providers to MICE events. In other words, the TMVS will have a positive impact on the development of Thailand’s MICE industry and the whole system’s sustainably. Most of the entrepreneurs who did not pass the evaluation this time had flaws in their electrical, building and/or security system. Entrepreneurs should consider investing more accordingly because it is very important for customer confidence. Meanwhile, they should focus more on developing new technologies all the time to meet the various changing needs of customers. Mr. Chiruit added that: As internationally-recognised venues, all of the 42 operators will be part of the MICE Venue Approved List. For entrepreneurs that did not pass the evaluation, they will have more chance to have their building assessed, but they need to amend all flaws earlier reported by the committee. TCEB hopes that an increasing number of operators will pass the TMVS standard in the coming years. TCEB will help support expenses for operators that ask for TMVS evaluation and plans to formulate new standards for other aspects relating to MICE business.