Once again, the famous IT & CM Asia was organised in Bangkok which all the professionals in the meetings and corporate travel industry welcomed with enthusiasm

October 01

00:09 2023

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By Zuzana Adamson

In Bangkok, Thailand in 2023, at the end of September, the celebrated event (in fact, 2 events in 1), the trade fair IT & CM Asia together with CTW Asia-Pacific was held. While the first saw its 31st edition, the second inaugurated its 26th edition. After a few years of various compromises, under the sign of covid oppressions, this year the „Doublebill“ event returned to a 100 % in-person event. It was great news for the meetings industry and corporate travel because to meet in-person is something that you can not replace.

The two prestigious trade fairs represented 3 days of intensive negotiations, getting to know about new destinations and new developments, presentations of MICE products, hotels and venues and creative and inspirational networking opportunities for friends and colleagues from the meetings and corporate travel industry worldwide.

The location – and it is now along-standing tradition – of the prestigious event for Asia and its exchanges with the World, was once again hosted by the Bangkok Convention Centre CentralWorld connected to the 5 Star hotel Centara Grand that represents great structure, place and location in the central Bangkok. Other hotels that accommodated the delegates from all around the world were Courtyard by Marriott, Montien Hotel Surawonk Bangkok and Novotel Bangkok located on the Siam Square.

The first day, we attended the press conference for local and international media (especially B2B media), and we received news and information about our business from Darren Ng, Director of TTG Asia Media, then Khun Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, President of TCEB and Khun Korakot Chatasingha, Commercial director of Thai Airways International.

The travel industry is now a key priority for Thailand. The new Thai government has made a clear policy statement that the travel sector is the first engine in stimulating the economy.

In Thailand, during the fiscal year between October 2022 and September 2023, based on governmental statistics, the organised MICE events were attended by 170 000 participants, which is more than before the covid oppressions. The number of meetings and incentive trips in the same fiscal period, reached 70 % of its number before the covid oppressions.

As a MICE destination, Thailand is very attractive and offers great and comfortable infrastructures for various events, from the largest (global congresses) to the smallest and VIP corporate meetings for smaller groups.

Our B2B media MICE Central & Eastern Europe (MICE CEE) has been a Media partner of the IT & CM Asia and CTW Asia-Pacific since 2008, so we couldn’t miss the great return of the two connected events. We distributed our magazines to our B2B readers, created connections with new readers, interviewed professionals from the meetings and corporate travel industries, shared information and news, promoted our media, created articles and features about the events, and promoted Czechoslovakia and other countries of the CEE to the world.

Altogether, the trade fair vibrated high energy, welcomed 580 exhibitors, 400 hosted buyers and 51 representatives from media from all around the world. We were very happy to meet our friends from the industry, our colleagues from other media, after a few years of a „forced pause“. For people from the meetings industry, personal meetings represent a base which can not be replaced. Delegates from 51 countries were happy to see their business partners, colleagues and friends in a 100 % in-person and lively event, and created new connections during the networking lunches, welcome and gala dinners, and afternoon „coffee breaks“.

Presenting destinations for MICE and creating and developing business relations

The delegates enjoyed presentations of Pattaya MICE City, Taiwan, Korea, the Philippines by Maria Margarita Montemayor, the Chief Officer from the Tourism Board, and Macao and Hong Kong.

The welcome reception by TTG Asia Media company and TCEB presented not only diverse specialties from the tasteful Thai kitchen but also offered dancing spectacles symbolising different regions of Thailand, and a great music ensemble that was able to bring delegates onto the dancing floor.

The last evening of the trade fair was dedicated to a gala dinner by TTG Asia Media, accompanied by the distribution of plenty of awards for the successful players from the industry.

To have a snapshot, here we have some of the happy winners:

The Best Full service Carrier: Singapore Airlines Limited

The Best Business class in an airline company: Qatar Airlines

The Best Global hotel chain: Accor

The Best Regional hotel chain: Pan Pacific Hotels Group

The Best Luxury hotel: the Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong

The Best City hotel in Bangkok: Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok

The Best Luxury hotel Brand: Kempinski

The Best Beach resort: InterContinental Bali Resort

The IT & CM Asia and CTW Asia-Pacific are 2 trade fairs in 1, and it is similar to Czechia and Slovakia – 2 countries in 1.

The events were successful and all the delegates left with lovely memories and deals in their pockets, looking forward to next year – September 2024, between the 24th and 26th. Until September 2024, Happy Travels.

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