Chiang Mai summit to prepare for 'Year of MICE'

To prepare the "Year of MICE 2013" campaign in Chiang Mai, the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) along with tourism and business associations as well as government agencies in the province will brainstorm at an MICE summit in November. The summit is part of the effort to promote the province's meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions industry after the official opening of the Chiang Mai International Convention and Exhibition Centre in the middle of next year. TCEB acting president Thongchai Sridama said yesterday that the government had declared 2013 as Chiang Mai's Year of MICE. This week, the TCEB organised "Meetings Industry Day" to share knowledge and understanding for MICE operators and related business in the province. The bureau has also invited representatives from the healthcare sector. Thongchai added that the Chiang Mai summit would be convened to hear big ideas from MICE professionals and related business and local government bodies to lay out a master plan for MICE business for the city at the new convention centre in November as its soft opening. Situated on 335 rai (53.6 hectares) of land with an investment of more than Bt2.5 billion, the Chiang Mai International Convention and Exhibition Centre will be able to accommodate up to 10,000 MICE visitors. Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, director of the TCEB's domestic market promotion, said that after TAT auctions the right to operate Chiang Mai's new MICE venue, the TCEB planned to promote the domestic MICE market for the first year of operation. Last year, Chiang Mai's MICE industry was valued at Bt3.35 billion, of which Bt3.27 billion was from 40,718 international business travellers and the remainder from 19,261 domestic MICE visitors. Throughout last year, there were 427 MICE events in the province. From nationmultimedia