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Blogger: Mr. Sarnit Karunyavanij, Director of Thai Exhibition Association

One of the most time-consuming elements in the construction of any exhibition is the need to find partners you can trust, approved partners with which to collaborate on shows around the world, at a cost you can afford.

The job of a good exhibition and convention bureau, is to connect planners with such partners, giving organisers the assurance that such service providers are the best – and at an affordable price.

The two factors should not be mutually exclusive. Affordable does not mean poor quality. If the post-exhibition or congress activity can take place aboard a boat, rather than in a bar close to the hotel, for the same cost, then so much the better.

The growth rate of Thailand’s MICE industry (11.84%) indicates a hunger for events in the country, and while it certainly has the quality infrastructure that international planners require, it also comes at an affordable price.

While the ASEAN region is home to several countries with a growing exhibition market, few retain the dual advantages of being well equipped to manage large-scale events, and affordable relative to many of the markets from which it is winning business.

This is part of Thailand’s winning pitch to international organisers, and initiatives such as ‘Thailand Extra Exhibition’ do much to reinforce this.

For example, one of the key costs to attendees is food and board. International events after all require a few nights for your team. Due to the relatively low cost of living when compared with that of North America or Europe, hotels in Thailand are relatively affordable. And with so many of the world’s leading hotel chains, low cost need most certainly does not come at the expense of quality.

While Thailand’s exhibition industry infrastructure is generally more developed than in Latin America, the Economist’s famed Big Mac Index puts the cost of McDonald’s signature burger between the amount you would pay in Mexico and Brazil. And the capital city is no exception; it too is an affordable destination for delegates and exhibitors alike.

Ultimately, as much as we are making exhibitions because we love to do so, we are in the money-making business. Margins count – so if we can compare what is offered to us by CVBs, with what we can find ourselves, and some assurance as to quality, then we’ll notice it on the bottom line.