Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) organised a road show targeting New Delhi, India, the centre of the Indian Government and trade associations in order to promote Thailand’s trade shows as an ASEAN business platform. Also, TCEB puts effort into attracting Indian trade associations and trade operators to attend international trade shows in Thailand with its supporting policy of 100 A-Head program.
Mrs Supawan Teerarat, Director of Exhibitions at TCEB, said “Thailand is now a truly preferred business platform in ASEAN due to its position as a gateway to the ASEAN market. This will notably increase market interest and expand business opportunities. Thailand has also been selected as a residence of diversified international trade shows, some of which have become flagship exhibitions for certain industries, including Thai Lifestyle Products, Machinery and Energy. These relate directly to major areas of Indian investment in Thailand; High Technology and Industrial Manufacturing.” Thailand’s exhibitions industry continues to lead rivals in ASEAN through its 85 international trade shows in 2011, ranking Thailand above competitors in the region.
India has long-been a prospective partner of Thailand with a flourishing relationship lasting over seven years. In 2010, it is positioned as the fourth rank of overseas visitors who attend international trade shows in Thailand. The trade value between India and Thailand is continually growing up approximately 34 per cent this year-to-date on 2010, reaching around 6.6 billion US dollars in value. This growth is not only beneficial to both countries, but it is also an important linkage of business opportunities to the member countries of ASEAN and BIMESTEC.
Considering the benefits; India will be able to gain significant advantages from ASEAN as a single market, with a low-cost labour production base, a free flow of goods and services as well as free flow of capital. After the conglomeration of ASEAN countries unites to form the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by 2015, Thailand is expected to be the admired destination hub of ASEAN. This strategic location proposes vast business opportunities for India to access Indochina, which has the buying power that consists of a population of more than 500 million people.
According to the 7th Trade Fair Industry in Asia 2011 report by The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI), Thailand in 2010 played host to the greatest number of international exhibitions in ASEAN. Additionally, Thailand’s leadership of the ASEAN exhibitions industry also extends to other aspects, such as exhibition space, which combines to be up to 432,500 square meters in 2010, and average fair size, totalling approximately 6,092 square meters per exhibition. Thailand has been also ranked as number one in terms of spaces sold and being the most profitable market in ASEAN, with estimated annual revenue of about 132 million US dollars.