AN ALLIANCE of four Asia business events destinations has been formed after the signing of a MoU between convention bureaus in Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand and Seoul.
The virtual signing ceremony establishes the Asia Convention Alliance with a mission to restore and develop the meetings and business events industry across the region.
The 30-minute ceremony was broadcast live from Bangkok and streamed on Facebook here and on YouTube here.
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Founding members of the alliance will have representatives signing bilateral agreements. The members are Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), the Thai industry association, TICA; Seoul Tourism Organisation; Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau, and TAITRA – Taiwan External Trade Development Council.
The idea for the alliance was put forward following an industry mapping exercise undertaken jointly by TCEB and TICA in late 2020. Among the proposed initiatives are joint conventions in which members take turns hosting an even and creating Asia or regional editions of a global event.
Projects could take the form of an Asian PCO Alliance Roundtable, client-supplier business forums, reciprocal assistance in areas such as marketing and visa facilitation when a convention is rotated between member countries, or travel bubble promotional campaigns.
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“The idea for the Asia Convention Alliance is based on our forecast that Asian market will recover before long-haul markets do,” said Nichapa Yoswee, TCEB’s senior vice president business, in a statement issued last December when Thai industry chiefs announced the plans.
Nichapa added that once delegates feel confident enough to travel internationally, they would start with regional destinations.
Sumate Sudasna, president of TICA, also said at the announcement of the alliance initiative: “We want to help our members overcome the challenges of 2020 and build themselves up again for the new opportunities that will appear on the horizon. We are ready to share our resources and market expertise with every member of the proposed Asian Convention Alliance. Together, we can give Asia’s convention industry a deserving reboot in 2021.”
