THAILAND’s effort to lure back incentive and corporate executive groups have taken another step forward with a new world-class events space in the form of a new ballroom along the Andaman coast.
The 758 square-metre venue, which can be divided into three sections and host a total of 810 delegates, is part of a complete renovation at the beachfront JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort & Spa, about an hour’s drive north of Phuket International Airport.
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Khao Lak is one of the cities being promoted as MICE destinations by Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau. A recent TCEB report highlighted Bangkok, Phuket, and Pattaya as Thailand’s Top 3 destinations for hosting meetings and incentives. Other destinations popular with planners are Hua Hin, Krabi and Khao Lak.
Meetings and incentives travel in Thailand is showing positive progress since travel restriction were lifted with 68,700 arrivals of overseas groups registered from April to June this year, according to the report.
“Khao Lak has established a strong reputation as a destination for leisure vacations and beachfront weddings,” said Abhimanyu Singh, general manager, JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort & Spa.
“With the opening of this exceptional new event space, we will be able to offer fresh and innovative experiences for large-scale corporate groups, opening up a new frontier for Thailand’s thriving MICE sector.”
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Singh said the renovation took 18 months with the hotel now able to offer an expanded inventory of 420 rooms, suites and villas, 11 restaurants and bars, and “Southeast Asia’s longest swimming pool”.
Along with the JW Grand Ballroom, the hotel now features more than over 9,300 sqm of indoor and outdoor events and meetings space, including seven function rooms, including the Griffin Boardroom for executive meetings and training.
