RI, Thailand step up ties in MICE industry

Linda Yulisman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Business | Wed, October 17 2012, 8:58 PM

Indonesia and Thailand agreed on Wednesday to step up cooperation in the area of the meeting, incentive, convention and exhibition (MICE) industry in an attempt to promote each country’s potential in the sector at the regional level.

Closer cooperation materialized in a memorandum of understanding signed in Jakarta by the Trade Ministry’s national export development director general, Gusmardi Bustami, and the Thailand convention and exhibition bureau’s director, Pravit Sribanditmongkol.

Gusmardi said that the cooperation would, among other things, help Indonesian MICE industry players to learn from Thailand’s more-advanced exhibition industry.

Attracting around 800,000 visitors annually, Thailand’s exhibition industry reportedly generates US$2 billion in revenues, and is growing at a rate of 7 percent per year.

“We also want to expand our activities in Thailand because many overseas buyers come to the country. Through our presence there, we can build connections with these buyers and also invite them to come to Indonesia,” he said after the signing. (swd)