Following the Covid-enforced two-year hiatus, Incentive Travel & Conventions, Meetings Asia (IT&CM Asia) is this year making a hugely welcome return to its Bangkok base. Responding to the pandemic upheaval and addressing new world realities, the 2022 event will showcase a new hybrid format (September 20 to 22 for the in-person event and September 20 to 28 for the virtual element) to reach the widest possible audience. It will also be offering a new range of initiatives and a loaded programme as it looks forward to welcoming the global events industry back, as well as back online, to its long-established Thai home.
“This year’s show aims to deliver a brand-new format like never before, differentiating IT&CM Asia and CTW Asia-Pacific 2022 hybrid from any other experience as our industry continues to evolve to stay versatile,” says Lynette Tey, Event Manager of TTG Events.
The hybrid concept is set to introduce new and improved initiatives such as Hybrid Business Meets, 3D Virtual Exhibition and Scheduled Meetings with streaming broadcasts and remote participation. There will be exclusive virtual-only content and the event is aiming to offer international delegates stronger online and offline platforms for B2B networking, learning, and knowledge sharing. Alongside event staples such as the opening keynote address, knowledge sessions and tailored seminars, the new format will see the event app offer the chance to jump from in-person to online networking as well as on-demand content being made available, such as seminars delivered by industry thought leaders as well as brand showcase presentations.
IT&CM Asia’s host city of Bangkok will also be eagerly anticipating the event’s return as it ramps up its own events calendar in the post-Covid world and picks up on the attractiveness as a global destination for major events the city had earned before the pandemic shutdown. With the country having only recently re-opened, Bangkok has already scooped the 2022 Unicity Global Leadership & Innovation Conference to be held there from August 5 to 7. The conference will be attended by more than 10,000 Unicity distributors from over 50 countries and sends a strong signal that Thailand and Bangkok are once again braced and ready for major events.
“We are delighted that Unicity has selected Thailand for its 2022 Unicity Global Leadership & Innovation Conference,” says Mrs. Supawan Teerarat, TCEB’s Senior Vice President, MICE Capability and Innovation. “The event, scheduled to take place at Impact Exhibition and Convention Centre in Bangkok, will be the largest corporate meeting and incentive travel group to visit Thailand since travel restrictions were lifted.”
“As the Covid-19 situation has abated and business travel and tourism resumes worldwide, we are mobilising our resources to attract more MICE events to Thailand,” says Mrs. Supawan Teerarat. “International corporations are confident that Thailand is ready to host events of all sizes because we have all the necessary controls and support in place. TCEB’s collaboration with various government departments and MICE organisations are bearing fruit – we are witnessing an upswing in corporate meetings and incentive groups coming to Thailand.”
IT&CM Asia 2022 is set to provide a timely boost and reaffirmation to Thailand’s MICE sector as the world reopens to international events. Meetings International will be attending and reporting from this first show for the first time since the international lockdown of 2020.
