PHUKET'S latest contender for the sought-after conventions market was unveiled yesterday in an unexpected location - the Central Festival shopping mall.
Backed by the Phuket Tourist Association and the Tourism Authority of Thailand, mall officials yesterday introduced local media to the Central Festival Convention Hall.
Described as ''the newest and largest exhibition and conference hall on Phuket,'' the new two-floor convention option has 4000 square metres of space in the ''trendy high-ceiling glass hall'' and another 1000 square metres in the ''beautiful event square.''
The Central Festival Convention Hall probably has some advantages, and perhaps also some disadvatages, over the other contenders for the conventions market on Phuket.
Royal Phuket Marina, for one, is boldy separating the annual boat show-marine exhibition from the King's Cup Regatta for the first time this high season, having tested its facilities and the market in 2008.
The regatta will be held as usual in December, while the Phuket boat show will take place in January 2010.
Coming up even sooner is the Phuket International Hospitality Show, due to be held at the newly named ''Royal Phuket Marina International Exhibition & Conference Center'' from September 24-26.
According to preliminary publicity, the trade exhibition will offer a ''comprehensive breadth of industry suppliers and customers from the region'' with daily seminars delivering more for those within the industry.
Before that, there's a test for a more conventional convention challenger with the World Medical Health Tourism Conference 2009 being held from September 16-18 at the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort and Spa, Phuket's largest resort, in Karon.
About 1200 health care industry leaders are expected to attend, along with exhibitors from around the world.
The conference is the biggest medical tourism event worldwide in 2009, providing a forum for networking among professionals working in hospitals, insurance companies, medical and health care practice, and medical tourism operators.
The Hilton is ''located on 75 acres of tropical gardens in the heart of Karon Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches on Phuket's west coast, overlooking the emerald green sea.''
Not long back, Laguna Phuket, the Hilton's north island rival, proposed its own adventure in the conventions market with a very large marquee. We now understand plans have been modified to include a more permanent structure.
Yesterday, though, it was the turn of Central Festival to pitch for conventions, with its ''semi-indoor square.''
Central Festival was described as being ''Phuket's perfect destination for any local international exhibitions, festivals, conferences, parties, as well as tourism and luxury lifestyle shows such as motor shows, real estate shows, home decor shows, spa shows, art exhibitions, Otop, art and craft exhibitions, etc.''
Clearly, Phuket is out there, chasing MICE. But it may be some time before the island can catch the really big ones.
Phuket has a way to go before it becomes serious competition for Hong Kong or Singapore. In the island-state, a new casino resort facility is to open next year, offering convention space for 45,000 people.
The ballroom alone is capable of holding 11,000, which by our rough arithmetic amounts to every soldier protecting Phuket from protests and terrorist attacks at Asean earlier this month, and probably a few tanks as well.
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Backed by the Phuket Tourist Association and the Tourism Authority of Thailand, mall officials yesterday introduced local media to the Central Festival Convention Hall.
Described as ''the newest and largest exhibition and conference hall on Phuket,'' the new two-floor convention option has 4000 square metres of space in the ''trendy high-ceiling glass hall'' and another 1000 square metres in the ''beautiful event square.''
The Central Festival Convention Hall probably has some advantages, and perhaps also some disadvatages, over the other contenders for the conventions market on Phuket.
Royal Phuket Marina, for one, is boldy separating the annual boat show-marine exhibition from the King's Cup Regatta for the first time this high season, having tested its facilities and the market in 2008.
The regatta will be held as usual in December, while the Phuket boat show will take place in January 2010.
Coming up even sooner is the Phuket International Hospitality Show, due to be held at the newly named ''Royal Phuket Marina International Exhibition & Conference Center'' from September 24-26.
According to preliminary publicity, the trade exhibition will offer a ''comprehensive breadth of industry suppliers and customers from the region'' with daily seminars delivering more for those within the industry.
Before that, there's a test for a more conventional convention challenger with the World Medical Health Tourism Conference 2009 being held from September 16-18 at the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort and Spa, Phuket's largest resort, in Karon.
About 1200 health care industry leaders are expected to attend, along with exhibitors from around the world.
The conference is the biggest medical tourism event worldwide in 2009, providing a forum for networking among professionals working in hospitals, insurance companies, medical and health care practice, and medical tourism operators.
The Hilton is ''located on 75 acres of tropical gardens in the heart of Karon Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches on Phuket's west coast, overlooking the emerald green sea.''
Not long back, Laguna Phuket, the Hilton's north island rival, proposed its own adventure in the conventions market with a very large marquee. We now understand plans have been modified to include a more permanent structure.
Yesterday, though, it was the turn of Central Festival to pitch for conventions, with its ''semi-indoor square.''
Central Festival was described as being ''Phuket's perfect destination for any local international exhibitions, festivals, conferences, parties, as well as tourism and luxury lifestyle shows such as motor shows, real estate shows, home decor shows, spa shows, art exhibitions, Otop, art and craft exhibitions, etc.''
Clearly, Phuket is out there, chasing MICE. But it may be some time before the island can catch the really big ones.
Phuket has a way to go before it becomes serious competition for Hong Kong or Singapore. In the island-state, a new casino resort facility is to open next year, offering convention space for 45,000 people.
The ballroom alone is capable of holding 11,000, which by our rough arithmetic amounts to every soldier protecting Phuket from protests and terrorist attacks at Asean earlier this month, and probably a few tanks as well.
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great, so they turn the restaurant concept, which failed to be commercially successful, into a meeting space. Good luck
Posted by wm on July 31, 2009 15:58