Big Asian Meetings Show Is Set For Bangkok

The Asian market will be on full display Oct. 23-25, when the 10th edition of Incentive Travel & Conventions, Meetings Asia, the area's foremost meetings and incentives exhibition, convenes just north of Bangkok, Thailand.

Exhibitors are expected from throughout the region, including China (both mainland and Hong Kong tourism boards), Japan, Nepal, Vietnam, India and New Zealand, as well as the host country.

IT&CMA, founded in Hong Kong, has been held for the past five years in Malaysia. This year, organizers are projecting about 350 exhibiting companies, with a like number of hosted buyers for scheduled meetings with exhibitors.

"There are some well-known and extremely good destinations in Asia, including Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong and Bali," said Gilbert Whelan, president of ATM Travel Marketing in San Francisco, who will be attending the show. Heavily involved in incentive programs for Silicon Valley clients, ATM Travel focuses some 99 percent of its incentive business on Asia.

Whelan has been concentrating recently on lesser-known destinations, including Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia and Vietnam.

"In my personal opinion, Vietnam is the best incentive destination in the world," Whelan said. "It has what the Americans want in luxury hotels, and the scenery, particularly around Hanoi, is great."

This 10th anniversary edition of IT&CMA is slated for the Impact Convention Centre, in Pakkret City. It is billed as the largest combined convention, exhibition and arena complex in Asia with nearly 700,000 square feet of space and a 12,000-seat arena.