In October 2013, Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau’s (TCEB) online campaign, the “Thailand MICE Review Competition,” generated an overwhelming response of almost 100 applicants from 20 countries.
Judges selected five finalists based on criteria ranging from extensive working and blogging experience to in-depth knowledge about the MICE industry. Finalists competed by each inspecting a Thailand MICE city for one week followed by a month promoting their blogs.
“‘Thailand MICE Review Competition has successfully accomplished its aim to showcase the capability and readiness of five MICE cities (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Khon Kaen and Phuket) in Thailand with 1.3 million views,” said Sarita Chintakanond, director, Information Technology, TCEB. “Furthermore, all the finalists have shared their experiences in these cities, which will enhance the reputation of Thailand and inspire MICE professionals worldwide to plan their next business event in Thailand.”
The winner of the competition and $5,000 USD, Nugyen Doc Hoang from Vietnam promoted Khon Kaen city and gained 612,762 blog views. As runner up, Robert Schrader from the U.S. won $3,000 USD after promoting Bangkok and delivering the “blog with the best content.”
Nugyen Doc Hoang, a MICE professional who works for the Hanoi Foreign Affairs Service Center, has been an organizer for meetings, conferences, business forums, fairs and exhibitions, and other events around the world. In 2013, he brought trade delegates from Vietnam to Thailand every month.
Schrader is experienced in writing a popular travel blog, leaveyourdailyhell.com, the #10 travel blog in the world by traffic, reaching more than 50,000 travelers per month. He has worked with brands as large as Visit Norway, Expedia and Contiki, and has been featured in major publications, such as The Sydney Morning Herald, CNN and The Huffington Post.
To view their blogs, visit www.thailandmicereview.com.
