A recent article

Chiang Mai - The Second City aims to be First Choice for the M.I.C.E Market Trade.

Introduction.
The Price.
The People.
The Product.
Pre- or post event.
Turning MICE events into post event family holidays.
Events, theme parties etc.
Turning MICE events into post event family holidays.
Team building and adventure incentives.
The main attraction.

Chiang Mai Mail caught up with Shane K Beary of Track of the Tiger, whilst he was in the middle of running a team building programme for the Tel Aviv based IT company Comverse.

Some 225 plus participants, from the company's worldwide offices were hard at work solving the numerous physical and mental challenges presented to them in an innovative 'team building' programme, cleverly disguised in a game show format.

Shane took time out to give us his views on Chiang Mai and its potential as a MICE market destination.

He explained that "The competition to attract this lucrative market was strong throughout the region". That as he saw it, "destinations like Chiang Mai, had to undertake an honest evaluation of their appeal to the MICE market, then use their advantages to forge a niche with a product that was competitive, diverse, and had its own distinctive character."

Chiang Mai he enthuses, "Has a great deal to offer", and explains it as follows:

The Price - With 4 and 5 star hotel rooms, and MICE related services priced some 30-60% lower than those offered by hotels in Bangkok or the south, Chiang Mai hotels can offer the same, if not a better standard of product, at extremely attractive prices.

The MICE client can therefore; either save money but holding a MICE event in Chiang Mai, or can get a great deal more 'value for money' for the amount he or she has budgeted for that event, by spending the money saved on rooms / hotel services etc., on theme dinners, team building, spa and golf packages, and sightseeing instead.

Regional access, aided by the low cost airlines, together with the city's new found status as regional air hub makes the destination even more competitive.

At a local level, access to hotels, restaurants, meeting centres, shopping areas, makes it possible for an organizer to spread a programme over several venues, building in local colors to the overall event.

The People - Anyone who spends but a few days amongst the people of the north will concede that they are in fact the area's greatest tourist attraction. The Thai are a naturally charming people but nowhere is this more evident than in the old La Na capital. The non-confrontational doctrine of Buddhism is perhaps more evident here than in other parts of the Kingdom. Visitors, perceptive enough to feel it at work when dealing with the local people, will no doubt give serious thought to the way they interact with their fellow man once they leave this place.

The Product - as it pertains to the MICE market can be described as follows:

Pre- or post event - The golf, spa, and health packages available in the north rival those of any other parts of the Kingdomin terms of quality, and because of the artificially low pricing, almost certainly exceed them in terms of value for money.

The same value for money advantages apply to such things as annual medical check ups, on which a corporate client can make considerable savings over the cost of having staff do them at home, or in regional bases.

Dental work, plastic surgery, hair transplants and more, are all low cost services available from top class overseas trained, English language proficient and medical staff.

Our own company is currently working closely with Ajahn Kannika Phornphutkul M.D. of the Rajavej Chiangmai Hospital, also president of the Northern Spa & Health Product Association, in packaging the wide range of attractive 'health-medical' service options for the MICE industry.

We are also working closely with the Chiang Mai Ramkhamhaeng Hospital group to package the health care product into an attractive pre/post MICE event format.

Turning MICE events into post event family holidays.

Given the combination of low prices and bountiful attractions, the idea that MICE participants could bring in their families for a post event holiday, albeit at their own expense (if not partly subsidized by their companies or organisations) could prove to be a strong marketing point.

Relevant to this of course is the fact that Chiang Mai is a regional air hub providing easy and inexpensive access from the major cities of S.E.Asia, and then from Chiang Mai, on to the 'newly discovered' countries of the greater Mekong region.

Short 'excursions', from Chiang Mai to these neighboring attractions, can be either work (fact finding) or holiday based, depending on the purpose of the main event.

Events, theme parties etc. - We have the resources in Chiang Mai to compete with most regional destinations for MICE trade.

Take the Comverse group for example, they had an opening ceremony that included a garland distribution then traditional welcome dance, and then it got interesting.

Under the direction of a famous local music professor, Ajahn Solot Kuptarat and his assistants, the group first located

bamboo musical instruments hidden under their chairs. Then, in taking a crash course of less than fifteen minutes, they were transformed, from a wooden object wielding mob, into a 'bamboo orchestra' - that could actually make music.

One of their awards dinner functions included a stunning solo performance of 'the music of the night' from the Phantom of the opera, by Ajahn Tienchai Sooktiang of Voice Studio - who often performs for the Royal family.

Another was set in the beautiful setting of Sawai Riang. Designed, owned and managed by Khun Phairoj Kosumkachonkiat.

The 'genuinely' authentic 'Kad Mua' (northern market) buffet dinner is meticulously accurate in detail, right down to the employment of the 'village elders' who make, and then serve the huge menu selection of some 38 tasty dishes.

These are arrayed on bamboo and banana leaf traditional trays, on individual stalls within the tree covered market setting. Classic northern dancers float between the tables with effortless grace, in perfect harmony with the rhythm laid down by the musicians in the background.

The market dinner is followed by a sound and light show, in which the mythological story of a young man who falls in love
with a river goddess, is played out on a floating village in the centre of the lake before you.

You might not understand the lovely tones of the northern Thai language used, but the whole performance is something rather special, and is a window wide open onto the old La Na culture.

The 100 Tuk-Tuk, police car and motor bike escorted parade, from the Sheraton, through the night bazaar and on to Sawai Riang was, according to the tourist police the biggest they had ever been part of.

.Team building and adventure incentives. - The north is an adventure playground and with a little creativity companies like

our own can provide events ranging from ice breaker level team building programmes that are designed to highlight the city's attractions, to team training, executive retreats and the far more extreme jungle survival challenges.

By tapping into the senior English language/tourism studies of both universities and the Radchapat College, Track of the Tiger was able to find and train enough assistant facilitators for the programme they ran for Comverse.

Using innovative tools like the 'Chiang Mai Challenge' and 'Baht Builder', Shane is confident that he has the resources to run an 'genuine' - full day - team building for up to at least 500 participants at a time.

The main attraction - With all that it already has going for it, Chiang Mai has been granted an added attraction 'shopping'. And that may in fact prove to be its biggest draw.

The last few years have seen an explosion in home decor, fashion accessory, clothing, furniture and handicraft shops all over the city, selling world class product at unbelievable prices.

The city has the potential to become the premier 'shopping' destination in South East Asia. That in itself is a big attraction to the MICE event participant.

Top class promotional tools like the Chiang Mai 'Street Directory & Shopping Guide' with its world wide distribution and free copies to the MICE industry's movers and shakers will do a lot to make it happen.

Asked as to how he saw his company's role in developing Chiang Mai as a MICE destination of note, Shane Beary was quite emphatic in responding.

"He said that with 18 years experience in adventure incentives, student educational programmes, up-market adventure, his company 'Track of the Tiger' was keen to establish itself as the 'local expert' for MICE organization in northern Thailand."

To that end had they had set up a new MICE Resource Development Programme, aimed at creating an inventory of the resources available, building alliances with hotels, service providers and others, and putting together 'creatively packaged programmes' for the MICE market.

Watching the team building programme in progress before us, and listening to the participants discuss the week's activities, we think 'the local expert' status, is within easy reach.

For further detail on MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions & Exhibitions) organisation, contact: Shane K Beary -tiger@loxinfo.co.th