Bangkok 7 December 2553 – In some welcome news for Thailand, the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (Public Organization) or TCEB is pleased to reveal that Bangkok has been ranked the top country in Asia for Green Meetings thanks to its high potential and commitment to development leadership.

The findings are from the ‘Leadership in Sustainability: The Why and The How’ survey organized by global event management association MCI as part of their UFI Annual Conference 2010 and comes following continuous efforts from TCEB to encourage service providers and buyers in the local MICE industry to adopt Green Meetings initiatives, with Thailand now ranked first in Asia and in the top ten cities globally in terms of meeting environmental sustainability standards.

The survey puts Bangkok as one of only two cities in Asia demonstrating strong practice in Green Meetings, with top marks in the Developing Leadership category. Other cities in the same category include Athens, Stockholm, Berlin and Seoul. In the category of Process Leadership, only Budapest met the standards, while the category of Industry Thought Leadership includes Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and London. Paris and Vienna were recognized in the Performance Leadership category.

“It has now been more than two years since TCEB and its partners first set out to promote Green Meetings and encourage players in the industry to better understand the relevant standards,” said   Mr. Akapol Sorasuchart, President of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (Public Organization). “We feel extremely proud that our efforts are now starting to pay off with Thailand now regarded as one of the first countries to have put the Green Meetings concepts into practice and the Kingdom earning a rightful international reputation as a leading Green Meetings destination. TCEB established ‘Green Meetings’ as a strategic policy to promote Thailand as the MICE destination of choice and to establish clearer industry standards that can be adopted by all – whether you are organizing or attending a convention, exhibition or small-scale social occasion. The message is clear – Bangkok is ready to welcome business conferences and event organizers from around the world and we are working to ensure that other cities in the country follow Bangkok’s lead.”

The survey was commissioned by MCI Group in order to shed light on the sustainability practices of developing leaders and practice leaders. Bangkok was ranked as one of the top 10 Green Meetings destinations in the world based on APEX/ASTM environmental sustainability draft standards.  

“From now on, TCEB will putting more effort to expand Green Meeting standard to more provinces in the country in order that Thailand will be truly recognized at international levels as the dream Green Meetings destination,” concluded Mr. Akapol Sorasuchart.

Those interested in finding out more about how they can play a part in the Green Meetings revolution should visit www.greenmeetingsthailand.com/book/th for more details.