Thailand Tourism Main Event Set For April 21st

The organizers of the Thailand Tourism 2014 have announced that the event will be held Monday April 21st at the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok.
What's Next Thailand? As 2014 is resolutely tagged as the age of political uncertainty, how is the country's tourism sector addressing the enormous challenges and uncertainties at hand. Welcome to the situation room, where Thailand's hospitality leaders and experts will candidly discuss the economic impact of the crisis, and how to mitigate risks during volatile times.
Lost in Thailand took on a whole new meaning for Brand Thailand in 2013 as Chinese tourists remained in the spotlight as the key driver for Thailand's tourist arrivals. Will the trend continue? As Bangkok remains a leading destination on both the regional and global tourism maps, is recovery on the horizon?
With these uncertainties, can Thailand focus on quality vs. quantity while continuing to keep pace on its own tourism infrastructure and leveraging the efficiencies presented with the advent of AEC 2015? While some hospitality leaders have suggested that Thailand is too focused on mass marketing tourism, is it a relevant strategy or perhaps the only option in the short term?
What's Really Next? The Thailand Tourism Forum – 2014 (TTF) is the country's report card on the state of the industry. This is a unique opportunity to look beyond the numbers at how tourism performance and investment impacts an entire country.
Date: Monday, April 21st, 2014
Venue: InterContinental Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand, Grand Ballroom – Level 4
Organizers: American Chamber of Commerce -Thailand (AMCHAM), C9 Hotelworks Hospitality Consulting Group
Registration: Attendance is free. To sign up go to www.amchamthailand.com, or [email protected] or telephone 02-254-1041 ext. 212.
EVENT SCHEDULE
3:00pm to 4:00pm – Registration and Refreshments – Grand Ballroom, Level 4
4:00pm to 6:00pm – Thailand Tourism Forum – 2014
OPENING REMARKS &STUCK IN NEUTRAL – WHAT'S NEXT THAILAND?
Bill Barnett, Managing Director, C9 Hotelworks
LOST AND FOUND IN THAILAND – CHINA BOOT CAMP
Jens Thraenhart, Founder, Digital Innovation Asia (DIA)
THAILAND HOTEL LEADERS SUMMIT
Robert V. R.Hecker, Managing Director, Horwath HTL (Moderator)
Clarence Tan, COO, Asia Australasia, InterContinental Hotels Group
DillipRajakarier, CEO, Minor Hotel Group
Peter Henley, President & CEO, ONYX Hospitality Group
Patrick Basset, Senior Vice President, AccorAsia Pacific
HOTEL MARKET RECAP 2013 – MAJOR& SECONDARY THAI DESTINATIONS
JesperPalmqvist, Area Director – Asia Pacific, STR Global
'THAILAND BOUTIQUE'
David Keen, CEO, QUOGlobal (Moderator)
Jason M. Friedman, GM, The Siam Hotel (Sukosol Hotels)
M.L. NandhikaVaravarn, VP Corp Communications, Bangkok Airways
Kenneth Mays, Marketing Director, Bumrungrad International
Investment and Thailand Hotel Transaction Market Update
Nihat Ercan, Senior Vice President Investment Sales Asia, JLL
ARRIVAL OF REITS IN 2014 – A NEW SOURCE OF CAPITAL FOR THAILAND'S HOTEL SECTOR
SorachonBoonsong, Partner, Baker & McKenzie
'FEARLESS FORECAST' – 5 PREDICTIONS FOR 2014
Charles Blocker, CEO, IC Partners
WRAP UP AND CLOSING REMARKS
6:00pm to 7:00pm – Networking Cocktails – with compliments of InterContinental Hotels.