Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau SEPC case study

Pat Satkhum, CEM, CIS, CED, SEPC, Senior Manager – Sustainable Development Section, MICE Capability Department

Tell us about the work of the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau
Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is the government agency tasked with promoting and developing business events in Thailand. Since 2008, TCEB has launched sequel strategies to educate, encourage and transform the Thai business events industry through sustainability. The aim is to develop Thailand to be a leading international and sustainable MICE destination that catalyses global sustainable growth. The Sustainable Development Section under the MICE Capability Department was founded in 2018 and is dedicated to enhancing the knowledge, standard adoption and demand of sustainable business events practices.

TCEB has been a long-standing supporter of EIC’s Sustainable Event Professional Certificate Course. What first drew you to the programme?
Before 2017, the global business event industry was buzzing about implementing sustainability in events, however there was no comprehensive education programme available at the time. TCEB realised that EIC had a basic sustainable education available online. EIC and TCEB agreed that it would be far better if we improved the available online course and made it a face-to-face education programme, and consequently, TCEB sponsored the course development.

What encouraged you to host SEPC programmes, both in-person, and then as a virtual programme?
TCEB always sees the importance of sustainable event education. We searched for a comprehensive education programme and decided to sponsor the development of the Sustainable Event Professional Certificate (SEPC) in 2017. Hosting the SEPC programme from 2018 onward is a continuity plan to bring solid international knowledge of organising sustainable event to Thai MICE operators. TCEB hosts the face-to-face SEPC in the most sustainable way possible, allowing participants to experience the live examples and ideas of organising a sustainable event. Even when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, we still believed that the education should not be stopped. We needed to prepare our operators for the return of business and the online SEPC was a great option to help us prepare Thai MICE business industry for building back better.

To date, how many colleagues have undertaken the Sustainable Event Professional Certification (SEPC) in Thailand?
Since 2018, approximately 300 Thai MICE professionals have undertaken the SEPC. Even though we now have variety of Thai MICE sustainability education programmes, we still see SEPC as one and only comprehensive international sustainable event education programmes available in the global market. Thai MICE professionals who have graduated the SEPC have a competitive edge over those who haven’t gained the certificate. TCEB still believes that the face-to-face programme is the most beneficial to SEPC participants.

How has this investment impacted the participants in the course?
MICE operators who have undertaken the course have learnt and implemented best practices across the country and many venues now have a sustainable event service in place.

In 2022 alone, more than 120 events implementing sustainable practices have registered in TCEB’s carbon footprint avoidance calculating programme.

What were some of the sustainability and social impact practices you implemented for the 2022 Graduation and Networking Event?
Like every other SEPC onsite delivery, we organise the event the most sustainable way possible. For this year's dinner, we made the following sustainable implementations:

• We selected a venue within walking distance of the subway, which is a certified Thailand Sustainable Event Management Standard (TSEMS) venue
• Zero waste to landfill event (decoration, food, general waste, paperless)
• Food concept: 100% plant-based dinner, low carbon cooking
• Music performed by underprivileged teens from Klong Toei, biggest slum area of Bangkok
• Upcycling dress theme

Would you recommend this course to other convention bureaux and organisations and why?
SEPC is highly recommended as a tool to level up your stakeholder’s skills when organising and taking part in sustainable events. The course is now available on e-learning platform, so it is much more easily accessible, as well as cost effective. Thailand is ready to be hub of the SEPC education in Asia Pacific!