Blogger: CATHERINE BERNARD-DARLET, Communications Director Construction & Agriculture Equipment Business Units, Comexposium
Thailand’s capital will soon be the stage for the global construction community, when the second-largest construction machinery and equipment show in the world – Intermat – makes its South East Asian debut.
The French organiser of the exhibition, Comexposium, joined forces with Impact Exhibition Management in Bangkok to create an event conceived to set the ASEAN construction industry on a course towards higher standards, greater success and improved global recognition.
The event originated in Paris but will draw more than 1,500 leading contractors from across Asia, displaying their products and services for an estimated 16,000 visitors when the show officially opens its doors at Bangkok’s Impact exhibition centre in June 2017.
And where better to stage an event for the international construction industry, than a country with such high levels of investment in civil engineering and infrastructure projects?
At sea, development at ports such as Lam Chabang will complement the Satul Sea Port and Songkhla Sea Port development in the south. Laem Chabang’s port is an international standard, environmentally-friendly port and when expansion is complete in 2019, will soon be delivering faster services and shorter waiting times for visitors, becoming the main gateway port of the Greater Mekong Sub Region trade and competing with Singapore.
By air, development of the country’s main airport will take the total capacity of visitors from 47.9 million in 2011 to 60 million by 2017, while Bangkok’s other main airport, Don Muang, will grow to accommodate three large business terminals.
Equally there are major infrastructure development projects on land including the integrated highway linkage development, a four-lane highway with expansion into the outer regions, as well as rural road development. After all not all events take place in built-up urban areas.
The ASEAN Economic Community ranks as the world’s third largest economy. A significant amount of Thailand’s success as a destination for trade shows and business events lies not only in successfully connecting the world to its population of 70 million, but to the surrounding region’s 600 million inhabitants. For this to happen effectively, Thailand’s business event network must be supported by physical networks.
Those keen to see the result of such international infrastructure partnerships need only look at Thailand itself; the result of the exhibitors’ and buyers’ conversations can be witnessed by all and Intermat’s move to Bangkok is a vote of confidence for Thailand.
This article was originally published on the UFI Live Blog: www.ufilive.org
