Accor to take over management of Star Convention Centre in Thailand

Accor will be managing the 571-room Star Convention Centre in Thailand.

The Star Convention Hotel will be rebranded as the Novotel Rayong Star Convention Centre in 2020. Located in the city centre of Rayong province, the hotel will undergo a major renovation over the next two years. Phase one will cover the revamp of its public areas, dining outlets and 235 guestrooms, followed by another 336 guestrooms in the second phase.

“We’re very excited to have the Star Convention Hotel join the Accor network and to grow our portfolio in a city like Rayong. We believe that the Eastern Seaboard, including provinces like Rayong, Chonburi, Trat, with the upcoming high speed train route will offer excellent development opportunities in the future. Guests can look forward to the natural and intuitive design of the Novotel brand and relax in the comforting and energizing spaces,” said Patrick Basset, COO of Accor for Upper Southeast & Northeast Asia and the Maldives.

The hotel is situated in a hub of one of Thailand’s major agricultural and industrial provinces. Also a popular beach destination for locals, the hotel is approximately 2.5 hours by car from Suvarnabhumi International Airport and an hour's drive from U-Tapao International Airport.

“We are pleased to join Accor and we believe that the group’s expertise and experience in hospitality will add to the success of our hotel. The signing of our partnership with Accor also reflects our confidence in Rayong’s tourism industry and the East Economic Corridor (EEC) Policy. We look forward to working with the Accor team to unfold a new chapter of Star Convention Hotel’s legacy,” said Phisamai Supanuntaroek, Director of Star Convention Hotel.

Accor is a major hotel operator in Thailand with 86 hotels and with a pipeline of 13 hotels scheduled to open over the next three years. The group currently manages a portfolio of 158 Novotel hotels across the Asia Pacific region.

Thailand gathers momentum as a business event destination

Source: TCEB.

Thailand is positioning itself as a business events destination under the stewardship of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (Public Organization), or TCEB. As the Thai government's flagship body for the sector, TCEB has a leading role in driving Thailand's leadership position in Asia's business events industry, and Bangkok's role as a premier destination for international business events. 

The Thai business events sector is expected to continue to grow strongly in 2015, welcoming 1,036,300 business events visitors, and generating revenue of approximately US$3.55 billion. Reflecting its position as a preferred business events destination in Asia, Thailand has a diverse lineup of confirmed major events in 2015: 

FDI's 2015 Annual World Dental Congress, which will be held from 22 to 25 September 2015 is an industry forum involving leaders of the dental profession from more than 100 countries, as well as top personalities of the international and national trade and industry. Strong collaboration between TCEB and a range of other government agencies instilled unity and confidence in the bid, while Thailand's wide variety of destinations were seen as a unique asset as delegates can enjoy an unmatched pre- and post-event programme.

Another prestigious win is One Young World Summit 2015, which Bangkok will host during 18 to 21 November 2015. Bangkok beat Kobe in Japan and Hong Kong to win the right to be the first city in Asia to host this event. This annual summit gathers together approximately 2,000 young visionaries aged 18-30 from every corner of the world, who are leaders in their respective fields. The bid was won in the midst of political uncertainty last year, and underscores international confidence in Thailand. 

Bangkok was also named host city for travel event TBEX Asia 2015, scheduled for 15 to 17 October 2015. TBEX Asia 2015 will provide platform for the world's largest gathering of travel bloggers, writers, new media content creators, and social media savvy travel industry professionals. The bid was won thanks to strong synergies between relevant government organisations working together including Tourism Authority of Thailand, TCEB and Thai Airways, emphasising the TCEB's 4P (public-private-people partnership) strategy.

According to TCEB, large-scale business event organisers are attracted to Thailand thanks to two key factors. One reason is the variety of destinations, on top of nine internationally recognised international convention and exhibition centres that offer a combined 200,174 sq m of floor space. Another reason is how Thailand can raise traditional business events programmes a notch with local night markets, distinctive street cuisine and cultural activities throughout the calendar year. Thailand also offers a wide range of ecological activities, such as releasing turtles, cultivating coral, feeding rescued elephants, or conducting aerial or mangrove reforestation.

The country's unique offerings are captured under TCEB's Thailand CONNECT The World integrated campaign, which highlights Thailand's unrivalled destinations, business prospects, and people. 

Under 'Destinations', Thailand's five top tier business events cities are showcased, offering limitless options both inside and outside the event venue. 'Business' highlights how, as a world leader in a range of industries, Thailand harnesses regional integration to offer global prospects and opportunities to businesses seeking a springboard for ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) success. 'People' emphasises Thailand's proficient professionals who serve with effortless simplicity, gracious smiles and signature Thai service, as well as benchmark-setting industry standards.

TCEB President Nopparat Maythaveekulchai said, "Thailand CONNECT the World highlights how Thailand's diversity of destinations are enriched by world-class infrastructure and seamless connectivity, and it is a core part of our strategy to strengthen confidence in our MICE industry among international stakeholders."

Thailand's world-class infrastructure - from convenient and efficient mass transit systems to a modern highway system - influences decisions too. This is set to be boosted even further through a major infrastructure investment programme, including high-speed rail and the second phase expansion of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport. 

Thailand is also a key part of the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) development policy, which enjoys strong investment by the Japanese government. Designed to connect five countries, from Da Nang in Vietnam to China, Laos, Thailand and Mawlamyine-Myawaddy in Myanmar, the EWEC will be a game-changer, creating a springboard for business success in the fast-growing ASEAN region.