Microsoft holds Bangkok event

THE BRIEF
To hold the first-ever gathering for 160 top sales managers and executives from the Asia
Pacific region, the majority of who came from Japan, the US and the UK. The clients’
key objectives were to ensure that the team was informed, inspired and had some fun in order to be prepared to meet the challenges of their new fiscal year.

Thailand-based destination management company, Meeting & Convention Planner (MCP) – which recently opened an operation in London – were assigned the brief, organising and coordinating all event arrangements.

CHALLENGES
Turning a challenge into success was a story of seamless coordination with the DMC dealing with two sets of organisers, one in the US and one in the UK, to create the two-day conference at the Plaza Athenee Bangkok, plus an off-site gala dinner at Siam Society and an after-gala dinner party at Party House One.

Teamwork was always going to be the key to successfully managing the tangible challenge of reduced lead-time and the intangible challenge of the event being held during Bangkok’s wet season.

EXECUTION
The two-day conference required a grand backdrop, meticulous audiovisual arrangements and creative theme dinner.
The DMC set to work by establishing three teams to handle all arrangements. One was
stationed at the Plaza Athenee Bangkok to work on the conference; the second to
simultaneously create and manage a Thai Lotus Night theme gala dinner at Siam Society, featuring live Thai traditional dances and Thai Folk Music, or pong lang; and a third to create a colourful post-gala dinner party at Party House One – a hip new rusticstyle concept pub, where the group danced the night away to sounds spun by French and English DJs.

VERDICT
Derek Tsang, Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions’ regional business manager for Japan, Greater China and APAC, says: “We chose Bangkok due to the ease of flight connections, value and the fact it is a unique tourism and cultural destination.”

He says that MCP won the bid over other DMCs due to its commitment and clear communications. “MCP not only has strong experience working with multinationals, but also differentiates itself with a London-based business development manager who can work
with our core team in London.”