Exhibition Centre sees official launch at Royal Phuket Marina

In a ceremony attended by Royal Phuket Marina owner and developer Mr. Gulu Lalvani, and more than 50 VIP guests from Thailand and overseas, Governor of Phuket Mr Preecha Ruanchun, officially opened the island’s first dedicated Exhibition & Conference centre in Thailand’s most exclusive luxury lifestyle yachting community. The new facility will be known as ‘RPM International Exhibition & Conference Centre’.

The 2,500 square metre waterfront ‘RPM Convention Centre’ paves the way for a new era of large-scale conferences, expos and private events on the island. Three times larger than any existing exhibition facility in Phuket, it expects to host one or two high profile events every month.

PIMEX, which runs from December 4 to 7 and which is hailed as “Asia's favourite boat show” by its organiser, is the first major exhibition to be held at the new RPM facility.

The conference centre is a joint venture between Royal Phuket Marina and Informa (informa.com), the largest publicly-owned organiser of conferences and courses in the world, staging over 10,000 events annually.

In his address Governor Ruanchun said, “Phuket is one of the world’ premier tourist destinations, and I am confident that with the opening of such facilities as the RPM International Exhibition and Conference Centre, our island paradise has the potential to become a leading international venue for conventions, expos and large scale private events.”

On Phuket’s eastern seaboard overlooking scenic Phang Na Bay, Royal Phuket Marina is Thailand’s first world-class luxury lifestyle community rivaling top marina resort communities in Europe and the Caribbean.

It was developed by tycoon Gulu Lalvani, founder of Binatone, the world’s second largest manufacturer of digital cordless phones, who is on a mission to promote Phuket as a world class yachting hub in one of the world’s most idyllic and assessable locations.

Royal Phuket Marina has become an entertainment and lifestyle hub with open air restaurants and bars overlooking mega yachts moored in the Mediterranean-style marina.

“The launch of the waterfront ‘RPM International Exhibition & Conference Centre’ is an important milestone for Royal Phuket Marina as we continue to contribute to the social and economic fabric of the Phuket community,” said Mr Lalvani.

“The island is a natural magnet for growing international demand for conventions and exhibitions. I too am confident that Phuket will be placed firmly on the international convention and exhibition map.”

Visitors to Phuket exceeded a record five million last year, up 11.25 per cent from 2006.

Despite the troubles in Bangkok over the past few weeks, Phuket has been largely unaffected and high season hotel bookings and visitors to the Island are expected to be high.

Following the successful completion and sale of Phase I with its luxury condominiums and unique Aquaminiums, the marina complex is now going into Phase II.

More than half of the Royal Phuket Marina development is devoted to leisure, shopping, recreation, and dining set amidst landscaped gardens overlooking the marina.

For more information about Royal Phuket Marina please visit Royalphuketmarina.com.