Loy has over 26 years' professional experience, including 15 years in senior positions in the international event and exhibition industry involving venue management, organising exhibitions and sales.

Prior to joining Impact Muang Thong Thani, he held concurrent appointments as director of the lifestyle exhibitions cluster and director of international sales for the Singex Group in Singapore.

Tourist security :Expert to address Pata meeting

A security expert, Vic Plessner of VHP Group Asia, is to address to-morrow's annual general meeting of the Pacific Asia Travel Association's Thailand chapter on security issues in the tourism industry.

Plessner, who has 35 years' experience in the security sector in Latin America, the US and Asia, believes hotels, cruise ships and airports should have security accreditation - such as they often have for environmental, hygiene or guest service standards.

One of the weak points he sees in Thailand's tourism industry is the tendency to use security guards "like janitors".

Paul Rogers of the Dutch-based development organisation SNV will also tell of a former communist "cave city" in Viengxay, Laos. The underground city of 200 caves is a new tourist destination being developed by local residents.

New campaign :Honda woos 'free' motorcyclists

AP Honda has kicked off its new "+Freedom" campaign to win over motorcyclists by focusing on freedom in all walks of life.

The theme aims to highlight Honda's leadership in the motorcycle market. The "+Freedom" theme reflects interesting insights from Thai consumers and their desire to do whatever they want, be themselves and not have anyone hold them back.

The campaign will involve a new television commercial as well as print ads and displays at Honda dealers' showrooms around the country.

Honda will also display the new "+Freedom" theme on Bangkok's largest and highest media outlet, the Baiyoke 2 Building.

ICIS :Prasert premier in petrochemicals

The global Independent Chemical Information Service (ICIS) has named PTT president Prasert Bunsumpun the world's most important figure in shaping the petrochemical industry in 2006.

ICIS said it picked Prasert from among the power players believed to have shaped the industry last year. Although the petrochemical sector in Thailand does not enjoy the low-cost feedstock resources of the Middle East, Prasert deserves kudos for pursuing his strategy of privatisation in turning an unwieldy behemoth into an efficiently run, profitable company, said ICIS.