Geographical Indications Exhibition: Promoting Rural Development and Tourism

The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), in the context of IP Key South-East Asia (IP Key SEA), an EU-funded project, in partnership with the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP), Ministry of Commerce, will organise the Geographical Indications Exhibition: Promoting Rural Development and Tourism from 1 to 6 October 2024 at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC).

The event will include a display and tastings of renowned GIs from Thailand and the European Union (EU), seminars on the protection and benefits of GIs, demonstrations of GI craft making, and a presentation of videos on EU GIs. The EUIPO has recently been bestowed the responsibility to run, manage and maintain the EU register on GIs for crafts effective as of the end of 2025. 

GIs are intellectual property rights that protect the names of products originating from specific geographical origins and have specific qualities or enjoy a reputation linked to the territory. The event aims to raise public awareness about GIs and their positive impact on tourism, rural development, and agricultural sustainability.

This six-day event is a continuation of the collaboration between the EUIPO and the DIP to stress the role that GIs play in the local and global economies and how consumers benefit from a well-functioning GI protection system. Last year, the IP Key SEA project and the Delegation of the European Union to Thailand joined the DIP’s celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the country’s GI law. The collaboration is part of a larger cooperation initiative between the European Union and the Kingdom of Thailand in the field of intellectual property.