– Central Pattana reimagines a universal festive symbol as a celebration of local Thai stories, blending local wisdom with Thai creativity to create 11 distinctive Christmas trees that reflect the unique identities of 11 provinces. The campaign, “The World’s Great Celebration – Local Pride Christmas Trees,” won an award in the Community category at the 2026 ICSC GLOBAL MAXI AWARDS, a world-class awards platform dubbed the ‘Oscars of the retail industry.’

– The campaign reinforces the role of Central shopping centres nationwide as cultural platforms that celebrate local identity and wisdom. It brings together local artists, craftspeople, communities and partners to create distinctive works that support local economies, boost tourism and foster a shared sense of pride among Thai people.

Central Pattana plc., Thailand’s No.1 sustainable real estate developer, guided by the vision “Imagining better futures for all,” with an integrated portfolio spanning retail, residential, hotel and office properties, has earned international recognition for Thailand as the only Thai company to win an award in the Community category at the 2026 ICSC GLOBAL MAXI AWARDS, a world-class awards platform dubbed the ‘Oscars of the retail industry.’ for its campaign, “The World’s Great Celebration – Local Pride Christmas Trees.”

The award reflects Central Pattana’s commitment to using its nationwide network of shopping centres to showcase local Thai wisdom and cultural identity. Working with local artists, craftspeople, communities, universities and partners from the public and private sectors, the company created 11 Christmas trees that tell the stories and express the pride of communities across 11 provinces. The achievement underscores Central Pattana’s longstanding commitment to championing local heritage and connecting Thai culture with audiences at home and abroad. Organised by ICSC (Innovating Commerce Serving Communities), the awards were presented in Las Vegas, U.S.A.

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/KGmNVcOqYlg

Dr. Nattakit Tangpoonsinthana, Chief Marketing Officer of Central Pattana Plc., said, “At Central Pattana, we continually evolve our marketing approach to create meaningful experiences and lasting value. For this festive campaign, we set out to turn a season celebrated around the world into an opportunity to showcase Thai cultural identity to international audiences. As a developer of shopping centres across Thailand, we recognise the distinctive character and potential of each province—its cultural identity, local wisdom and the stories its people are proud to share. Our aim was to build on these strengths through creativity, using our shopping centres as platforms to bring local stories to a wider audience.

The project began with the ‘Mok Panwa Christmas Tree’ in Chiang Rai, where we collaborated with Doi Tung to create a beautiful Christmas tree using traditional hill-tribe handicrafts. This inspired us to expand the concept across Thailand, working closely with local artists, communities and craftspeople to create trees that capture the distinctive character of each province and celebrate its local pride, identity and wisdom.

We selected 11 provinces with distinctive cultural identities and brought their stories to life through a series of unique Christmas trees, giving rise to ‘The World’s Great Celebration – Local Pride Christmas Trees’ campaign. We believe the judges recognised the value of both the concept and the collaboration behind it, resulting in an award in the Community category at the 2026 ICSC GLOBAL MAXI AWARDS.

Central Pattana remains committed to building on this approach, celebrating local wisdom and gaining greater international recognition for the distinctive cultural identities of communities across Thailand. This award is a source of pride for our organisation and a shared achievement for the artists, craftspeople, communities and partners whose collective efforts have shown that local wisdom and Thai creativity can make their mark on the global stage.”

Behind ‘Local Pride Christmas Trees’: From the Creative Power of Thai Communities to Global Recognition

Beyond bringing Thai local identity and wisdom to global recognition, The World’s Great Celebration – Local Pride Christmas Trees campaign has also delivered impact across multiple dimensions:

– From Decoration to Cultural Storytelling – Transforming Christmas Decoration into a Cultural Platform: Central Pattana reimagined Christmas celebrations, transforming festive decoration into a medium for showcasing Local Wisdom and Thai Creativity from each community. Through 11 Christmas trees representing 11 provinces, local stories, culture, handicrafts, and community wisdom were brought to life through a festive symbol recognised around the world.

– Nationwide Cultural Co-Creation – Bringing Communities Together on a National Scale: Each Christmas tree was co-created by local communities, artists and craftspeople, private-sector partners, government agencies, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). Local materials, handicrafts, and community wisdom were transformed into distinctive landmarks, while creating opportunities for local entrepreneurs and community enterprises to generate income and gain wider recognition.

– Local Pride, Global Reach – Taking Thai Local Identity Beyond Communities: Local Pride stories were amplified across both physical spaces and omni-channel communications, including PR, digital storytelling, KOLs, and the “11 Trees, 11 Cities Challenge”, generating more than 200 million impressions. The campaign also attracted international visitors from key markets including China, Sweden, Russia, Malaysia, and Singapore, demonstrating the potential of Thai local culture to create distinctive festive experiences that resonate with international audiences.

– Shared Value with Measurable Impact – Delivering Tangible Economic and Tourism Impact: The campaign contributed to sales growth and attracted 1.5 million additional visits, up 5%, from a total of 34 million visits, while generating THB 1.25 billion in total campaign spending. These results demonstrate how the power of festive celebrations can be extended to create tangible impact for businesses, tourism, and local economies.

– Retail as a Cultural Platform – Elevating Shopping Centres into Spaces for Shared Value: The campaign reinforces the role of Central shopping centres as more than commercial spaces, demonstrating how they can serve as Cultural Platforms and Living Art Installations that connect people, communities, culture, and local economies. This reflects Central Pattana’s Centre of Life concept, which focuses on developing spaces alongside enhancing quality of life and creating shared growth for people and communities.

Over the five years of the initiative from 2020–2025, Central Pattana has developed Local Pride Christmas Trees into a model that can be rotated and expanded across provinces nationwide, providing a platform for Local Wisdom to be shared while creating opportunities for artists, craftspeople, and communities, and extending economic and tourism value to cities across Thailand. Central Pattana remains committed to building on this concept and continuing to bring Thai identity and creativity to greater recognition on the global stage.