MICE Industry: Conference Proposal, Contemporary Issues & Analysis

This report provides an overview of the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) sector, focusing on contemporary issues and a conference proposal for the World Association of Travel Agencies. The first part of the report includes a literature review of current thinking related to contemporary issues in the MICE sector, such as keeping up with technology, global warming, virtual meetings, seasonal fluctuations, competition, and the global emerging market. The second part presents a written package proposal for a conference, including the rationale and background, objectives, venue justification (Berlin, Germany), operational analysis, proposed budget, promotion strategies, conference schedule, internal and external analysis, and recommendations. The conference emphasizes corporate social responsibility and aims to be a 'contemporary/green' event, attracting approximately 250 leading figures from commercial and academic research, government, and international audiences. The conference focuses on sharing essential information related to the world of travel and addressing issues facing the travel and tourism industry due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Meetings, Incentives
Conferences & Exhibitions

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................1
PART 1............................................................................................................................................1
Literature review on current thinking related to Contemporary issues in context to MICE
sector...........................................................................................................................................1
PART 2- Written Package Proposal ...............................................................................................5
a) Rationale and background of the conference .........................................................................5
b) Conference objectives ............................................................................................................5
c) Justification for the venue and destination selection..............................................................6
d) Operational analysis................................................................................................................7
e) Proposed budget......................................................................................................................9
f) Conference promotion.............................................................................................................9
g) Conference schedule.............................................................................................................10
h) Internal & External Analysis ...............................................................................................10
i) Recommendations ................................................................................................................11
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................13

INTRODUCTION
Meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) is type tourism that consists of
large groups those who are bought together for a common purpose. In simple terms, this
industrial sector offer extensive tourism services within which suppliers as well as organiser
effectively manages and deliver exhibitions, meeting, conferences and other events in an
effective manner (Nassaazi Harriet, Cho and Kim, 2020). Present report include discussions
upon organizing of a conference for the World Association of Travel Agencies in which main
emphasise is upon corporate social responsibility to conduct event is ‘contemporary/green’ and
green manner. This report consists of two parts in which one is based upon contemporary issues
in terms with MICE sector. While second report conference background, objectifies, budget,
destination, schedule and recommendations.
PART 1
Literature review on current thinking related to Contemporary issues in context to MICE sector
In accordance to Figueroa (2020), the word MICE market is a specialised niche of
tourism that is dedicated for planning, making booking addition to facilitating seminars,
conferences addition to other events that are considered as big moneymaker in tourism industry.
MICE is kind of tourism wherein wide population plans things in advance. It is also termed as
tourism for meetings exhibitions or business tourism. The industry offers multiple tourism
services wherein organisers addition to suppliers manages and delivers various events for
attaining range of business, academic, professional as well as cultural objectives. Moreover,
organisers of such events provides numerous creative services such as directional signage, event
photography, show displays, AV/technical production, Kiosks/exhibit space, sponsorship
management, risk management services, group air fulfilment and so on,
There are number of components as well as agents that are part of the area and provides
full range of tourism together with related services for small, medium or large groups on the
basis of different time frame. Personnel and organisations that are involved in MICE industry are
conference centres, logistics firms,incentive houses, cruise ships, freelancer professional
conference organiser and tourism trade companies. Due to involvement of planning and
organisation, MICE travel organisations are affiliated with big corporations. Main objective
behind organising meetings, conference, etc is business as these events attracts and brings large
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population together for some or other purpose (Andriotis, 2018). For a specific destination,
MICE have great number of benefits that includes stimulating tourism economy, increasing
travellers expenditure, developing better infrastructure and converting MICE tourists into leisure
ones. Other than this, it also provides memorable experiences as well as stimulates visitors for
returning towards culture or religion which they got to know by organisational events for
individual travel.
According to study conducted by Elliott and Boyd (2018), it is analysed that MICE
industry is significant because it generates job opportunities, benefits professionals like small
business owners, taxi drivers, freelancer professional conference organiser and many more,
benefits cities via economic growth and boost tourism. Moreover, MICE sector is extremely
crucial in context to improving professional qualification that attends its events as all the
attendees gets opportunity for visit multiple places or locations that boost statistics for cultural
tourism addition to local economy. The practices of MICE sector are considered as an
increasingly important element for upcoming growth of international economy. Furthermore, the
sector is key for spreading knowledge together with professional activities across multiple
industries and builds better understanding addition to relations between various regions and
cultures.
According to Franks, Hanscomb and Johnston (2017), there are various obstacles faced
by a tourism entity or freelancer event organiser while making efforts to initiate green practices
within their operations or tasks. The obstacles or issues are termed to contemporary or green
issues. For a business or organiser, it is significant to analyse, manage, control or eradicate such
issues for achieving success within competitive sector. It is perceived that keeping up with
technology is one of contemporary issue that is faced by MICE sector. In present era, technology
is evolving fastly which creates high expectations of event attendees and issue for organising
committee or company. Attendees wants that they are able to book plane tickets, rooms of hotels
and have access to event with limited hassle and at convenience on the smartphones or devices
which they are using. At same time, it becomes complex for organisations in MICE sector to
keep and improve the technologies for streamlining communications addition to logistics with
organisers or broker institutions for the purpose of decreasing redundancy as well as mistakes. It
is not necessary to say that internet access as well as strong WI-FI are must in hotels. It becomes
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complex for business in MICE sector to ignore technological or innovation as these are used
widely in the events.
As per the study of Henderson, Hilton and Green (2020), it is perceived that global
warming is also a green issue that is associated with MICE sector. It is because cost that are
incurred in sustainable practices are more that creates huge green issues in MICE Sector. In the
industry, organisers and planners are focusing more on carbon offset programme through buying
carbon credits that are generated via local community. Moreover, attendees prefers to attend
green exhibitions as well as sustainable conferences that are costly for event organisations to
organise. Many a time, the attendees also refuses to pay whole money for the events that lead to
create problem for the sector. It is also analysed by Jones (2017) that it is also important for the
sector to reduce carbon results through making modifications in facilities along with taking
specific measures for the purpose of saving energy and managing wastage. In past years, there
are many environmental issues that have evolved while operating a conference or event in which
the most obvious is repercussion of transportation. It is seen that it contributes in generation of
green house toxic emission and unfavourable impacts of natural resources. The major areas in
the sector that are impacted are waste reduction, energy transportation, resource recovery
addition to waste management. Moreover, tourism organisation and conference organisers faces
challenges of managing waste in sustainable manner which consumes huge time, efforts and
resources.
According to Lau, Chui and Au (2019), MICE sector is also facing issue of Virtual
Meetings versus destination meetings as virtual meetings are seen as fast versions of
destination meetings. However, the latter is more valuable and significant as it offers wide kinds
of possibility with relevant topics without involving any distraction. Moreover, virtual meetings
are attractive as these permits attendees of conference of events without booking a seat or
leaving their office desks. As these do not require bookings, these are cheaper than that of
destination meetings. Because of various pandemic situations, attendees are preferring virtual
meeting that limits revenue generation for tourism business and event organisers that creates
wider issues for the MICE sector as there is no inflows of financial resources to boost its growth.
Also, businesses and organisers do not want to miss out opportunities related to huge networking
in the event. However, planning virtual and destination meetings as well as making appeals for
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attendees to join both is something which MICE industry faces to work on as it is not an easy
task.
MICE sector also experiences various fluctuations due to seasons. In this, the main
issue is how to improve as well as maintain high businesses at the time when there is off season
period in order to maintain profits. It is key for travel businesses along with conference
organisers to facilitate the sector through providing security to attendees that influences them for
participating in conferences, events and meetings that boost the sector with enhancement of
accommodation. At same time, it is believed by Rapport (2017), players in the sector are striving
for making things convenient for customers in best possible manner. The increased competition
level as well as poaching of guests that are bought by consumer disloyalty programs acts as con
temporary issue that effect MICE sector. Building loyalty base is significant for the industry and
all the organisers and organisations have minimum one loyalty program. Moreover, it is
evaluated that these programs are aimed to promote the businesses. The problem related to the
program is there high cost that is related to them. It increases entire operation costs of travel
businesses addition to professional conference organisers.
The statements of Rogerson (2018) reflects that MICE sector faces issues of global
emerging market in which top players are implementing innovative strategies to sustain in
competition. Additionally, the sector continues to be through social, economic, technological
addition to industrial development forces. It is crucial that event organisers must use their innate
addition to acquired strength and put best foot forward for overcoming weakness together with
resolve threats. Furthermore, human capital investments requires to be done wisely and must be
fully optimised for advantages and rewards. However, organisers lacks professionals and
experience that is major issue faced by MICE sector. All the mentioned contemporary or green
issues are concerned with MICE industry as all these are experienced by professional event
organisers along with tourism businesses while planning, arranging and managing different kinds
of meetings, incentives, conferences as well as exhibitions. From the views of various authors, it
is analysed that to sustain in dynamic and competitive environment, it is necessary for organisers
in the sector to address the identifies issues. Also, the owners and organiser require exploration
together with usage of alternative tactics or strategies for financing global expansion. It is
important to promote consumer satisfaction campaigns and mechanisms to achieving
sustainability and managing costs for meetings, conferences and other related events. In contrary,
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it is perceived that despite of huge efforts for executing green practices in planning and
organising various events, other green or contemporary issues including managing
accommodation contracts, pollution, solid waste and hence forth have high chances to affect
MICE sector (Weber, 2017).
PART 2- Written Package Proposal
a) Rationale and background of the conference
Conference is defined as a formal meeting in which individuals with shared interest
combines for a common purpose. A conference basically undertake place for several days. World
Association of Travel Agencies perform its operations as an international travel organisation.
This union is mainly holding responsibility in promoting and developing unique travel and
tourism business environment (Anas and et. al., 2020). In this report, discussion has been made
upon a conference for the World Association of Travel Agencies which is going to take place for
three days in spring 2021. It has been evaluated that for this conference client mainly focus upon
social responsibility and seeks for ‘contemporary/green’ conference event. Further it has been
determined this conference attract approximate 250 individuals those who are leading figures
from commercial and academic research establishments, government representatives,
international audience, personnel and key stakeholders. Along with this, the selected destination
for the conference is Berlin, Germany.
Further it has been determined that, important significance of this conference will be
upon sharing essential informations related to the world of travelling along with the significant
increase in the issues which is facing by travel and tourism industry in all around the world
because of Covid-19 ( pandemic). In addition to this, via this conference travel agents from will
be entertained with sustainable leisure experience. Main aim behind this conference is to
combine travel agents view point and ideas towards building strong networking and accomplish
current conference objectives with great effectiveness by keeping in mind contemporary / green
conference
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b) Conference objectives
World Association of Travel Agencies organizing a conference in which attendee’s will
contribute their part from all around the globe. In addition to this, it has been evaluated that in
this conference event gender split is close to 50:50. Along with this, the conference will be
attended by 250 delegates. This has been analysed that there are some certain form of objectives
that this conference of World Association of Travel Agencies is holding which is further being
defined below:
The conference of World Association of Travel Agencies will approximately undertake
place for 3 days in which day one objective is to conduct the activity related to either team
building or networking event (Nassaazi Harriet, Cho and Kim, 2020). While objective of the
second day of conference is to conduct operational leisure activities alongside the conference.
Main reason behind this to make sure that attendee’s get the relaxed and positive atmosphere.
This will help them to effectively contribute their contribution in the main agenda of conference.
At the last day, there will be a formal dinner evening with entertainment.
Along with this, it has been identified that World Association of Travel Agencies is also
having most important objective from this conference which is to fulfil their corporate
responsible objective at create better example for world by conducing a conference in as much
contemporary/green way. Lastly, this has been signified that World Association of Travel
Agencies by this conference is also looking forward to accomplish the objective of utilizing
ideas, viewpoints, perceptive and knowledge of conference attendees for more growth and
development of travel industry.
c) Justification for the venue and destination selection
World Association of Travel Agencies conference will going to be held in Belin,
Germany. It has been evaluated that this this capital is effectively supported by biomedical
engineering as well as renewable energy. Further as per according to the evaluation it has been
determined that this place is ranked among elite meeting destination in the world along with this,
this is being evaluated that Berlin is the city of green trends. This destination provides better
atmosphere for sustainable meeting. In addition to this, according to the analysis it has been
identified that Berlin Convention Office launched its one of the first initiative that mainly aim
towards sustainable event planning in capital in order to transform this place into most
sustainable as well as innovative metropolises for conferences.
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In addition to this, it has been evaluated that in order to organize sustainable conference
event of World Association of Travel Agencies the venue The EUREF Campus is being selected.
This location is being chosen by evaluating all the aspects like ecological as social sustainability.
Further, this location is offers a unique center for sustainable as well as innovation projects.
According to the analysis it has been determined that this location is a symbol of Germany's
energy turnaround that effectively attracts attention with its sustainable and energy efficient
environment. With its unique way of urban development in both ecological as well as
economical manner this location is providing sustainable place for conference events.
Thus, according to the above mentioned discussion it has been evaluated that, selected
destination and the venue offers effective atmosphere in which conference event objective of
World Association of Travel Agencies can be effectively fulfilled. In this location, World
Association of Travel Agencies can conduct all their activities with great effectiveness while
satisfying each and every individual in an effective way.
d) Operational analysis
It has evaluated that, in order top effectively conduct a conference there are many aspect
that are required to be effectively emphasise upon. It will not only increases effectiveness of the
event but can also assure immense level of satisfaction of all the attendee’s. According to
analysis it has been determined that to assure success of a conference there are some basis points
such as catering, accommodation options, AV/IT and transportation, that are are required to be
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Illustration 1: The EUREF Campus

focus upon. In context with the conference of World Association of Travel Agencies mentioned
below all these factors are being effectively analysed:
Transportation: It is an essential prospect as in this people are able to make effective
communication with each other. In order to conduct a conference it plays vital role while
providing better experience about event. In this professional team is developed that control
overall transportation i.e. from arrival to departure time period of attendee’s. In addition the air
tickets is booked before 40 days of event date along with this all the other services and goods and
provided to attendee so that their travel is processed with flawlessness. The guests are
transported with secure and fast way with the vehicles that emit lesser amount of pollution. The
expertise drivers are hired as those are aware about traffic congestion so that unnecessary delay
is managed. It is required by which clear communication is processed between vendors
throughout the conference and well coordination is developed that reduces probability of
confusion.
Catering: In this professional caterers are arranged those provide healthy and cuisine to
the attendee’s as per accordance to headcount of each individual. In addition efficient supply
chain is developed at each venue of conference by which menu shortage didn't occurred at any
condition. In terms of event planning it is an essential task under which conference conductors
maintain list and detailing of all the guest and ensure that catering planning is processed hand by
hand. In this operators are able to project pleasant impression in front of all the attendee’s thus
they get happily develop their interest for future meets.
Accommodation options: It is used to make appropriate environment under which
attendee’s doesn't felt complexity about language barrier, currency exchange, work ethics and
many other factor as well. It usually include hotel services that define catastrophic form in
relation to reputation. In this operator make sure that suitable location is selected that is easily
recognised from Google Map along with managing of noise level and trafficking. For this, basic
services are addressed such as free wireless services, adequate space for meets, air conditioning
rooms and adequate ports for charging and a better view.
AV/IT: The audio visual and information technology plays necessary aspect while
conducting a conference and it is a major consideration as well. The conference is conducted
with maximum 250 candidates thus it is required that sound system will work perfectly. In this
delegate rooms is selected at where adequate space is considerate (Rana and Singh, 2020). In
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addition to this light of room is also be effective and for this Gobos is used that is fixed and
moving as well. It assist to make better visuals with accurate mixture of projection that aid to
delegate better presentation.
e) Proposed budget
Budget plays a key essential role through which determined aims and objectives can be
fulfilled in an effective manner. With the help of effective budget all the spending can be
calculated according to the determined activities that are required to be undertaken. It has been
evaluated that, with the help of proper budgeting conference event of World Association of
Travel Agencies can be done in an effective manner whole having 100% control over the allotted
funds. In context with present case scenario, it has been determined that with the help of
effective budgeting World Association of Travel Agencies conference can be conducted in an
effective manner while assuring accomplishment of each and every activity according to the
underlined objectives. Mentioned below the budget to conduct all the activities of World
Association of Travel Agencies conference is being defined:
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Important Note:- Above states budget for the conference meeting of World Association of
Travel Agencies is exclusive of Accommodation & Flights expenses, as charges for this will be
according to seasonal price range.
f) Conference promotion
It is required in conference promotion that all the task is manage and implemented as per
required demand so that better information is processed about sustainable environment. In this
event operator specialised certain target market such as government authorities, stakeholders etc.
In addition to this digital platforms is used as it is the platform under which information is
processed to those as well who are not in reach. Furthermore, agenda of conference is clearly
addressed by which people easily get connect with conference. Email campaigns is also
performed as it is more user-friendly and incredible tool that only focus on preferred content.
g) Conference schedule
A systematic schedule for World Association of Travel Agencies conference is being
defined below through which all the attendee’s will get assured satisfaction in proper time frame:
Conference Day 1:
This day is being divided into two segments, in this first segment include pick up of
conference attendee’s from Berlin airport from where they will be dropped to the selected
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