MICE: Event Planning, Marketing Plan, and Budget Report for WATC

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) event planning, focusing on a conference organized for the World Association Travel Agency (WATC). The report delves into the literature review of MICE, green issues, and event planning. It outlines the rationale for choosing London as the conference destination, highlights venue selection, and proposes a detailed budget and marketing plan. Furthermore, it includes a tentative schedule, internal and external analysis, and recommendations for improvement. The report also addresses contemporary green issues within the MICE sector, such as pollution, waste management, and resource depletion, and discusses the importance of sustainable practices. The report concludes with a summary of key findings and recommendations to ensure the success of the event.

MICE: Meetings, Incentives
Conferences & Exhibitions
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Table of Content
Contents
Contents...........................................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................4
EVENT PLANNING.......................................................................................................................7
Reason for choosing destination and venue to be ideal...............................................................7
Recommendations........................................................................................................................8
Proposed budget...........................................................................................................................9
Marketing Plan...........................................................................................................................10
Marketing mix...........................................................................................................................10
Evaluation..................................................................................................................................11
Tentative schedule.....................................................................................................................12
Internal and external analysis....................................................................................................12
Recommendations......................................................................................................................13
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................14
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INTRODUCTION
Conference involve the formal meetings which is take place for a particular purpose
which involve the process of exchange of information as it also promotes new and innovative
ideas which aids in making effective decision so that goal is accomplished (Ghosh, 2020). MICE
is a term which is related to travel industry as it is a planned event which is one of the recent
trend of bringing people together and also incentives are provided to people on the basis of their
rewards so that their targets could be met as they are considered as the centred approach towards
the audience. This type of meetings could be recurring or one-time meeting in a year as it
provides outing to the subordinates of the company and encourage and motivates them. This
report is related to World Association Travel Agency which is developed in the year 1973 as the
main goal is to create awareness of such travel company by organising an event or conferences at
a worldwide scale. An event is conducted for three days that create an awareness among the
foreigners to visit and gain an insight knowledge related to new and advanced technology and
also it focuses more on green campaigns. This report includes several contemporary issues which
is interrelated to MICE and a selected destination so as to conduct an overall conference. This
also covers marketing plan and budget plus a three days schedule on which activities are likely to
take place. This report includes SWOT and PESTLE analysis which assist the firm to determine
both positive and negative aspects of a business as it must combat all threats and make best use
of opportunities. At last, involve various recommendations that certain improvements to be made
so as to make a bright future ahead as it ensures a greater success.
LITERATURE REVIEW
According to Séraphin and Nolan, (2018), Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and
Exhibitions (MICE) sector is a sub industry in hospitality which is engaged in activities of
managing and organising the meeting and conferences for business organisations. With the
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increased industrialisation and understanding of business strategies, the business turnover of
MICE sector has been enhanced. The market of MICE sector is a niche market which is
specialised in planning and organising conferences, seminars, exhibitions and more. Considering
the current scenario, every business is making efforts to make their activities green and
sustainable. In order to align this thought of being sustainable with the events of businesses, it is
important for MICE sector to organise green and sustainable events which lay low carbon
footprint on environment. There are several reasons to conduct conference meetings as it assists
the firm to generate maximum sales and accelerate the profitability and help in creating a strong
brand awareness of a company. The conference is organised for international audience as it is for
the purpose of attracting travelling agencies and persuade them to focus on environmental
aspects of a business. Conference travel involve exchange of information and ideas among the
group of people which emphasise on conducting meetings and itineraries and many more. The
last term is exhibition that focus on presentation or display of merchandise or services among the
audience in a unique and different manner so as to grab the attention of users from different parts
of the country.
From the point of views of Liu and Lei, (2020), when an organisation or event planner
operating in MICE sector, make efforts to implement green activities in their functions, there are
various issues which they face and these issues are known as contemporary or green issues. It is
important for an organisation to manage and control such issues in order to effectively operate in
a competitive and dynamic market. Business organisations, nowadays has various dedications in
regards to be sustainable and engage in green activities due to which they expect to be a part of
such meetings and conferences which are green as well. This situation can be an opportunity for
organisations operating in MICE sector to attract clients by promising them contemporary and
green event but going green is not easy as it includes various issues which are faced while
implementing green operational strategies. Liu and Lei, (2020), stated that there can be two types
of green issues which can be faced by MICE sector. The first type of issues are the problems
which are faced while going green and the second type of issues are the environmental issues
such as pollution and global warming. Both of these issues are related to MICE sector as these
issues are faced by the organisers and the MICE organisation which organise meetings or
conferences.
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As per the opinion of Kitamura and et.al (2020), it has been observed that cost incurred in
sustainable activities are much higher which acts as a green issue for MICE sector. Every
organisation demands sustainable events and green exhibitions from MICE organisers but only
few of them agree to pay more which causes issues for MICRO sector. Sustainable activities
include eliminating the use of plastic, saving energy and more but all such activities can only be
done when alternatives of plastic and cheap energy are used, which usually are expensive.
Kitamura further added in their piece of writing that another green issue in relation of MICE
sector which is faced by MICR organisers while going green is managing waste. Over the years,
the industry of MICE has resulted into a major impact on environment as the social events results
in tons of waste. MICE organisers face the issue of sustainably managing waste as alternatives
such as composting or zero waste program requires high cost and skills which stress the activities
of organisers.
Considering above literature, it has been seen that there are various issues in relation to
MICE sector that are faced while going green. Contrasting to such literature, there are few
existing green issues as well which are reviewed from the article of Roig, Weiss and Thireau,
(2018). According to the opinions of Roig, Weiss and Thireau, (2018), there are various green
issues which are faced in contemporary business environment. The most influenced green issue
in relation to MICE sector is pollution. When an event organiser organises a meeting in foreign
state, then transportation of all the members of the meeting in undertaken. This transportation
mixes harmful fumes in air and results into air pollution. This pollution degrades the quality of
air and later impacts the health of people who breathes in that air. Along with air pollution, there
are other green issues as well which includes water pollution, deforestation, waste management,
resource depletion and others. Lack of consciousness towards environment would possess a big
that for the company as it results in affecting the image of a company in a negative manner. The
firm is not using its resources in an optimum manner and also this create an ecological imbalance
of nature and decline the sustainability over a long term. In relation to this, these not only affect
conservative forest and environmental aspects but also the meetings or conferences which are
organised at a global market.
According to Boggia and et.al., (2018), deforestation is a procedure in which
industrialisation and other businesses gradually cut off the forests over time and results into the
situation of deforestation. This green issue of deforestation is related to MICE sector as when an
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organiser organises meetings or conference, accommodation and venues are booked. These
venues are large hotels and conference halls which are developed by cutting off the forests so it
can be said that in order to fulfil the demand of MICE sector, the forests are compromised to
provide appropriate supply. Another green issue in relation to MICE sector is water pollution.
Events such as exhibitions, conferences or meetings involves high use of plastic which is usually
used in plastic water bottles, packaging and more. These plastic materials are then dumped into
water due to ineffective waste management due to which issue of water pollution is faced. This
create toxic rivers and result in death of animals as they consume plastics and other waste that is
poured into it. Another green issue identified by this author is resource depletion. When an event
of meeting or conference is organised by MICE sector in a foreign state, then the resources of
that foreign state are used which results in depletion of resources in that state, these resources
can include energy, essential food materials and more. The talented and brilliant ideas of people
are not taken into consideration which decline the overall productivity in case of conducting such
conference of travelling agency. All these green issues are related to MICE sector as they are
faced by organisations engaged in MICE industries. It is safe to say that due to green issues, not
only the businesses in MICE sector are suffered but the environment as a whole is also being
impacted. Moreover, improper planning of funds and its improper utilisation would create
negative circumstances and lag behind them.
By the literature review of above authors, it has been seen that it is difficult for an
organisation to implement green activities and strategies in their organisation as these activities
are expensive and requires special skills to be implemented. Furthermore, people from different
culture and places would visit on such exhibition so they would be provided with several choices
of food and beverages which increases the budget of a respective firm and also the staff are not
trained well enough so that they could handle multi task in a most appropriate manner as this
create confusion among them and thus hamper the growth of a firm. On the other hand, a critical
evaluation point has been gained that even if an organisation is implementing green activities
while managing meeting and conferences, then also there are various green issues such as
pollution, waste management and others that are faced by the MICE sector. In addition to this,
another challenge that is being faced by the company is upgradation problem and lack of
technical awareness would result in producing negative consequences. Lack of uniqueness and
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creativeness in an event would create boredom among their clients and thus lack interest among
them which in turn affect the overall operations of a company.
EVENT PLANNING
Reason for choosing destination and venue to be ideal
It has been decided that the conference would be help in London as it is one of the visited
places by foreigners which has vibrant culture. Being one of the developed nations, this is more
popular for diversity that emphasise on providing advanced innovations and also it has iconic
buildings and had greenness in all around that provide a peaceful environment among tourist.
This place is most convenient for World Association of Travel agencies for conducting
conference and meetings and also it has great infrastructural facilities over a marketplace.
London follow the emerging pattern and meet the current market requirements by using
sophisticated technologies and fashion trends which meet the requirements guests and also the
people here are supporting and cooperative in nature which depict a best picture of the company
(Agustino, 2015).
The venue which is considered as a huge stadium would be more suitable as there would
large number of gathering which provide easy facility of seating arrangements and pleasant
atmosphere would create a harmonious environment among them. The total number of guests
who would encompass from different regions would be approximately 250. Although the
meeting would be help for three continuous days and several activities are going to take place by
the senior excecutive. There would be different kinds of people such as stakeholders, influencers,
representatives who are going to attend this event (Francisco, Olfindo and Tiongson, 2017). The
stadium is such a big place and has vast parking facilities which render an ease of convenience
among their clients across the globe. The respective place provides an accommodation facility
for their guest to stay as it provide an easy access to reach airports as well as railways.
Recommendations
The management is advised to keep different varieties of cuisines for foreigners as they
are conscious of quality as they are multicultural in nature. They always prefer different varieties
of food offerings and the most popular dish of London which help in meeting their requirements
as it create a positive impression. The caterings would emphasise on providing fast delivery of
food to their guests in accordance of their requirements which generate greater satisfaction of
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customers. They serve snacks and drinks in between them so that they could concentrate on their
core activities rather than moving to and fro searching for food. Taking care of catering services
is one of the essential responsibilities of organiser of an event as it helps in satisfying the needs
and requirements of tourist. The location where event is to be organised is in the centre of the
city which provide easy routes of transportation facilities but at the same time cost such as
lodging and transportation are not covered in it. The firm has to incur additional expenditure on
catering services as it has to keep several kinds of cuisines and deserts which create a excellent
impression in front of their guest.
Furthermore, the top management of concerned firm should discuss all such details with
their team members and other executive direction by making an efficient planning regarding the
venue and food services and other necessary details. In addition to this, they have to be prepared
and render best facilities and arrangements to attract clients from varied regions. The three days
booking of rental property would be very high so if possible, negotiation should be provided by
the senior executive. Other facilities such as Wi Fi services and IT/AV amenities must be
provided as there is great requirement of these facilities and it aids in simplifying the overall
working procedures and thus facilitate smooth conduct of a business in a most efficient and
convenient manner (Hoque, 2016). Moreover, proper electricity facilities and other necessary
services must be provided to them so that guest would not face any kind of hurdle in between the
programmes otherwise this would lead to dissatisfaction and congestion among them.
Proposed budget
A budget involves the total expenses incurred in conducting the activities of an
organisation for a particular period of time which can be a day or year or a month. A budget may
consist of revenue and capital expenditure which involve preparation of cash flow statements and
balance sheet which help in depicting the financial status of a company as if it has more assets
than liabilities then it reflects a sound financial plan of a company. In relation to respective firm,
there would be total £250 delegated and the total amount is £62,500 of which flights and
accommodation are excluded from this amount. The finance manager would forecast the
financial planning before such conference is to be help as they make to make proper strategy and
consider every sort of expenses incurred in it (Huang, 2016). There are several other
miscellaneous expenses invest on it such as tables and chairs, mics and speakers, internet
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facilities, LED, food services and a lot more. They also provide several other amenities like
background music, decoration, attractive lightings and other marketing campaigns.
The top manager has to make sure that enough funds is available to the companies so that
they could conduct their activities in a most appropriate manner. In addition to this, budgets are
so helpful for a business as it helps in proper allocation of resources as it helps in proper
evaluation of activities so that desired standards could be met and avoids duplication of
resources. The firm also make sure that that could make optimum utilisation of funds by
spending it judiciously so that objective could be met in a short span of time. This help in
facilitating proper coordination and would like to check the overall progress of the conference
held. In the context of World Association of Travel agencies, the budget is presented as follows:
PARTICULARS Amount (£)
Team building activity 12500
Leisure activity 7000
Food services 18000
Parking facilities 25000
Total 62500
Marketing Plan
It is a document in writing which provide the company with several tactics and measure
so that targets could be met on a proper period of time. It consists of several actions that outline
the overall marketing strategy and it is considered as the core foundation of a business. This
involve several measures of attracting the targeted audience as the main emphasise of a
concerned firm is to promote green campaign which help in achieving sustainable development
in a long run (Mureșan and Nistoreanu, 2017). With reference to world association travel
agencies, the marketing plan is elaborated below:
Executive Summary
A marketing plan is most important for a firm as it assist in facilitating proper
decisions that focus on meeting the desired objectives of the company and provide a way to
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review the overall performance by comparing actual performance with standards. With reference
to this firm, the main motive of a firm is to raise the awareness about green technology so as to
generate positive image of a company.
Objectives
 To encourage new and advanced ideas and use eco friendly measures and
collection of data regarding the upcoming trends in a marketplace.
 To focus on the use of green technology which create an awareness towards
environmental aspects and this improve the overall performance of the company.
 To use great communication skills so that it could easily grab the attention of
guest.
Marketing mix
 Product: The vehicle use in such conference are of CNG as it is eco friendly and does not
consist of fuel. There is no harmful gas emitted by using such vehicles which provide
sustainability to the company.
 Price: The vehicles use renewable source of energy and the operate with batteries which
involve huge cost and are more likely to increase demand in future. They do not contain
noise and run smoothly as it provides greater value to travel agencies and save cost in
fuel.
 Place: It could be easily available to any retailers due to the reason the demand would be
greater that provide more convenience to travel agencies.
 Promotion: The concerned firm would use online platforms such as social media sites,
hoarding and newspapers to create awareness of the product in a respective market.
 Process: They involve a systematic procedure which would consider placing an order and
then delivered it to the travel agencies.
 People: This involve subordinates who would provide necessary information regarding
the merchandise to their clients.
 Physical evidence: The product would be available at a retailing stores which is physical
evidence for a firm.
Strategy
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Segmentation: This involve the process of dividing the consumers on the basis of
homogenous characteristics so the firm promote an innovative idea of bringing smart vehicles
and analyse the attitude and behaviour of their guest (Ghosh, 2020).
Targeting: This includes the particular section of customers so in this, the firm would
target premium customers by gaining their attention. This aids in accelerating the sales and profit
margins.
Positioning: This strategy assists the respective fir to achieve a prominent position by
offering excellent quality of merchandise and use various channel of distribution such as online
platforms, television and newspaper so as to attract their prospective clients.
Evaluation
Monitoring and reviewing is considered as the final stage of management as they make
sure that there is proper execution of activities in a predetermined manner (Misener and Molloy,
2018). They judge the overall accuracy of standards and take immediate corrective actions if it
found any deviations. The manager should light the proper working of operations and set a
deadline for each target.
Tentative schedule
A schedule is prepared which provide all necessary details regarding the activities to be
taken place as conference would help the guest in meeting their requirements. It is a three-day
event in which people from different places would come to attend such event as the overall
schedule is prescribed as follows:
Day 1
The manager of respective firm would conduct an inaugural ceremony for the first day as
it provides snacks among their guest. The foreigners would interact with each other and an open
discussion would be conducted. In a modern era, people are fascinated towards an advanced
technology that could render advanced ideas and attract the audience towards it as they would
gather more and more information regarding it. Volunteers are also assigned at every corner so
that they could help their guest which boost their confidence level.
Day 2
There would be leisure activities and entertainment and fun amongst their guest so that
they could not be bored and get participate in such activities. A hoster is going to host the event
who entertain their guest by playing games and asking them silly questions as these make their
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guest refreshing and thus create a peaceful environment for them (Pope, 2019). As there would
be more younger generations so they enjoy activities by indulging themselves in it.
Day 3
The third consecutive day would involve the sessions such as guest would share their
experiences and various articles by the senior executive and other influential speakers. There
would a formal dinner and entertainment activities going on and casino would be played. The
manager makes sure that utmost care must be provided to their guest as they must not feel
discomfort. They would communicate affluently with their guest so as to maintain strong
distribution of network which create a healthy environment.
Internal and external analysis
SWOT analysis
Strength: The respective firm has strong brand name which help in gaining maximum
number of customers and would maximise the effectiveness of a company (Raj, Walters and
Rashid, 2017).
Weakness: One of the weakness that could be faced by people is that they live in
different place so it become difficult for them to attend such conference.
Opportunities: Green technology and its promotion through online platforms would
create awareness of such campaign which provide an opportunity to a firm to grow at an
international level.
Threats: There is changes in weather conditions which possess a threat for the firm as it
would lead to spoilage of resources incurred in it.
PESTLE
Political: In London, there is great political stability which allows the concern firm to
operate its operation in a smooth manner without any interference of government (Van den Berg,
Braun, and Van Der Meer, 2018).
Economic: The several economic aspects such as inflation rate, monetary and fiscal
policies and other elements such as corruption is stable which provide an opportunity to
concerned firm to follow proper hierarchy and systematic procedure in a company (Reic, 2016).
Social: This involve the study of population such as level of income, change in
demographics, age, lifestyle and many more. The population is multi-cultural and diverse in
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