MICE

Concept and meaning

In German-speaking countries, MICE is also referred to as the “conference industry” or “conference hotel industry.” At least before the pandemic, this area was one of the most profitable sectors in the hotel industry.

All MICE events bring a large number of people together. Not only subsequent visitors/guests, but also during preparation: from the logistics department to event management to suppliers and possibly travel agents and companies, many parties are involved in the planning.

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MICE guests are different from leisure tourists. They come to a specific event, have very specific ideas about it and often their own business depends on the course of the event. That is why guests in this area also have higher spending options.

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This offers the hotel upselling opportunities and also the opportunity to attract new upscale guests to their own hotel.

However, this area was hit particularly hard by the pandemic.

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Present and paths for the future

For a long time, face-to-face meetings were not possible — in none of the MICE areas. Only now, in spring 2022, is the industry starting to plan again.

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Previously, many events were moved to the Internet — this has secured some business for the companies involved in the short term, but it cannot save the entire industry by a long way.

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And this was and applies primarily to meetings and conferences. Exhibitions and trade fairs depend on visitors seeing and experiencing themselves offline.

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What will the future look like? No one can predict that with certainty. It is likely that some of the events will remain “online”, then you shouldn't ignore the fact that it means less spending for companies. It has also been shown that it works quite well in some areas and will probably result in many companies deciding to Business travel costs to save.

Another option — perhaps even a way out for large parts of the MICE industry — is hybrid events.

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Whatever the future may bring: For MICE, a strong reliance on technology is essential. Digitalization has made extreme progress here in the last two years and will continue to do so.

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Guests in the MICE sector are used to convenience and digital opportunities and therefore digitalization must support and help an entire industry regain a foothold.

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