Why MICE tourism is “hot” in 2022

This is a blog by Trove Associate Olivia Silverman-Franklin.

MICE tourism and business travel have seemed to be synonymous with one another, but they are two sectors that have different purposes. While business travel is focused on purpose-driven company related travel, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) Tourism is still unfamiliar to many. So, what is MICE Tourism, and why is it so relevant?

MICE tourism allows for professional and personal exchanges in non-traditional settings - that incentive trip focused on rewarding a group for a job well done, or that large-scale congress at a trade center. These can provide the necessary tools organizations need for their events and workshops to scale new initiatives and get new business development and partnerships done. The planning can apply to all industries looking to connect a wide range of people on a large scale in a short amount of time to achieve a purpose related to that industry. It is vital to have a clear brand to a destination that will accommodate and be easily accessible for people from all corners of the globe.

According to a report, the MICE tourism industry will bring revenue in upwards of $1.5 billion globally by 2025. MICE has presented itself as very beneficial for several reasons. The destination can achieve positive exposure and increase foot traffic, generate increased revenue for the destination, and boost a company (or group of companies)’s employee productivity. How can we ensure that the host destination and the organizations are both equally benefiting from MICE? 

Here are some of the challenges Trove has identified:

• Developing a unique brand or brand value for a destination looking to bring in more MICE opportunities

• Utilizing tools to analyze markets and predict demand ahead of time

• Cross prompting in-person and virtual events. COVID has shed light on this issue.

• Attracting customers in key market segments to attend MICE events

• Developing competitiveness of a MICE destination versus other destinations that compete for foot traffic

• Setting up guidelines for MICE events

• Estimating return on investment for events

Danny Cohanpour, CEO of Trove Tourism Development Advisors, stated in Trove’s Turning Buzz into Bookings MICE report, “Too often B2B destinations, convention bureaus, and tourism authorities forget about the importance of organic and paid digital growth. Critical to building a future-proof MICE brand is developing targeted content and creating a digital brand identity.” We work on rapid projects for visitor bureaus, convents centers, and tourism authorities to create more stable visitor growth. Here’s the Trove strategy:

1. Using sentiment and social listening tools. 

2. Predicting the market using analysis.

3. Developing a comprehensive digital marketing strategy.

4. Creating strategic digital MICE promotions

5. Achieving Key Insights and analytics with a real-time dashboard.

We’ve assisted in numerous MICE promotion projects for convention bureaus, convention centers, visitor bureaus & tourism boards, and destination management companies. MICE tourism is growing exponentially, and organizations are looking for the most suitable destinations to host their incentives and events as the pandemic winds down. Our team at Trove can assist your destination by curating your individuality to seize ample opportunity in this area of the tourism industry.

If you are a destination looking to increase its MICE bookings through concrete brand and marketing differentiation, connect with us today.