Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and

Enriching Knowledge for the SS Tourism and Hospitality Studies Series:

Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and

Exhibitions (M.I.C.E.)

Table of content

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The MICE Business

Sectors Involved in MICE Business

MICE Planning

Future

Development

The MICE Business

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MICE

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M = Meetings

(Corporate) I = Incentives

C = Conventions E = Exhibitions

MICE

Meeting

• For sharing information, solving problems and discussion

• no exhibit component to this event

• Generally serve food and beverages

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Incentive

• A management tool to reward and motivate sales representatives, dealers, distributors, production workers, support staff

• Most incentive travel is planned by travel agents

• Strong emphasis on lavish fun, unique and exclusive experiences &

team-building activities

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Factors behind Incentive Travel Decisions

▷

Incentive budget economy

How strong is the economy in the country in which the sponsoring group is headquartered?

▷

Buying power

Strength of the exchange rate in the countries being considered as the destination for the trip

▷

Political climate

Travel alert for destinations with political turmoil

Factors behind Incentive Travel Decisions

▷

Safety and Security

Terrorist alert levels after the 911 incident

▷

Value

How do facilities and services compare with other choices of destination

▷

Uniqueness of experience

Takes into consideration whether these participants have experienced

this type of trip before

Incentive Travel - PX Mart Incentive Tour 2018

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PX Mart, one of Taiwan’s largest grocery chains, celebrated their 20^th anniversary in 2018 and sought a trip with a destination that provides the best connectivity and the best “Wow” factors to reward their 1,500 top performers. Groups

departed from cities across Taiwan, arrived in Hong Kong the same day via seven direct flights and began a five-day land-and-sea all-inclusive incentive trip from 24 – 28 October that simply set to impress.

https://mehongkong.com/default/eng/meetings-incentives/success-stories/PX-Mart-Incentive-Tour-2018.html

• Discuss, exchange opinions, and share information on the same topics or products.

• Generally held by a specific organization, association, or government authority

• Can be organized into three levels: International, Regional, National

• A large-scale international conference could make the destination attractive and famous

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Conventions

(Congresses / Conferences)

Conventions

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Example - Conventions

RISE Conference

RISE, one of Asia’s biggest technology events, returned to Hong Kong from 11–13 July 2017. More than 15,000

attendees from over 100 countries gathered at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre for the three-day event that saw a 45% increase in attendance over 2016. Since the first RISE conference, MEHK has worked closely with the event organiser to ensure smooth event-planning, with everything from venue and accommodation recommendations to

arranging a dedicated immigration counter and lining up in- town experiences.

• Organized to show new products, services, and information to people who have an interest in them e.g. potential customers & buyers

• The destination of the exhibition remains unchanged generally, and will be held regularly

• sellers can provide the latest product and service information to the potential customer and enhance sales volume

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Exhibitions

Types of exhibitions

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Exhibitions

Combined / Mixed Shows (B2B

/ B2C)

Trade Fairs / Trade Shows

(B2B) Consumer

Fairs / Consumer Shows (B2C)

Hong Kong

International Wine &

Spirits Fair

Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition)

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Examples - Exhibitions

Hong Kong Book Fair Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair Hong Kong International Jewelry Show

Hong Kong Wedding Fair Eugene Baby Expo

Booth types

Minimum 9sqm

Space with white system panels & blue carpet Fascia board with company name & booth no.

1 lockable cabinet (750mmH) 2 spotlights (23W)

2 leather chairs

1 waste paper basket Frontage Surcharge:

2-side open + 5%; 3-side open + 7.5%; 4-side open + 10%

Additional Space in multiple of 3sqm and will provide:

1 extra spot light (23W) 1 extra leather chair

Booth types

•Space with white system panels & blue carpet

•Fascia board with company name & booth no.

•1 information counter with lockable cabinet (1000mmH)

•2 spotlights (23W)

•2 leather chairs

•1 bar stool

•1 round table

•1 3-pin plug(500W)

•1 waste paper basket Frontage Surcharge:

•2-side open + 5%; 3-side open + 7.5%; 4-side open + 10%

Additional Space in multiple of 3sqm and will provide:

•1 extra spot light (23W)

•1 extra leather chair

Booth types

•Space with white system panels & blue carpet

•Fascia board with company name & booth no.

•1 information counter with lockable cabinet (1000mmH)

•2 spotlights (23W)

•2 leather chairs

•1 bar stool

•1 round table

•1 3-pin plug(500W)

•1 waste paper basket Frontage Surcharge:

•2-side open + 5%; 3-side open + 7.5%; 4-side open + 10%

Additional Space in multiple of 3sqm and will provide:

•1 extra spot light (23W)

•1 extra leather chair

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Exhibitions - JMA Hong Kong International Jewelry Show

Organized by Hong Kong Jewelry Manufacturers' Association (HKJMA), the JMA Show provides quality and well-worthwhile sourcing platform, which will definitely bring a unique shopping experience to all jewelry-lovers.

https://www.jewelryshows.org/download/forExhibitors/Sales_Brochure_2022.pdf

https://www.jewelryshows.org/en/visitor/home.php

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2021 Floor Plan - JMA Hong Kong International

Jewelry Show

Upcoming

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Examples of major conferences, awards &

exhibitions in HK

https://mehongkong.com/eng/past-upcoming-events.html

MICE’s Value

• High spending power

• Stable market source

• Large amount of participants

• Promote the development of indirect industries

• Enhance the image of host city

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1.97 million

Overnight MICE arrivals

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Over HK$8,200

Per capita spending of MICE visitors

50% Mainland, 50% international markets

A balanced mix

(HKTB, 2019)

Hong Kong bags four first-ever MICE events amidst COVID-19

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https://www.traveldailymedia.com/hong-kong-bags-four-first-ever-mice-events-amidst-covid-19/

Sep 9, 2020

The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) announced that Hong Kong has been recently chosen as the host city for four international MICE events, including the city’s first-ever events of high strategic values, and two repeated events amidst the COVID-19 challenges. These business events are expected to bring in about 10,000 high-yield visitors in total and deliver great economic contribution to the city and drive multi-sector development.

Dr YK Pang, chairman of the HKTB, said: “It is encouraging to see major events to be held in our city for the very first time, such as the International Airline Transport Association (IATA) World Cargo Symposium, Asia Sports Technology Conference and the Congress of the Asian Society of Transplantation (CAST) 2023. It demonstrates international event organisers’ confidence in Hong Kong as a strategic, safe and hygienic destination for high- profile business events. ”

ITE Hong Kong 2022 Rescheduled to August – Better Timing for Tourism Recovery

For examples, highlight Green, Outdoor and Glamping (Glamorous Camping), theme restaurant and shop etc.

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https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ite-hong-kong-2022-rescheduled-065200606.html

The next ITE incorporates the 36th ITE (Leisure) and the 17th MICE Travel Expo will be held from 18-21 August 2022, instead of June due to the 5th COVID-19 wave, at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Organized by TKS, ITE is strongly

supported by Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China with Hong Kong Tourism Board etc. as supporters.

Occupied 5000 SQM of space, it drew over 100 exhibitors with two third from outside, 2544 trade and 27106 public visitors. Though smaller, the hybrid and multi-national ITE-2021 boost confidence and its successful practices and more will be adopted in ITE-2022.

Sectors Involved in MICE Business

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Sector Involved – Hotel

• Hotels are the main suppliers of MICE and are the main beneficiaries as well.

• Business travellers who attend MICE events spend over 65% of their money on hotels for rooms and hotel dining while 15% is spent on other restaurants outside the hotel.

Roles of Hotel

• Inclusive residential conferences and meetings

• Facilities for associated receptions, banquets and support events

• Accommodation and meals

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Sector Involved – Hotel

Venue Facilities

• The facilities in a hotel vary in size and set-up,

ranging from a small meeting room for 10 people to a large theatre for thousands.

• Different types of facilities can be suitable for the different functions of a MICE event.

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Sector Involved – Hotel

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Accommodation

• When providing accommodation for business travellers to stay during the MICE event, the hotel needs to provide the following services for the delegates or attendees, the

business travellers who attend the MICE event; and

entourage, persons who travel with the delegates, usually the spouse, children, personal assistants, secretaries etc.

Sector Involved – Hotel

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Accommodation

1. When delegates and their entourages stay in the same hotel where the convention activities are held:

• Large hotels can take advantage by housing all related activities (in the case of a convention), including all accommodation and food and beverage

services

2. When delegates and their entourages stay in other hotels where the

convention activities are not held, the hotel or convention/exhibition centre which holds the convention activities should:

• Provide a range of facilities, such as transportation

• The hotels and main event venue must keep in close contact

Sector Involved – Hotel

Food and Beverage

• Other than supplying meals such as breakfasts, lunches, afternoon teas and dinner banquets for

different sessions included in a MICE event programme, and hotels also need to provide

delegates and entourages with food and beverages through its restaurants, cafes and coffee shops, as well as through room service.

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Facilities on Information Technology

• To facilitate a smooth running of the event, hotels install the most advanced technology, such as

 registration networking

 attendee e-mail kiosks

 attendee messaging centre

 office and press room communications centres

 speaker Internet access for presentations

 live Web conferencing for sessions

Sector Involved – Hotel

Benefit to Hotel

MICE activities contribute the following to the hotel sector:

□ MICE accounts for up to 65% of total sales in major hotels

□ MICE attendees tend to use other services of the hotels, such as restaurants

□ Spouses and entourages bring in additional business

□ MICE events allow a hotel to forecast advance bookings and can help fill gaps during low seasons

□ MICE customers have an excellent chance of becoming repeat guests

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Sector Involved – Transportation

• Transportation management covers routing, vehicle use, staff requirements, maps, signage and preparation.

• The cost of transportation will also have an impact on the number of attendees.

• For incentive trips, transportation management is crucial, as most trips will involve large group travel.

• Group air tickets and ground coach bus tickets are also frequently used.

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Sector Involved – Transportation

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International

• Major international

transportation methods, such as flights, cruise ships and trains are commonly used by MICE travellers.

• For MICE events that involve international

attendees, transportation plays a major role in

determining the success of an event.

Local

• Once the travellers arrive at the airport, they can be connected via the local transport system. This includes transportation from:

• airport to hotel

• hotel to MICE event venues

• hotel to different attractions

• hotel to central business district

Cities offering different vehicles of public transportation enhance the travel experience. Local public transports include:

• Water – ferries

• Land – limousines, taxis, buses, shuttle buses, trains, trams, cable cars

Sector Involved – Attractions

• For incentive travels, visiting local attractions

might even be the objective of the trip. The MICE attendees are also good potential future visitors to these attractions.

• An official travel agent will usually be contracted to organize the post-event tour. This travel agent also takes care of the travel arrangements of the attendees, if necessary, by providing a local guide.

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MICE Planning

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Planning Process Components

Planning Process Components

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2 3

4 5

6 7

8 9

1 What to achieve?

Organization’s mission and objectives.

Which types of activity namely meeting, incentive,

convention or exhibition best works for the organization?

Conduct feasibility study.

Who to ask for direction？

Identify stakeholders / hierarchical organizational structure Identify those deciding factors?

Conduct external and internal analysis

Identify the risk factors as well as the challenges?

Look for opportunities and threats.

Is it ready to move forward with the plan?

Select appropriate strategy and operational plan.

Who is/ are in charge?

Take up the roles and responsibilities.

Ensure doing the right thing?

Adhere to the control system.

How to do it better next time?

Evaluation and feedback are collected to enhance the planning process.

Event Operations Event Planning

Event Evaluation

Phase I: Planning

The planning starts with setting objectives. Objectives must be SMART:

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SMART

Specific focus on goal and purposes, in other words, what are the outcomes

Measurable express in a way that it is quantifiable, in other words, how much or how many

Agreeable agreed by all stakeholders

Realistic ensure the needed resources must be available to achieve the objectives including human resources, financial

resources, etc

Time specific ensure all the working stages must be completed within a particular time frame

Phase I: Planning

Develop an event project

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 Identify the members of the organizing committee

 Determine the date and venue (RFP)

 Determine conference theme and logo

 Engage a professional conference service contractor or event planner

 Invite and confirm subcommittee members

 Develop a work plan - such as a Critical Path Method or flow chart

 Develop budget (set registration fees)

 Open a bank account

 Set up meeting website and email account

 Print meeting stationery - letterhead and envelopes

Issuance of

RFP

Phase II: Preparation Stage

1. Program subcommittee 2. Social subcommittee

3. Registration and hotel and tour booking team 4. Publicity subcommittee

5. Sponsorship subcommittee 6. Printing and production team

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The responsibility of program subcommittee:

□ Set up programme schedule

□ Nominate guest of honour and speakers / call for paper

□ Follow-up speakers with bios, photos and/or abstracts

□ Fix the program rundown

□ Ensure following the protocol

□ Ensure security

□ Invitation to VIPs

□ Confirm venue setup, decoration and A/V requirements (on stage/off stage)

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The responsibility of social subcommittee:

□ Set up the type/nature/quantity of social programs

□ Confirm date/time/venue

□ Decide on the program rundown

□ Invite guest of honour

□ Confirm venue set-up, decoration and A/V requirements (on stage/off stage)

□ Confirm food and beverage plan Menu (Chinese or Western)

Drink package (wine, beer, juice, soft drinks)

Special meal requirements (no beef/pork, vegetarian etc.)

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The responsibility of registration and hotel and tour booking team:

□ Prepare registration forms (on-line/hard copy)

□ Set up registration database

□ Identify and reserve hotels

□ Set up optional tour program for:

• Accompanying persons during the conference

• Pre/post-congress tour

□ Send confirmations to delegates as registrations arrive

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The responsibility of publicity subcommittee:

□ Keep contact with individual and past conference delegates

□ Keep contact with professional associations

□ Use Event Marketing

• Promote own event in similar events

• Media

• Sales Promotions

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The responsibility of sponsorship subcommittee:

□ Prepare a sponsorship and exhibition prospectus

□ Appoint official contractors for exhibition floor plan and booth set-up

□ Identify and recruit potential sponsors and exhibitors

□ Send technical and instruction manuals to confirmed exhibitors

□ Monitor all terms and conditions stated in the sponsorship contract

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The responsibility of printing and production team:

To prepare the following materials

□ Registration brochures □ Invitation cards

□ Conference proceedings □ Conference program

□ Delegates' list □ Badge

□ Name plates □ Conference satchels

□ Pens and pads □ Tickets

□ Souvenirs - guests of honour, speakers, delegates

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Phase III: End of Conference

• Send a related thank-you letter with a photo

• Settle all payments

• Create a balance report

• Create a final report with statistics and recommendations

• Confirm all matters

• Timeline: Within 2 months after the conference ends

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Thank You