Top Mice Industry Trends in 2020

Feb 12 / Edwin Bekoe

MICE tourism is one of the economy propellers in the hospitality industry and it is been premeditated by the end of 2019, that the current year is going to be a lucrative one for the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events) industry. CWT Meetings @ Events gives a vital insight into the technological revolution and the way to engage your attendees this calendar year.

MICE industry provides a lot of opportunities for business hotels to improve their revenue. As the holiday season has come to end, it is the time for all the professionals to come together for their business and the hospitality sector have an increased opportunity to get benefitted by the MICE events. According to the news from 2020 future trends, there is an expectation of 8% growth in the MICE industry, despite all the alleged economic doom.

Here are some of the important trends from AP LBC experts that will be a reckoning force for the hoteliers in the MICE industry this year

Special customisation

Customisation is not only an important factor in the leisure and traditional travel industry but also for the MICE industry. Though the sole purpose of the MICE is purely based on business, conferences and meetings, those gentle folks don’t resent some special services that are designed uniquely for them.

It is usually acknowledged by the hoteliers that business people travelling for business events are fairly random. MICE tourists greatly appreciate the special services designed for them by the service providers. To arouse the curiosity of the participants, the service providers must cater to their needs in the form of stay, food, activities etc.

It is estimated that 80% of MICE tourists like unique services specially customised for them. By giving business travellers some extra attention, quality of well-being is achieved and is an essential revenue yielding technique for your hotel on effective implementation.

Sustainability

Sustainability in MICE industry standards does not just mean in minimising the use of plastic, but coming with more sustainable solutions that help in the green revolution. Global hotel brands such as Accor Hotels, Marriot and Hilton International are employing these strategies and setting targets for environmental sustainability.

Sustainability is one of the growing trends that will be a factor to consider and reckon in 2020. According to a UNEP report, the emissions of greenhouse gases should be reduced by 6.7% between 2020 and 2030. The International Tourism Partnership had insisted that for the aligning of the hotel industry with the Paris Climate Agreement it must reduce the greenhouse emissions per room by 90% by 2050.

If your hotel practices genuinely sustainable solutions, there is a high chance you will attract the interest and delight of the guests and clients.

To inculcate Eco-friendly habits, in your hotel

Use the services of local suppliers for sourcing local ingredients.
Use environmentally-friendly transportation like electronic scooters, cycles and solar buses.
Use environmentally-friendly transportation like electronic scooters, cycles and solar buses.

An insight into Bleisure

Bleisure is an old trend that seems to get updated with each passing year. Bleisure is the amalgamation of business and leisure. Blending the elements of leisure to the MICE event is an unparallel art to increase the comfort of the MICE tourists and make it more memorable for them.

Companies usually consider bleisure for the benefits of their traveller’s mental health, but 60% of the organisation usually do not have a wellness programme.

So, it becomes important for MICE hotels to use this trend for better use, as the recent data reveals that 50% of young business travellers more often book their vacation around a business trip. This, in turn, creates a huge and a welcome opportunity for the MICE hotels to convert these short-term business trip into a long-term bleisure vacation.

This can be incorporated by

Introducing local cuisine in your hotel as it gives the travellers an authentic experience of the region
Give them a good space devoid of hustle and bustle
Provide excellent services
Allotting a well-being zone for the guests to relax in between the sessions.
Providing a group activity like meditation, brain games and flash sessions is also a good idea.
Let there be tech-free and tranquil places in your hotel

Provide authentic experience

Authenticity is one of the important rising trends and mainstream that is to be watched out for this year. It is essential to incorporate the local elements of the region in the form of native local tours, food and culture. In this way, the guests have an insight into the local heritage and also it does promote the unique traits of the particular destination.

The Chedi Lustica Bay in Montenegro offers an excellent authentic experience, by arranging unique excursions to the small nearby villages of Rose and Zanjic, giving the true experience of the Old-Montenegrin life. The mountains and hills surrounding the Chedi allow the guests to explore the wild exciting terrain on a mountain bike. You will be given a true taste of the authentic Montenegrin food, while at the evenings you will have the opportunity to enjoy the hot and flavoursome Mediterranean tea.

The fear of Brexit

Brexit has also played a significant role in the MICE industry and because of its cancellations are on the rise in Europe and the estimated lead times are significantly dropping. Though the value of the British Pound is significantly dropping, London has still retained the most favoured MICE destination for the business people.

Many “secondary cities” such as Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Edinburgh are on the rise due to the cheaper price options. In France, Nice settles in as another option when comes for a meeting destination and so is Amsterdam in the Netherlands as it provides some of the excellent hotels for meetings, as it is seeing a major uplift of US flights.

There are more meeting taking place than the space available, so the event managers must make use of what they have while meeting the ever-increasing demands of the delegates in terms of technology and experience.

Add technology in your arsenal

The coming of 5G is one of the technological trends to watch out in the coming years, so it is time for the MICE hotels to scurry up and add this trend. 5G offers 100 times high-speed compared to the current 4G, which is currently used in most of the hotels.

The addition of 5G also enables lots of live streaming from the spot, which will be much cheaper and faster than ever before. With the installation of 5G, the dependence on the local venue’s WIFI will also significantly drop.

According to the 2020 meetings and future trends, it is predicted that the increased number of online influencers combined with the ultra-speed modern 5G technology, certain event planners will plan an event for 1000 guests rather than 10000, but ensuring that those who are invited can capture or broadcast the event to their audience.

The four hotel groups of Accor, Hilton, IHG and Marriot International have invested US$50million in Groups360, an online platform which is specialised for simple conferences. This enables in simple and seamless room booking experience.

Engage with the content sessions

When an event is planned, the event organisers need to take on more feedback from the delegates. Linear meeting has now become outdated and currently, it is more about mass personalisation. Client choices are gradually increasing when it comes to travel options such as choosing a different airline, extra stay, activities etc.

To create more choices for the business travellers MICE professionals and event organisers need to consider and add some creative options such as poolside morning meetings, fireside chats, sharing business plan during a hike or a country-side walk. These type of small-sized “content sessions” can inspire and engage the business minds.

Based on the team experience of AP LBC, we have listed some of the current trends that will be a reckoning force in 2020. These tips from our AP LBC sales experts will help you in converting leads to your hotel. We hope that these MICE trends will bring new opportunities for independent hotels this year.