CSM 11

EVENT
MANAGEMENT

COMPILED BY MA. PAULA E. BALBONA

PART-TIME INSTRUCTOR, CM
 INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1
TO MICE INDUSTRY For classroom use only.
Do not reproduce.

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
At the end of this unit, the student must be able to:
1.Understand how MICE relates to the tourism and hospitality industry;
2.Understand the meaning of each sector of MICE;
3.Understand the difference between meetings and conventions/conferences;
and
4.Understand the role of MICE Management in the tourism industry.

MEETING INCENTIVES, CONFERENCES AND EVENTS

MANAGEMENT (MICE)
Generally, MICE events are activities that involve attendees who share a
common interest and gather in a place. The place for the gathering should be a
venue arranged beforehand. The venue will provide space and facilities
necessary to satisfy the needs of those who attend the gathering.

MICE industry is one of the most important sectors of tourism, which brings a
big amount of income and creates a positive image of the destination. We can
further explain the gatherings by their different formats:

M = MEETINGS (CORPORATE)
A meeting is the coming together of a group of people to discuss or exchange
information. In some regions, meetings may be seen as a small-scale conference
by others.

Purposes, Goals and Objectives of Corporate Meetings

As companies are more focused on the efficiency, competitiveness, and

profitability, it has become important for businesses to look at their numbers
and ensure that their time, resources and employees are put to good use. One of
the greatest possibilities is to analyze how business meetings are conducted.
Corporate meetings are inevitable as some are required by law; while some are
held for other purposes including press conferences, product launches and new
business plan announcements. They aim at discussing feedback and receiving
feedback on the spot. The information of prior importance is given during
meetings. They are a true means of conveying feelings and expressions.
Meetings involve people of the company. Meetings, thus, encourage
participation and motivate them. Participants in a meeting, if given a
responsibility, turn out to be more productive and contribute to organizational
success.

The purposes of holding meetings are:

To reach a common decision/agreement;
To solve a problem;
To understand a situation, exchange ideas and experiences;
To inform, explain and exchange ideas;
To give and to get feedback on new ideas;
To give training;
To plan and prepare for action;
To resolve differences and misunderstandings;
To generate enthusiasm and seek cooperation;
To review past performance and evaluate it; and
To create a feeling of continuity and solidarity in a body’s working

TYPES OF CORPORATE MEETINGS

Most of the time, meetings refer to corporate, meetings which are held by
companies in the following ways:

Board meetings – meetings of the board of directors of a corporation are

usually held annually. Typically held to discuss company-wide policies or
concerns at certain times of the year. The overall strategic plan of the
corporation is decided by the board of directors, and the directors are either
chosen by shareholders or by members of the organization. These kinds of
meetings are important because they are a way for the people in charge to
identify and address the company’s path.
Management meetings – the managers from different regions of a corporation
meet when necessary to make decisions for the corporation. This is the
opportunity to buy time for non-performance and times where each
management member juggles by speaking through their noses and side mouths
to reinforce their grip on the company jugular. Management meetings are
opportunities for the management team to brainstorm on key issues relating to
the business and arrive at concrete solutions.

Shareholder meetings – investors who own a share in a company meet

quarterly. Shareholder’s meetings means a meeting of a stockholders of the
corporation wherein resolution are placed before the shareholders to discuss
about the corporate matter and other matters required by the bylaws of the
company (such as company’s performance over the relevant statutory period is
reviewed and approved, Board of Directors (BOD) of the company appointed,
decisions regarding increase in share capital, major acquisitions, mergers are
taken, etc.) and may be conducted at frequent intervals.

Meetings with partners, suppliers and clients – A gathering to discuss business

deals, usually held with little prior notice. The meeting with suppliers is an
opportunity to exchange information and ask questions about the procedures
for contracting and contract management. The event aims at strengthening the
engagement with suppliers, so that they are involved with the management and
sustainability practices which are in the hires and acquisitions.

Strategic planning – Managers meeting with employees to discuss the future of

the company. Strategic planning is an activity of executive management that is
used to set targets, concentrate attention and money, improve programs, ensure
that personnel and other partners collaborate for shared goals, agree on
expected result/results, and review and change the course of the organization in
response to a changing climate.
I = INCENTIVES
Incentive travels include leisure trips emphasizing pleasure and excitement and
which may appear to have a little or no connection to business. Those that meet
the relevant criteria are then rewarded by taking part in the incentive travel trip
(sometimes referred to as the “award”). These are usually group trips with a set
itinerary where all those qualifying take part in the same program of events and
activities, however individual incentive trips are also used by some companies.

These are trips planned as a professional reward, often for performance or

loyalty to the sponsoring company. Incentive travel doesn't usually have a
business or explicit educational component but instead is more of a non-
business vacation with the aim of continued motivation for performance.

Incentives are travel rewards a company may provide in return for excellent
professional performance from individual employees, groups or partners. It is a
management tool for sales managers, suppliers, vendors, manufacturing
personnel, support staff, and, in some cases, consumers, to be rewarded and
motivated. A few days in a resort, hotel or popular hospitality venue at your
company's expense does wonders for employee loyalty.

The company rewards sales representatives who reach sales targets by sending
them on trips. Usually, the incentive trip comes with hotel stays, tour packages
and planned activities such as dinners, parties and games. Basically, incentive
travel does not have any business-related activity.

Incentive travel is an important subset of MICE industry. It is effectively a travel

perk used to incentivize or motivate employees or partners. It is often tied to
company goals or top performers.

HOW DO INCENTIVE TRAVEL PROGRAMS WORK?

Incentive travel has been used by high-performing companies as an efficient
management tool for decades, but the policy remains widely overlooked and
there is not much diversity in how it is applied. Although there is no single
standard for the implementation of incentive travel programs, the general
concept includes workers fulfilling a pre-defined goal of applying for a group
trip.
DURATION
The vacation usually lasts from three to seven days and combines team-building
events, opportunities for professional networking and free personal time to
enjoy the destination.

EXPENSES
The company funds the majority, if not all, of the expenses. The getaway may be
offered to all employees, specific departments, channel partners or VIP Clients.
Some incentive trips include the employees only while others extend invitations
to spouses or children. An in-house or outsourced corporate event planner is
responsible for planning the logistics.

FACTORS BEHIND INCENTIVE TRAVEL DECISIONS

Buying power – strength of the exchange rate in the countries being considered
as the destination for the trip.

Intensive budget economy – how strong the economy in the country in which
the sponsoring group is headquartered?

Political climate – travel alert for destinations with political turmoil.

Safety and security – terrorist levels after the 9/11 incident.

Uniqueness of experience – Takes into consideration whether these

participants have experienced this type of trip before.

Value – How do facilities and services compare with other choices or

destination.
C = CONVENTIONS (CONGRESS, CONFERENCES)
Conventions is an event where the primary activity of the attendees is to attend
educational sessions, participants in meetings/discussions, socialize, or attend
other organized events. There is a secondary exhibit component.

VENUES
There are three types of venues:

1.Conference centers are facilities specifically built to offer an atmosphere for

people who meet to exchange ideas with ease and comfort.
2.Convention centers, on the other hand, are facilities for meeting and
expositions without sleeping rooms.
3.Hotels are facilities that provide sleeping rooms, meeting spaces and function
rooms, food and beverage and other amenities and can provide up to certain
level of service for conferences, as its core driver is room sales, not meeting
spaces.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BEST CONFERENCE

VENUES
The feature of the best conference or meeting rooms are as follows:
Spacious: The venue must be big enough to comfortably accommodate a
large number of guests and attendees, as many corporate events are
attended by a huge number of people.
Location: The hotel must be advantageously located in or near the heart of
the city and the conference venue must be well connected to the airport,
railway stations, etc.
Ambience: The venue must offer a chic and professional ambience, with
impeccable service and elegant décor, in order to impress the visitors and
attendees.
Facilities: A good conference venue must offer state of the art amenities
such as adequate lighting, ventilation, 100% power back-up, space for
exhibits, lounge areas and outdoor space.
Technology: The conference venue or meeting room must meet the technical
business needs of most industries. It should provide a audio-visual
equipment, WI-FI, computers, etc.
Service: Excellent, friendly service and catering facilities are also important
factors that the best conference venues must take care of.
E = EVENTS/EXHIBITIONS
Exhibition are activities organized to show new products, services and
information to people who have an interest in them, such as potential customers
or buyers.

PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES OF EXHIBITION

Exhibitions are one of the most effective mediums for establishing and
maintaining customer relations. In an increasingly digital age, exhibitions are
often the only events where buyer and seller physically come together – a
potent force for business.

Exhibitions can also perform 7 main roles:

1.Buying
2.Selling
3.New product information
4.Media coverage
5.Gaining competitive intelligence
6.Updating industry developments and trends
7.Networking and problem solving

-End of Chapter 1-