HMPC 7/TMPC 6 –

Introduction to Meetings,
Incentives, Conferences
and Events Management

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PRESIDENT RAMON MAGSAYSAY STATE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
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Introduction To Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events ManagementTMPC 6/HMPC7

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 INTRODUCTION TO MEETINGS, INCENTIVES,
CONFERENCES AND EVENTS MANAGEMENT

 
Chapter 4

MICE Planning

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 Chapter 4
MICE Planning

Introduction

The sponsor of a meeting, convention, or exhibition is the group responsible for the
event. It can be an association, corporation, trade union, independent company, religious
group, theater and arts group, and social organization. These organizations sponsor meetings,
conventions, and exhibitions for varied reasons. Some of these reasons are to generate
revenue, educate or train members, network, and solve problems. The sponsor is responsible
for the event concept. Included in the conceptualization phase is determining that a need exists
for the meeting. Once the need has been verified and the concept established, the sponsor will
then proceed to plan the program. Usually, the sponsors hire a MICE planner to plan,
organize, and execute the event.
The process of MICE planning starts before the date of the meeting. The following are
the different steps involved: establishing the goals and objectives; targeting the population;
designing the program; creating a budget; selecting a site; hiring sub-contractors; negotiation
and contracts; formulating committees; establishing a marketing and promotional plan; and
designing food and beverage functions.

Specific Objectives
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
1. Describe the role of the MICE sponsor
2. Discuss the different steps in planning MICE
3. Explain the importance of goals and objectives in planning MICE
4. Differentiate fixed expenses with variable expenses
5. Discuss the factors to be considered in order to successfully market MICE.

Duration
Chapter 4: MICE Planning [6 Hours]

4.1 SPONSORS OF MICE

Sponsors of MICE can be:

1. Associations
2. Corporations
3. Trade unions
4. Independent companies who sponsor and operate trade shows
5. Religious groups
6. Theater and art groups
7. Social organizations

These organizations have varied reasons for sponsoring MICE. In the case of
corporations, meetings may be designed to disseminate information, solve problems, train
people, or plan for the future. Associations may sponsor meetings and exhibitions for
purposes of networking, educating members, solving problems, or generating revenue.

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 Sponsors are responsible for determining whether or not there is a valid need for the
meeting. After justifying the need for holding the meeting, the sponsor must decide how to
plan the meeting. Planning is often assigned to individuals who have little knowledge on how
to plan, organize, and execute meetings. Thus, it is not surprising that meetings are poorly
organized, and the participants become disappointed. To avoid this problem, many
sponsoring organizations hire individuals who have formal training in MICE management.

In the case of exhibitions, sponsors either take the role of the exhibition manager or
find someone to fill the position. Exhibition managers can be employees of an association or
a show management company or they can be private entrepreneurs who perform tasks such as
the conceptualization and development of trade shows.
https://all.accor.com/loyalty-program/earn/
meetingplanner/index.en.shtml

4.2 THE PROCESS OF MICE PLANNING

There are several steps to be followed in the process of MICE planning. These are the
following:

1. Establishing goals and objectives

2. Targeting the population
3. Designing the program
4. Creating a budget
5. Selecting a site
6. Negotiating contracts
7. Formulating committees
8. Establishing a marketing and promotion plan
9. Hiring sub-contractors
10. Designing food and beverage functions

The process continues on-site during the actual event. Activities include move-in/ move-out,
implementing the plan, coordinating the various participants in the event, and managing the
overall meeting. Post event activities include evaluation, feedback and planning for the
future.

Goals and Objectives

The goals and objectives of MICE should be established by the sponsor. One of the
first responsibilities of a MICE planner is to meet with the sponsor of the event in order to
know the reasons for holding the meeting. The MICE planner should understand whether the
sponsor of the meeting or convention is interested in providing an educational experience for
the attendees, entertaining the attendees and their families, boosting the morale of the
attendees, solving a specific problem, or a combination of these objectives. MICE objectives
should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timed (SMART).

Targeting the Population

After determining the goals and objectives, those involved in the planning stage of the
meeting, convention, and exhibition must determine who should attend.

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 In the case of exhibitions, the development of the exhibitor list, as well as the target
audience, must be considered. The sponsoring organization must attract exhibitors to their
exhibition. To do this, the sponsor should convince exhibitors that the show will provide an
excellent marketing opportunity for them. The sponsoring organization should provide the
exhibitor with a prospectus outlining the proposed audience, thus, allowing the exhibitor to
determine whether or not the attendees are their targeted audience. Targeting the population
is very important to both meetings and exhibitions.

Designing the Program

The program design is the structuring, balancing, and pacing of the program by
combining major topics and sub-topics, passive and active sessions, and serious and fun
presentations to provide professional and personal growth, and networking opportunities for
participants.
The program design should include the theme and the agenda of the meeting,
convention, and exhibition. In designing the theme for the meeting, convention, and
exhibition, planners should ensure that the theme should take into consideration the needs of
the audience, the objectives of the event, and should provide continuity.

Hospitality Programs/Spousal Programs

At present, conference attendees no longer use the conference as an excuse to get

away from their families. Now, they use the conference as an excuse to take a mini-vacation
with their families. The programs for guests of conference participants are called hospitality
programs or spousal programs. These programs are designed to entertain the guests of the
conference attendees. These programs usually have an extensive itinerary that keeps the
participants busy. Hospitality programs increase attendance at conferences. They also
Increase revenue for the host property because guests of attendees eat in the restaurant, shop
in the stores, and use other services offered by the host facility. For this reason, many host
properties include in their bid’s hospitality programs designed to entertain conference
attendees and their guests.
At present, the wants and desires of hospitality program participants are different
from those of past participants. The addition of children as hospitality Program participants
must be considered when planning hospitality programs.
In addition to the meeting planner and the association executives, the host property
should take an active role in the planning of a hospitality program.

Design of Hospitality Programs

The history of group must be reviewed carefully before planning a hospitality

program. The program evaluations from previous years should be analyzed to determine the
likes and dislikes of the group.
After the historical review, the meeting planner and the host property should survey
the participants to determine the likes and dislikes of the group. The survey will include the
following areas:
1. Hobbies
2. Sports they enjoy
3. Ages of the participants
4. Gender of the participants

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 A list of the local sites and attractions as well as the services provided by the hotel
should also be included. After reviewing the sites, attractions, and the host property services,
the participants should be surveyed to find out whether or not they are interested in any of the
suggested activities. After compiling this information, the meeting planner and the host
property can start planning a hospitality program.

In designing the program, meeting planners may use the services of destination
management companies who know the location of local sites and attractions as well as their
unique qualities. They are also familiar with all the local contacts and are able to work as a
liaison for the group in developing the hospitality program.

Tour companies may also provide services for the meeting planner, such as
transportation, planned tours, theme parties, airport greetings, and staffing for the hospitality
room. The host property can provide service by helping meeting planners contact local
businesses that service conventions, meetings, and exhibitions.

The design of the program will vary from group to group. The program will vary from
year to year. Some components that do not vary are the hospitality suite, planned social
activities, food and beverage activities, and free time.

The hospitality suite provides a space for the participants to meet new friends,
reacquaint themselves with new friends, meet for tours, ask questions, or just to relax. The
hospitality room should be located near the meeting rooms to provide easy access to the
attendees. The hospitality suites are staffed by a host property employee, a volunteer from the
community, or a member of the association's local chapter. The attendant should know the
itinerary in order to provide important information about the local community to the program
participants.

Planned social activities for hospitality programs include the following;

1. Tours
2. Plays
3. Concerts
4. Sporting events
5. Tournaments
6. Guest speakers
7. Shopping trips
8. Demonstrations
9. Cooking lessons
10. Craft activities
11. Movies

These activities are chosen based on the interest of the group as well as the budget for
the hospitality program. Programs are financed in various ways. Some groups pay for the
program out of registration fees. Others get corporate sponsorship. Another way is to have the
participants pay the costs. Social activities can also be financed by combining some of the
above options.

Food and beverage take several forms in a hospitality program. Some groups have a
continental breakfast, afternoon tea, evening cocktails, and late-night snacks all served in the

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 hospitality suite. Others may just provide soda and coffee. The degree of service depends on
the funding of the program.
Although a hospitality program should be structured, there should be free time built into the
program, free time enables the participants to relax, or visit friends. In addition, it enables the
attendees to fully enjoy their free time by having information already provided with regards
to major attractions, prices for the activities, and transportation options to and from activities.

Children's programs are another area that hospitality programs should consider.
Children's programs are designed to entertain the young guests of program participants.
These programs can be elaborate such as providing whole day activities in the form of day
camps or they can be simple such as a trip to the zoo. Programs can be designed to include
both parents and children or they can be designed to entertain children while their parents
attend their social functions. The inclusion of children's programs is becoming popular with
several groups. Individual or group babysitting is usually provided through the hospitality
program. If the hospitality program does not provide babysitting services, many host
properties offer babysitting services for a fee.

Once the program is developed, the itinerary must be marketed properly to ensure
adequate participation. This usually requires at least two mailings of the itinerary and
several brochures describing the events to the program participants. The host property should
make sure that a full-color brochure of their property and a detailed description of all their
amenities are included in the first mailing.

Marketing of the hospitality program must continue on-site as soon as the guests
arrive. This can be done through posters in the lobby, brochures, and itineraries being placed
in the registration packet and fliers strategically placed in the host property. If the host
property has a television information system that shows the conference agenda, the itinerary
of the hospitality program should be included in the daily calendar.

Servicing the participants require careful attention. The primary goal of the hospitality
program is to make the participants feel comfortable, well cared for, and anxious to return.

Budget

According to P.C. Dotson, a budget is an estimate of income and expenses and a plan
to adjust the anticipated expenses to the expected income. Overall budget figures are usually
provided by the sponsoring organization, but specific guidelines are normally obtained from
previous conferences, meetings, or exhibitions budgets.

A budget includes fixed expenses, variable expenses, and sources of revenue. Fixed
expenses are not dependent on the number of attendees. Examples of fixed expenses are
administrative fees, postage and printing, advertising and promotion, staff travel, speaker
fees, and contracts with certain suppliers such as audiovisual firms.

Variable expenses are those that fluctuate depending on the number of attendees.
Examples are food and beverage, hospitability programs, exhibition expenses, guest rooms,
gratuities, registration materials, printed materials such as programs, proceedings and hand-
outs, support personnel, and evaluation materials.

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 After determining the expenses, sources of revenue to support the activities must be
developed. Registration fees to support the activities must be developed. Registration fees are
the most constant source of income for conferences. Other sources of revenue are advertising,
educational material from the event, sponsorship, grants, company funding, and funding
provided by the sponsoring organization or company. It would be impossible to host a
meeting, convention, and exhibition without these sources.

Site Selection

The site selection process is a significant activity of the sponsoring organization. The
site is very important for the success of the event. Convenience and cost are very important
in site selection.

In site selection, the planner must first determine the aims of the meeting, convention,
and exhibition. A meeting plan of format is formulated based on the aims. Thus, a group
prospectus is made to help the MICE planner to know the physical requirements for the
meeting, convention, and exhibition.

The MICE planner should bring a checklist during the site selection. The Checklist
includes the following areas: sleeping rooms, meeting and exhibition space, transportation
(airport and ground), food and beverage, recreation (on site and local attractions), and
services.

The MICE planner should determine the following when he or she reviews the
sleeping rooms. These are the number of available rooms, types of rooms, quality of
furnishings, security of the rooms and corridors, accessibility for handicapped persons,
quality of lighting for reading and adequacy of work surfaces.

The following should be determined in reviewing the meeting rooms. These are the
number, shape, and size of rooms, quality of furnishings, lighting, accessibility of audiovisual
equipment, and suitability for exhibits, The following should be determined during the
inspection of accessibility limitations placed on move-in and move-out activities, utilities,
policies regarding storage, and exclusivity of sub-contractors.

Room Setup and Layout

In order to meet the requirements of clients, it is important that the venue has the
necessary amount of space and the proper type of space to service the conferences or
meetings. The capacity of meeting room space is affected by a number of factors such as the
number of attendees, the physical configuration of the room, as well as the audiovisual
requirements needed.

The following are the different kinds of room setups:

1. Theater or auditorium setup - it is the most functional seating arrangement especially

when the meeting involves a large group of participants. It involves placing chairs in
rows, either straight or in a semicircle. Chairs should be placed 4 to 6 inches apart, with
approximately 2 1/2 feet from the back of one chair to the front of the chair behind it.
This setup is suitable for lecture type meetings. The main advantage is it can

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 accommodate large groups of participants. The disadvantages are it is difficult for note-
taking and there is poor visibility from the back of the room
2. Schoolroom or classroom setup - it is conductive to participants taking notes, reading
materials, or working on projects. It is suitable for small lectures and workshops where
note-taking is required. Its advantages are it uses a large amount of space per person, and
it is good for note-taking. Its disadvantage is it has poor visibility from the back of the
room.
3. Hollow square, U-Shape, and the herringbone layout - these setups are suitable for
board meetings, management meetings, and small group discussion. The main advantage
is they encourage and interaction among participants. The disadvantages are they use a
large amount of space per person, and the use of audiovisuals may be difficult.
4. Banquet or round table layout - this layout is suitable for banquets, seminars, and round
table discussions. The advantages are it can be used when meetings break up into smaller
discussion groups without participants having to exchange rooms, and it can
accommodate food and beverage service comfortably. The disadvantages are it uses a
large amount of space per person, and the use of audiovisuals may be difficult.

Negotiations and Contracts

After the site selection, the negotiation of price and services will start. Negotiations
are held between the representative of the host property and the sponsoring organization.
Example of negotiable areas are sleeping rooms, function space, safety, security,
accessibility, food and beverage, renovation and construction, contingencies, restrictions and
cancellations.
A contract is written and signed after the negotiations have concluded. A contract is
legal document that explains the responsibilities of concerned parties.

Formulating Committees

The formulation of committees is essential in sponsoring a meeting, convention, or

exhibition. Each committee must have its own aims. If a professional association is the
sponsor of the conference, the association is authorized by its constitution to form a
committee that will plan, organize, and operate the conference. Each committee should have
a chairman.

Marketing and Promotion

The following should be determined in order to ensure a successful conference:

1. Know the number of break-even attendances

2. Establish a marketing plan
3. Establish a timetable
4. Carry out the program
5. Appraise the program

The first step in the marketing procedure is to know the break-even attendance. The
break-even attendance is the minimum number of attendees who have paid for the
conference. This is done to avoid' losing money. The minimum number of attendees must

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 generate enough revenue to pay for the expenses. To determine this number, the sponsors
must know their budget.

A marketing plan must be established after determining the break-even figures. A

marketing plan is a written record of the marketing activities of an organization with regard
to a particular meeting, convention, and exhibition. It consists of the aims of the marketing
and promotion of the conference, target market, and the marketing strategies to be used.
A timetable must be made after the marketing plan has been developed. According to
P.C. Watson, all significant information with regard to registration, transportation, housing,
seminars, etc. should be sent six to eight weeks before the meeting, convention, and
exhibitions.

Hiring Sub-contractors — Technical Transportation

Because a large part of its budget is allotted to transportation, there are two issues that
need to be considered. First, the planner should determine how to transport the participants to
the host city where the meeting is to be held. Second, the planner should determine how to
transport them from one place to another within the host city. The planner must also
determine how to transfer the exhibit materials, office supplies, and registration materials to
the exhibit site.

At present, majority of individuals who attend meetings, conventions, and exhibitions

either fly or drive. Participants who take the airplane should be able to travel from the airport
to the host facility in an efficient and safe manner. Attendees who drive should be given city
maps, hotel maps, and street signs that are detailed, accurate, and clear so that they will not
get lost. The MICE planner should examine ali possible means of transportation such as
airport shuttles, taxis, city buses, and car rentals.

A ground services operator may be contacted if the program design requires

transporting attendees from one facility to another during the conference. A ground services
operator is a company or person in a destination city that provides local transportation and
other travel needs. They transport attendees to special events that are held far from the host
city.

The MICE planner should give special care to attendees with special needs such as the
older attendees, those traveling with small children, and the handicapped attendees.

The MICE planner should also consider the service attitude of individuals who will be
interacting with the attendees.

During the site selection process, the MICE planner should examine the ability of the
host city and property to provide services and facilities for leisure time activities. According
to J. Conlin, golf, free time, tennis, and tours are the four main leisure activities which are
important for the success of MICE.

Food and Beverage Functions

The food and beverage functions must harmonize with the program design and budget
for the meeting, convention, and exhibition. The sponsor is responsible for the following:

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 1. Ascertain the number of food and beverage functions needed for the conference
2. Ascertain the kind of food and beverage functions needed for the conference
3. Guide on the cuisine
4. Determine the number of attendees
5. Establish a system for record-keeping

The sponsor must keep in mind the overall budget when he or she decides on the
number of food and beverage functions that will be included in a meeting, convention, and
exhibition.

After deciding on the number of food and beverage functions, the kind of function
should be determined. There are several ways of providing food and drink to the participants.
These are:
1. Breakfast
2. Lunch
3. Dinner
4. Refreshment breaks
5. Reception
6. Hospitality suites
7. Theme parties
8. Late-night suppers
9. Recreational activities

In choosing the cuisine for a meeting or convention, the MICE planner should know
the desires of the attendees. Although there is a trend toward lighter menu choices, there are
still some attendees who prefer heavier food planner, therefore, must know his or her group
and choose menus accordingly.

Once the MICE planner has determined the number, type, and cuisine for the food and
beverage functions, attendance figures must be established. Because food and beverage
functions are very expensive, the sponsoring organization and the MICE planner must give
special attention to the number of guarantees. According to C. Price, a guarantee is the
minimum number of meals to be served and will have to be paid for. Host properties
generally require 24 to 48 hours advanced minimum guaranteed number of attendees. This
allows both the planner and the host property to operate within a margin of safety.

The area to be considered in food and beverage is record-keeping. There are many
ways of ascertaining the number of people served at food and beverage functions. The most
common methods are head count, ticket count, plate count, and food consumed.

Food and beverage play a vital role in the overall success of the meeting, convention,
and exhibition. Hence, it is necessary that the MICE planner works closely with the food and
beverage department of the host facility to ensure that plans are accurately made, and that the
execution of these plans is efficiently done.

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 REFERENCES/ADDITIONAL RESOURCES/READINGS
Printed References:
Zenaida Lansangan-Cruz., Introduction to Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and
Events Management, Rex Book Store, Inc. 2020
Online References:
https://www.slideshare.net/tellstptrisakti/mice-planning
https://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/11648/1/Unit-5.pdf

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