TLH 219 MICE: MEETINGS,

INCENTIVES CONFERENCE
& EXHIBITIONS

Date of Submission: 16th February

Student Name: Jianu Andreea Valentina
Student Identification number: 179196135
I declare this is my own work.
Module Leader: Dr Nike Adebayo
 Contemporary issues in
relation to the MICE sector
- literature review and a professional rapport -
 Table of Contents

Part 1 : Literature review............................................................................................................2

Part 2 :Package Proposal............................................................................................................5
2.1 Rationale and background of the conference.......................................................................5
2.2 Conference objectives..........................................................................................................5
2.3 Justification for the venue and destination selection............................................................5
2.4 Operational analysis-............................................................................................................6
 2.4.1 Catering..................................................................................................... 6
 2.4.2 IT/AV........................................................................................................ 6
 2.4.3 Transport................................................................................................... 7
 2.4.4 Accommodation options........................................................................... 7
2.5 Proposed budget...................................................................................................................7
2.6 Conference promotion..........................................................................................................8
2.7 Conference schedule............................................................................................................ 8
2.8 Analyz.................................................................................................................................. 9
 2.8.1 Internal analysis........................................................................................ 9
 2.8.2 External analysis..................................................................................... 10
2.9 Recommendations..............................................................................................................11
Bibliography.............................................................................................................................12
Apendice.................................................................................................................................. 13
Part 1: Literature review
Due to the dynamism, the depth, and the demand for transformations in all sectors of life,
they imposed a hierarchy of the component branches in the attempt to harmonize with the
requirements and needs of modern society.
The tourism sector has undergone a series of changes under the impact of the
contemporary society and through its dynamic characteristic it manages to integrate the
global development process. It targets a large population and has the capacity to respond to
material and spiritual needs, reflected by an intensification of tourist traffic both
internationally and nationally, and this phenomenon is constantly growing.
Due to the globalization and the development suffered, its functions multiply continuously
and besides its economic function, which is also the most important function, it also has an
ecological, political, educational, and administrative function.
In this report we will make a presentation of the tourism sector by presenting some
definitions and presenting the position that the MICE industry holds in this dynamic sector.
So, there will be an analysis of the role that this new industry has in the current context, the
trends and impact that this industry has, as well as the impact of "grain" issues in relation to
this industry.

Business tourism is defined as a form of tourism that has commercial, educational, or

governmental purposes, and as a secondary purpose the purpose of agreement. This branch of
tourism is essentially one of the most dynamic components of the tourist activity, the
intensified connection between the economic and the international relations are clearly
highlighted by the increase of the number of requests regarding the business trips. This
sphere of tourism took shape in 1970 and became a dynamic sector, this development is very
clear both worldwide and for each country in which this sector appears. According to
statistics, 1 in 4 international trips are aimed at business tourism.

Business tourism can generally be characterized by travel to another locality at a distance

of more than 50 km from the tourist's place of origin, and the trip aims at an event, a
business, or an educational purpose.
According to Swarbrooke (2002) tourism is a field with the highest quality, it takes place
throughout the year in spaces specially designed and intended for this purpose but reaches
maximum levels in spring and autumn. Most investments for infrastructure are made
especially for business tourism because it has the role of providing a multitude of benefits
that classic tourists and the population of that city can use. This time of tourism has fewer
negative effects on the environment as opposed to the other branches.
Carroll (1991) argues that a corporate society is responsible for the ethical, economic,
legal expectations that society has of a particular organization at a given time, and it presents
a division of CSR consisting of four categories: economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary or
philanthropic.
From the perspective of Carroll CRS is an ideal model that a company can use when it
produces services and goods that have been demanded by society, clearly contributes to
philanthropic captivity, the profit is in accordance with the law and acts ethically.
The dimension that underlies this pyramid proposed by Carol is the size of philanthropic
actions and represents the factors that underlie society's desire. Donations from humanitarian
causes, community programs, event sponsorships, etc. (Carroll, 1991)
 People who choose to travel for business and have enjoyed the services offered will also
use the destination for personal purposes.
Business tourism is represented by the new M.I.C.E logo, which includes forms of events
such as: symposia, trainings, seminars, team building, conferences, large-scale fairs,
congresses, etc.
Research suggests that about 40% of business tourists return with their families to the
same destinations, but this time they return for personal travel, and business tourism has
fewer negative consequences for the environment than traditional tourism. (Swarbrooke,
2002)
This branch of tourism is represented by the totality of events in this industry that aim to
travel in business interest:
 M - business meetings
 I - travel and incentive programs
 C- conventions, congresses, conferences
 E- exhibitions
The MICE industry contributes significantly to the host destinations in the tourism
industry, and this is achieved by the fact that this industry has managed to inspire economic
and cultural growth, community rebirth and consolidation, creating a unique destination
brand.
The sustainability in the MICE sector is based on the connection between residents,
traders and all parties belonging to this industry share similar identities and objectives.
Almost every day in different locations around the world or place a multitude of events that
generate a great impact on the environment, and for this reason the organization of events is
sought to be as 'green' as possible, this contributes to the sustainability of the environment.
(Bratt, 2001)

Obtaining a motivation in terms of supporting the sustainability of the environment is

closely related to the common connection of the common objectives and the common identity
that they share and help to sport an efficient consumption activity.
There are certain measures that can be easily applied by MICE industry organizers such
as:
- the three Rs: recycle, reduce and reuse
- reducing water and energy consumption
- sustainable mobility and its encouragement
- avoiding noise and light pollution
- the use of organic products and foods even from local producers
- protecting ecosystems and adopting ecological tourism

These listed factors are the most important in the event tourism industry making it
sustainable. Currently, the topic of sustainability in the MICE industry is quite integrated by
the presence of numerous operators in this field who adhere to and choose ecological
certification systems.
According to a study conducted by TripAdvisor in 2013 states that 85% of hotels in the
US have implemented 'green' practices, and 91% of tourism structures go on the idea that a
good functioning of the field they are part of is represented by the close connection they
have. they have with the environment with the help of 'green' strategies. (Hughes, 1994)
Respectively 73% of a sample of 120 multinational corporations in Europe and the USA
identified as main priority "integration of sustainability in their corporate strategy" following
the survey conducted by the Conference Board in 2013 and they found that out of 120
multinationals in Europe as well as the respective USA 73% of the sample implemented as a
priority strategy the integration of sustainability. (Christoff ,1996)
Providing technological equipment, it is also one of the obligations that event organizers
have in addition to booking hotels and all the other facilities that businesspeople or customers
must receive, which is the professionalism of the organization. Lack of proper internet
allocation would lead to an inconvenience because nowadays both for clients traveling for
business but also for those traveling for leisure need to ensure a very good connection during
accommodation or while attending events.
Currently, incentive travel is a strategy by which organizations motivate their employees
and a more productive way to manage staff, all of which manage to significantly increase the
productivity of companies.

The trends of the M.I.C.E industry at present are:

 Indoor activities - people who are part of the event tourism industry want the duration
of the event to be shorter but with a high impact and a well-defined purpose of this
activity.
 technology - nowadays it has become a very important factor in the development of
this branch of tourism. And people in the field of event tourism are increasingly using
technology in events (applications, online maps, tablets, projectors, smartphones,
virtual assistants, video cameras, etc. The most important role of this trend is that any
event, congress, the conference, etc. can be transmitted in real time directly from the
organizers on platforms specifically designed for these purposes and the trainers,
participants can use the information.
 Gamification involves the use of game-specific techniques in certain non-game
contexts.
Gamification is used by training and teambuilding companies to motivate participants,
but also to create healthy competitions between teams. Any type of business can use
gamification, obviously adapted to the specific requirements, and needs of each one.
 Hybrid events represent face-to-face reunions in small groups, but all this reunion is
transmitted in as large a number as possible to the audience using digital platforms.
All these trends are perfectly folded at the moment because society must deal with the
COVID-19 pandemic, the whole society is deeply affected by this pandemic but obviously
the economic sector, tourism and largely that of events has the most to suffer.
This negative impact occurs because this pandemic involves individual isolation and many
countries have banned travel for limited periods.
In conclusion, this tourism sector is in a continuous adaptation in order to transpose
activities that take place face to face in the online environment and to be able to evolve
further and I would bring the economic contribution further.

Part 2: Package Proposal

2.1 Rationale and background of the conference

This conference is offered by the World Association of Travel Agencies (WATA) which
is an organization made up of travel agents from around the world offering global personal
services in the field of tourism and hospitality.

The conference organized by us represents therefore the moment and the opportunity in
which the agents of the different branches from all over the world meet in a well-organized
environment and will have the opportunity to share their impressions and opinions about the
topics presented during this event. The event will take place at the Willbrook Platinum
Business & Convention.

2.2 Conference objectives

 Satisfying the needs and offering an equal and convenient treatment to all the people
who will participate in this conference.
 Conducting a conference as green as possible

2.3 Justification for the venue and destination selection

Willbrook Platinum Business & Convention Centre was chosen to hold the conference for
WATA agents because this location received LEED certification - Green Building
(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - Excellence in Ecological and Energy
Design) for high standards of construction quality, sustainability, and energy efficiency.
(https://willbrookplatinum.ro)

(Source: https://willbrookplatinum.ro/)

The centre is designed as a community space, which brings together all the facilities that a
company and its employees need: high-quality office space, which provides a pleasant and
healthy work environment, conference rooms for all types of events, from conferences, to
exhibitions, restaurant with 400 seats, shops, gym. The centre has a direct connection with the
Free Press Square via two bus lines. The connection with Henri Coandă International Airport
is made by two express lines, and the transport of the employees from the two buildings can
be provided daily, round trip, to Charles de Gaulle Square. (https://willbrookplatinum.ro)

(Source: https://willbrookplatinum.ro/ )
2.4 Operational analysis-
2.4.1 Catering
In terms of catering services, they must be chosen appropriately because they are essential
in the organization of the convention and the provision for three days of food and soft drink
for the 250 delegates. Being a big event, the choice of the catering company must be chosen
with great care because we are talking about a moderately large event.

The location where the conference will take place also has a restaurant and this will reduce
transportation costs, participants will be able to scan a QR code and we will have at our
disposal the special menu prepared for them.

2.4.2 IT/AV
IT / AV utilities are an important factor that ensures a good development of M I C E. The
presence of an IT team during the event is very important because a good deployment and
avoidance of technical failures depends a lot on this.

The expenses allocated for this event are GBP 17,000 and this budget has been allocated
both for the guest assistance team and for the one that offers IT assistance. This highlights the
quality of services provided for the organization of the conference for the world association
of travel agencies.

The team of experts employed for this event will ensure that there will be no technical
defects will not exist or will be resolved in a short time and efficiently.

2.4.3 Transport
Ensuring the flights to participate in this conference is not part of the responsibilities of
the organizations, each participant will take care of this. But the organizer ensures the
transport for the second day of the conference which represents the leisure trip.

The option we chose is a green one out of the desire to pollute as little as possible, it will
be made available to participants double-decker coaches, especially since the weather in
Romania during spring is perfect for such elections. A budget of 1,500 pounds will be
allocated for this day, but at this price the participants will benefit from an audio guide in
English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, having even a perfect application for their
personal smartphone just by scanning a QR code displayed in the bus.

2.4.4 Accommodation options

The location where the conference will take place does not have an accommodation
service, but the participants will receive a list of recommendations or can choose for
themselves from the variety of hotels in the Romanian capital.

We will present a location that is close to the place where the event will take place. It is
about the green house boarding house in Bucharest, which is located right in the Baneasa
forest, and very close to the Henri Coanda International Airport. this is our option that falls as
far as possible to respect both our desire and those of WATA to choose a type of green
accommodation as it is this place. Through this choice, the participants can enjoy a place full
of greenery, quiet, away from traffic and city noise, and the fact that it is quite close to the
location of the event will avoid the use of several means of transport.

(source: https://www.booking.com/)

2.5 Proposed budget

The budget presented is an estimate and its role is to ensure that the objectives and
expectations of this event can be achieved successfully.

Activities Expenses

Catering £7,500
IT/AV £15,000
Stationary £1,500
Transport £2,000
Marketing £2,500
Leisure trip £27,000
Venue £7,000
Total budget £62,500

Table 1: Budget proposed

Carol (1991) claims that if the budgets are allocated properly for the activities and
everything that is needed in organizing this event, offering its feasibility and in this way, it
can be seen if the budget is not exceeded.

For the development of this event, WATA provided 250 pounds for each of the 250
participants in this event, and this budget was carefully calculated and divided to ensure that
participants will not encounter any inconvenience in the three days.
2.6 Conference promotion
Organizing a conference is a very important thing for its success. In addition to the
effective organization of the conference, it needs an efficient promotion so that the target
population finds out all the necessary information about this event.
A well-chosen and efficient promotion results in attracting as many participants as
possible.
Our target audience for this conference is existing clients, government officials, international
audiences, key stakeholders, and people from commercial and academic research
establishments.
For this conference we opted for the initial email method, then we chose the promotion
with the help of social networks that currently have a great power to make known an event
and last but not least the use of television and print advertising.

2.7 Conference schedule

The program of a conference must be created in a concise and clear way, this process
being an essential thing because in this way the participants in the conference will be
informed about the central theme of the conference and the activities carried out within it.
Because WATA is an agency that represents a diversity of agencies around the world, our
goal is to provide these agents with an interactive and dynamic program over the three days.
Starting from this premise, I made the following boards.

Activities
Day 1  Introduction
 Event about networking
 Team building activities – ‘How to make an
event more sustainable?’
Day 2  Presentation
 Leisure activity – Bucharest Tour
Day 3  Guest Speakers
 Formal dinner

Table 2: Conference Program

2.8 Analyse
2.8.1 Internal analysis
Using this analysis for conference planning gives us an x-ray of the situation and the
location chosen for its development. This analysis is an important technique used in
organizing an event because it helps to have a good understanding of the strategic position
that we must use in organizing the event such as:
  provides a picture of the internal values and critical points that underlie the
organization of this event.

 identifying external forces that will help us achieve the success of this conference.

Therefore, with this internal analysis we as event organizers get a clear view of the
conference planning stage, this having a defining role in establishing the stages we will go
through to obtain the performance of this event.

SWOT analysis

Strengths Weaknesses
 The chosen location received the  The organization is non-profit and
LEED Green Building certification because of this there is no definitive
for their high standards of source in terms of budget.
construction quality, sustainability,  The low number of staff and most
and energy efficiency. importantly the small number of
 Hiring IT / AV specialists who will permanent staff.
guarantee the success of the  The conference takes place in
conference from the point of view of Romania and this country is at the
the technical parts of the conference. beginning of the road in terms of the
 Expertise in the field of MICE MICE industry.
organization and hosting of the
organizer.
 Knowledge of the market and the
brand represented.
 Owning a large and diversified
number of customers around the
world
Opportunities Threats
 The conference takes place in  Restrictions caused by Brexit and
Romania and this country being less the consequences it may have given
known for the MICE industry may that the WATA organization is
arouse more interest in participating represented worldwide.
in the invitations to a conference in a  The covid-19 pandemic that has
new place. lasted for more than a year and has a
 The power of the MICE industry huge impact on the global economy.
over the economy and the labour
force
MICE industry in the period 20202-
2024 envisages growth of 38, 45
billion USD

Table 3: SWOT Analysis

2.8.2 External analysis
Because WATA is a non-profit organization it has a substantial global coverage. There are
currently two factors that present a moment of uncertainty in the MICE industry, respectively
the Brexit situation and the COVID-19 pandemic that affects the economy of the countries
that are currently affecting the world, currently imposing a lot of restrictions for an indefinite
period. For this reason, the organization of this conference needs an external PESTEL
analysis and the implementation of security measures for the participants.
However, the WATA organization currently enjoys a dedicated and diversified workforce
being composed of representatives of each country, this being the most significant factor of
the organization in obtaining a success for organizing the event that will take place in the
spring in Romania.

PESTEL Analysis
Political
• Romania's integration into the EU represented an opening of the market, the support of new
investments and even the attraction of international companies in opening new offices here
• Romania's political instability and the political problems it faces have a negative impact on
the MICE industry
Economic
• The chosen country is a country in economic development
• The labour force is relatively cheap, this being an important condition in the development of
the business field.
• Globalization has had the impact of opening new opportunities in terms of the number of
clients or potential clients.
• There is a 5.4% increase in the contribution of tourism to GDP IN 2019 AND an increase of
3.8% is expected in 2024, respectively of 50.8 billion lei.
Social
• Emigration of citizens to other countries where they can find a better paid job
Technological
• Romania's accession to the European Union facilitates access to a variety of programs that
support the investments in technology that this country can benefit from.
Environmental
• Following the accession to the European Union, Romania benefits from an important
support in order to implement projects with the role of improving the quality of the
environment and living standards.

Legal

• Legislative Romania pays great attention to sustainability by adopting laws aimed at this
such as:
• the provisions of Law no. 314/2009 regarding the approval of an annual Marketing and
Promotion Program as well as of an Annual Program for the development of tourist products
within which are included actions that have in view sustainable development of tourism
• And in 2004 the Ministry of Transport, Construction and Tourism produced the guide
“Romania's ecotourism strategy”, which is a first step in order to achieve a future strategy.
In conclusion, with the help of this analysis of external factors and their impact on the
feasibility of the WATA organization and the conference in which it participates in the
spring, highlights the fact that Romania's chosen location is a strong start in the MICE
industry and this together with political instability in this country can be an obstacle to
achieving performance at the conference.
but the ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) statistical report for 2017
shows that out of the 70 events, a good part of them took place in Bucharest (respectively 39
out of 70 events), this classifying the capital on the 33rd place top cities in Europe as event
organizers.

2.9 Recommendations

The most important recommendations offered by WATA for supporting such an event in a
country like Romania seem to be at the moment a country with a great potential of the
MICCE industry.
The fact that Romania benefits from a fairly developed airport infrastructure is something
that must be taken into account in organizing this event because it is an important thing of the
conference, this is beneficial for participants who will come from different countries and air
transport will not present an impediment for them.

In order to organize the event, it is recommended a good information on the benefits

coming from this election, the realization of the plan according to the legislation of the
respective country and the attempt to choose the greenest options that it can offer. In addition
to complying with safety and eco-tourism legislation, it is recommended that participants
receive a brief summary of the chosen country in an attempt to eliminate any problems.

The main purpose of organizing the conference was to choose and plan an environment to
ensure that participants will be treated appropriately and that this conference is interactive,
emphasizing communication between participants and discussing issues. on the role that
sustainability has on MICE industry.

Currently Romania is a perfect destination that combines business and events with leisure
tourism. This is confirmed by the study conducted by CWT which claims that in recent years
there has been a positive increase in the mix between leisure and business travel and the fact
that 83% use their free time after the end of the business meeting, in order to explore the city
chosen as a destination, in proportion of 46% add extra days to the business trip for the
purpose of the agreement trip trying to gain local knowledge, to try the local gastronomy, to
visit the tourist destinations in that area. (https://www.mycwt.com)

Even if from a political point of view Romania is at a standstill, in recent years it has
managed to be more and more known in this industry even as a favourable destination for the
MICE industry in Europe.

A large part of the hotel's turnover is supported by the MICE industry, and the appearance
of famous brands such as Hilton Garden inn, grand Hotel du boulevard, Moxy, courtyard,
Radisson Blu, Intercontinental, Marriott all these international brands are found in the
destination capital. chosen by us for the conference. But Romania enjoys the openness to
famous hotel brands throughout the country.
Bibliography:

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strategic sustainability perspective. Journal of Cleaner Production, 19(14), pp. 1631-
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 Carroll A. B., (1991), The Pyramid of Corporate Social Responsibility: Toward the
Moral Management of Organizational Stakeholders, Business Horizons
 Christoff, P., 1996. Ecological citizens and ecologically guided democracy. In: B.
Doherty and M. de Geus, eds., 1996. Democracy and Green Political Thought.
Sustainability, Rights and Citizenship. London: Routledge, pp. 151-169.
 Han, H. et. al., 2011. Are lodging customers ready to go green? An examination of
attitudes, demographics, and eco-friendly intentions. International Journal of
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American Hotel & Motel Association, East Lansing, 1994
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Heinemamms, London, 2002, p.5
 Green Hotels Association., 2011. Why should hotels be green? Available at:
http://greenhotels.com [Accessed at:10.02.2021].

 Willbrook Platinum Premium Business Destination., 2021. Available at:

https://willbrookplatinum.ro/ [ Accessed at :25.01.2021]
 wata-dmc.net (2020). LOOKING FOR A TRUSTED DMC? WATA IS YOUR
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 Available at: https://www.wata-dmc.net [Accessed on: 17/01/2021]
Appendices:
Apendice1:Willbrook Platinum building Bucharest

Apendice 2 : Conference room at Willbrook Platinum building Bucharest

Apenendice 3: A view from ‘Pensiunea Casa Verde’ Bucharest