An Introduction To
Events Management
Tourism School, Sichuan University
Lu Li
Aims and Objectives
• 1. To grasp the basic concepts and theory of convention and
exhibition industry, understand development of MICE industry;
• 2. To grasp characteristics, features and operation mechanism
for four types of events;
• 3. To master current situation and trend for exhibition and
conference management and solve the general problem of
exhibition economy and management in practice;
• 4. To analyze cases and problems as well as literature review;
• 5. To master basic principles and general methods for further
study and practice.
Syllabus
Syllabus
• Each group chooses a topic, and gives us a 20 mins presentation.
• 10 students in each group at most.
• Final scores =
– Attendance (10%)
– Presentation (40%)
– Final exam (50%)
QQ group
Text book
Flash mob
Chapter 1
Introduction to MICE Industry
Chapter 1: Introduction to MICE Industry
Business Travel and Tourism
• Tourism is “the activities of persons traveling to and staying in
places outside their usual environment for not more than one
consecutive for leisure, business and other purposes” (International
Tourism: a Global Perspective).
Tourism
Tourism
Leisure
Leisure Business
Business
MICE Industry
MICE Industry is considered to be a major
component making up business travel and tourism. MICE Industry
Chapter 1: Introduction to MICE Industry
Meetings
Incentive Travels
MICE
Conventions
Exhibitions
Chapter 1: Introduction to MICE Industry
• Meetings: 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.
• Incentive Travels: Incentive travels include leisure trips emphasizing
pleasure and excitement and which may appear to have little or no
connection to business.
• Conventions: An event where the primary activity of the attendees is to
attend educational sessions, participate in meetings/discussions, socialize, or
attend other organized events.
• Exhibitions: Exhibitions can generally be portrayed as ‘presentations of
products and services to an invited audience with the object of inducing a
sale or informing the visitors’.
Chapter 1: Introduction to MICE Industry
Business Event
• Business event is another definition for MICE and has been used primarily
in Australia to cover a wide array of meanings for this industry.
Any public or private activity consisting of a minimum of 15 persons with a
common interest or vocation held in a specific venue or venues and hosted
by an organization (or organizations). This may include (but not limited to):
conferences, conventions, symposia, congresses, incentive group events,
marketing events, special celebrations, seminar, courses, public or trade
shows, product launches, exhibitions, company general meetings, corporate
retreats, study tours or training programs.
Chapter 1: Introduction to MICE Industry
Business Event
• ‘Meetings’ in this context represent a collective meaning for the MICE
industry corresponding to a widely held view among professionals that all
MICE activities share a common trait, that is, they describe an opportunity
to meet.
• According to the World Travel Organization (UNWTO), the International
Congress and Conferences Association (ICCA), and Meeting Professional
International (MPI), meetings are defined as:
Activities based on the organization, promotion, sales and delivery of meetings and events;
products and services that include corporate, association and government meetings, corporate
incentives, seminars, congresses, conferences, conventions events, exhibitions and fairs.
Chapter 1: Introduction to MICE Industry
Question:
• Why we have meetings and events?
• What are the impacts of MICE Industry on economy
and society?
• What are the relationships between Tourism and
MICE industry?
Chapter 1: Introduction to MICE Industry
MICE Industry Impact on Economy and Society
Positive Impact Negative Impact
Direct Contribution Environmental impact
Direct Revenue Pollution and greenhouse gases emission
Seasonality control and employment Waste from events
Biodiversity
Indirect Contribution
Foreign Direct Investment(FDI)
Spurring of technology and innovation
New idea, knowledge and insight
Local business climate
Chapter 1: Introduction to MICE Industry
MICE Industry Impact on Economy and Society
Positive Impact
Direct Contribution
• Direct Revenue
✓ The MICE industry, business tourism, is known to generate higher spending per
head compared to leisure tourism
✓ According to The Economic Significance of Meetings to the US Economy, only
43% of this direct spending went to travel and tourism commodities such as food &
beverage and air transportation. The remainder, 57%, went to meeting commodities
such as venue rental, meeting planning and production
• Seasonality control and employment
✓ The MICE industry generally reduces seasonality within the overall travel and tourism
industry, as most MICE volume occurs during the off-peak seasons
Chapter 1: Introduction to MICE Industry
MICE Industry Impact on Economy and Society
Indirect Contribution Positive Impact
Indirect Contribution
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
✓ Hosting an exhibition is one medium that can channel products and services to
potential buyers on a regional and global scale
✓ Attending conventions can also expand the partnership pool for delegates who
usually come from the same industry
• Spurring of technology and innovation
✓ Countries attempting to promote the MICE industry must strive to develop or at
least encourage necessary development to keep national technological offerings
on par with global standards
• New idea, knowledge and insight
• Local business climate
Chapter 1: Introduction to MICE Industry
MICE Industry Impact on Economy and Society
Indirect Contribution Positive Impact
Indirect Contribution
• New idea, knowledge and insight
✓ MICE events have proven to be very useful in terms of bringing new ideas,
knowledge and insights to a country, service providers and attendees
✓ The MICE industry has become one channel for information or knowledge to
spread wider and faster especially in this era of globalization
• Local business climate
✓ The MICE industry can influence the business climate of local business, which
in turn, can directly influence the strategic direction of certain industries
✓ Moreover, growth in the industry can also help to improve local business in
their procurement and manufacturing standards
Chapter 1: Introduction to MICE Industry
MICE Industry Impact on Economy and Society
Environmental impact Negative Impact
Environmental impact
• Pollution and greenhouse gases emission
• Waste from events
✓ Hotels and meeting facilities are often forced to leave behind gigantic piles of
waste consisting of plastics, paper, food, drink related waste, toiletries, along with
unwanted or unused promotional giveaways
✓ Pollution and greenhouse gases emission trail after every delegate and with the
shipping of products to meeting venues or exhibition halls
• Biodiversity
✓ Biodiversity harm is also caused through any new investment or expansion of new
facilities to meet with growing industry demands
Chapter 1: Introduction to MICE Industry
Factors Influencing Future MICE Industry
• Economic Downturn
✓ During the past few years, both the US and EU economies have been
experiencing a persistent global economic slowdown
✓ Decisions to hold meetings outside the country of residence of the
organizations are no longer an option for many companies in their efforts
Technology
to combat the economic downturn by pursuing cost-cutting strategies
• Technology
✓ As budgets become tighter, incorporating technologies that allow for video
conferencing and virtual meetings are increasingly seen by many organizers
as a cost effective option when holding MICE events, but will not fully
replace face-to-face meetings for the current time
✓ Virtual events mainly serve as a good substitute for recession-prone
exhibitors and attendees
Chapter 1: Introduction to MICE Industry
Factors Influencing Future MICE
Sustainability and Green Meetings
Industry
• Technology
✓ Use of social media has become so commonly used in marketing for almost
every type of products and services in the MICE industry and is one of many
underlying factors that have shifted behavior and challenged traditional
marketing campaigns
• Sustainability and Green Meetings
✓ Persistent global warming concerns and potential environmental impact
caused by hosting MICE events has intensified during the past decade, raising
an awareness of the need to promote sustainability among those involved in
the MICE industry
✓ A primary factor influencing the decision of whether or not to hold a meeting
or exhibition and as such, most corporate and associations are turning to green
meetings attempting to save costs
