What Makes a Good MICE Venue?

Who says you can’t marry business with fun, pleasure, or excitement? In the rising sector of business travel and tourism known as MICE (short for “meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions”), some of the activities that keep an organization productive happen in places outside of the office’s headquarters.

Distinct from the events that populate the events management industry (such as weddings or galas), occasions that fall under the umbrella of MICE are corporate seminars, academic conferences, trade expos, retreats, team building activities, or incentive trips to reward the fulfillment of key business milestones. But the events in this wide range have one thing in common: their success is highly dependent on the chosen venue. Venue is a make-or-break factor in achieving the event’s desired outcomes and meeting its professional, academic, or cultural objectives. Whether it’s to profit off of the event, to foster employee satisfaction, or to improve upon a certain core competency, the MICE organizer must choose a venue that aligns with their goals.

Are you canvassing venues for your next MICE event? Want to know if your booking will actually pay off? Here are six indicators of a good MICE venue, and what type of success they will translate to.

It’s convenient and accessible. Regardless of who you will be transporting and what manner of transportation you’ll have at your disposal, you’ll want a venue that everyone can reach. Opt for one that is easy to drive or commute to, and take note of related concerns such as parking and entrance fees. If your HQ is based in Manila, consider booking the perfect beach resort in Batangas for a company outing; the journey will take only a few hours from the main roads and it is not hard to travel to the locality’s transport terminals, markets, or hospitals.
It’s spacious and has all the necessary amenities. You’ll want accommodations with enough legroom for participants to stretch, eat well, and complete their designated tasks with minimal distraction, especially if you will stay overnight or longer. Tailor your choice of MICE venue to the activities you’ve lined up on your schedule; for example, if you plan to enact relay games for team building, make sure that the venue you have in mind has a safe indoor or outdoor facility for them, such as a basketball court or a secured beach area.
It’s equipped for the activities to be undertaken. Green flags for an appropriate MICE venue are sufficient seating for the number of attendees, a working sound system, and access to multimedia equipment such as an LCD projector. Many venues can also provide you with flip charts, office supplies, and WiFi access. On your part, you must decide what specific equipment you will need for the event and whether it is easy to obtain or to transport to the venue.
It’s energy-efficient and minimally disruptive to the environment. Many organizations now care about reducing their environmental footprint, and venue operators should follow suit. If you are making a concerted effort to minimize waste, cut down on energy expenses, and be kinder to the environment, it is a good idea to partner with a venue operator who can promise to help you in these aspects.
It’s evocative of the atmosphere you want to set. Different MICE-related events are meant to cultivate different impressions on their participants. For meetings or seminars, the mood should be easygoing but still somber enough for everyone to tackle important concerns with lucidity; for conventions and exhibitions, on the other hand, the event’s atmosphere should encourage foot traffic and ceaseless customer-to-client interactions. Still other events, like incentive trips, are meant to be stress-free and completely laid-back, as those eligible for the incentive should feel like they’re getting sufficiently rewarded for their hard work.
It’s a place that participants will look forward to visiting (or revisiting). There are some great outcomes to be had out of participants’ enjoyment of the MICE event. It could result in boosted productivity, higher morale, kind words about the organizer’s reputation, and sustained customer relations with the venue operator. As such, make it one of your goals to generate good buzz about the event before and after it happens. Hype your participants up for a pleasant and fruitful event; this way, you can set the precedent for future attendance, engagement, and revenues to related endeavors.

As they say in the field of real estate—which wholly applies to MICE—it’s all about location, location, location. With that being said, best of luck on securing the right venue!