Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions

Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions. The acronym MICE is applied inconsistently with the “E” sometimes referring to events and the “C” sometimes referring to conventions. MICE is used to refer to a particular type of tourism in which large groups, usually planned well in advance, are brought together for some particular purpose. Recently, there has been an industry trend towards using the term "Meetings Industry" to avoid confusion from the acronym. [cite web|url=http://www.iccaworld.com/aeps/aeitem.cfm?aeid=29|title=Definition of "MICE"|publisher=International Congress & Convention Association|accessdate=2007-05-30]

Most components of MICE are well understood, perhaps with the exception of incentives. Incentive tourism is usually undertaken as a type of employee reward by an company or institution for targets met or exceeded, or a job well done. Unlike the other types of MICE tourism, incentive tourism is usually conducted purely for entertainment, rather than professional or educational purposes. [cite web|url=http://www.site-intl.org/|title=Society of Incentive & Travel Executives|accessdate=2007-05-30]

MICE tourism usually includes a well-planned agenda centered around a particular theme, such as a hobby, a profession, or an educational topic. Such tourism is a specialized area with its own trade shows (IMEX) and practices. [cite web|url=http://www.imex-frankfurt.com/|title=IMEX: The Worldwide Exhibition for Incentive Travel, Meetings and Events|accessdate=2007-05-30] MICE events are normally bid on by specialized convention bureaus located in particular countries and cities and established for the purpose of bidding on MICE activities. This process of marketing and bidding is normally conducted well in advance of the actual event, often several years. MICE tourism is known for its extensive planning and demanding clientele. [cite web|url=http://www.unwto.org/regional/americas/Sem-Chile/conclusions-ing.pdf|title=Conclusions of the International Seminar on MICE Tourism and Business Tourism, Santiago, Chile, 25-26 May 2005|publisher=World Tourism Organization|accessdate=2007-05-30]

References

See also

* Hotel manager
* Hospitality management studies
*Event Planning and Production