Standing high in the Paris skyline, with its convention space designed to accommodate up to 2,800 people, the Hyatt Regency Paris Etoile keeps the flame of MICE alive within the Hyatt group. Like other hotels in Europe, well-equipped with meeting rooms of all sizes: the Grand Hyatt Barcelona, which has just opened, the Hyatt Regency in Amsterdam and the Martinez in Cannes, a distinguished member of the Unbound Collection by Hyatt. This list could even be extended to the luxurious Park Hyatt Paris, which is finding a boost in activity with business groups in line with its upmarket clientele. " For example, we recently hosted an incentive visit from an American insurance company, or the marketing team from a clothing brand came to Paris to give a presentation on the forthcoming Olympic Games." explains Gorka Bergareche, General Manager of the palace on the rue de la Paix and VP of Operations for luxury hotels in the EMEA region.
In the same way, another luxury establishment, Hôtel du Palais in Biarritzis happy to accept privatise on certain dates for very high-end groups. " Large conventions at the Hyatt Regency Etoile, groups of 60 at the Hôtel du Palais or twenty people at the Park Hyatt: we can meet a wide range of needs." explains Michel Morauw, Hyatt's Managing Director for Northern Europe. With 206 establishments in the EMEA region, the American group has no shortage of solutions to offer business event organisers. And this, even if the strong growth in the number of rooms in the region - which is a major factor in the success of Hyatt's business - is not enough. + 173% over the last five years - was driven primarily by the leisure segment, particularly in Spain, where Hyatt's acquisition of the Apple Leisure Group has resulted in the addition of a number of luxury all-inclusive resorts to its portfolio.
However, beyond the impetus for leisure, which is even spilling over into business travel with the bleisure trend, MICE remains a major market for the American group, accounting for 30% of global sales. " And undoubtedly much more if we consider the United States alone." stresses Michel Morauw. After the pandemic, business tourism did better than return to its 2019 level, with demand now higher than in the pre-Covid period worldwide.
In the EMEA region, Hyatt found that a 20 % increase in MICE bookings in 2023 vs 2022, with this growth being driven in particular by the development of new hotels, with 12 openings last year and a further 15 planned for 2024 (see box). " In France, demand has been very strong so far and will continue to be so after the Olympic Games, particularly with the Cigre congress to be held in Paris at the end of August.explains Michel Morauw. In addition, while the Hyatt Regency will be fully booked during the period with IOC receptionSome sponsors have reserved rooms for business meetings during the Games." .
While the number of professional events has risen again, the pandemic has accelerated underlying transformations such as a strong focus on sustainability, an expectation of well-beingA more adapted and personalised catering service. " These are all things that can also be felt in the MICE sector, with events integrating this well-being dimension into their activities.says Michel Morauw. Similarly, bleisure is also developing at events, with participants arriving before or leaving after the conference, sometimes extending their leisure time with their families." .
The dedicated MICE platform Together by Hyatt will support the growth of the segment by integrating some of these developments. Launched in 2023, this interactive online platform will focus on four areas: the wellness offer around events, ranging from meditative breaks to menu suggestions; sustainability, with reports on the impact of meetings or recommendations for integrating sustainable practices into events; and support for organisers in planning and executing events. All this is complemented by a range of technological tools, including an event concierge application, a Hyatt planner portal giving access to information on past and future events, with the option of obtaining reports and invoices in real time, and software for creating room diagrams and seating plans.
