MICE

78 % of meeting organisers in Europe continue to prefer large cities What are the main trends highlighted by your survey? Ian Cummings - Although safety and security remain a priority when planning any meetings and events activity, it seems that the terrorist attacks in the UK, the USA and Canada have all contributed to...

How did the partnership between Paris and London on MICE come about? Corinne Menegaux - London and Paris have a lot in common, a lot of shared values. So we met with the London teams and decided to run a joint campaign. We started with a...

At a time when the online booking of meetings is still one of the grails sought after by the hotel world, Accor and meetago, one of the largest providers of booking solutions for the MICE segment in Central Europe and supported by HRS, have announced a strategic partnership at the IMEX trade fair in Frankfurt....

Established in Spetses since 1914, the Poseidonion Grand Hotel has acquired a unique status over the years, acting as a lighthouse or bell tower for an island that is entirely dedicated to this national monument. Admittedly, the constraints associated with its special status have complicated the extensive renovation work begun in 2004, but they do guarantee...

Thanks to the combination of the Eurostar and Virgin Trains rail networks, organisers can now book multi-stop journeys from continental Europe to the heart of Great Britain on a single platform. The aim is to make it easier for cities such as Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham, which are currently overshadowed by London in this market, to become more accessible. For...

Over and above the competition between two of the world's most visited destinations, and despite all the uncertainties surrounding Brexit, Paris and London have decided to make common cause. The two tourist boards recently signed an agreement enabling them to offer "two-in-one incentive trips", targeting North American buyers in particular. The...

Chicago continues to attract more and more international travellers, both for leisure and for business and conferences. The destination's mayor, Rahm Emanuel, has just announced record results: more than 57.6 million visitors recorded for 2018, a figure that represents growth of 4.3% compared to the previous...

"They share experiences and unforgettable memories. No pollution, no cars; the calm, the cold and the winter sun... All this means that the participants are really relaxed," says Fanny Dunand, MICE sales manager for Hôtels d'en haut, a group which runs four establishments at altitude: the Alpaga in Megève, the...

One new resort a year What are Club Med's plans for the mountains? Véronique Bertrand - The mountains account for 40 % of our sales and our ambition is to open one resort a year over the next decade. This may involve new openings such as Les Arcs Panorama this year...

An exceptional vector of communication Is sport still a safe bet when it comes to communication? Marc Mingoia - Sport is booming! As proof of this, Eurosport, when it started out some thirty years ago, was broadcast in just one language, compared with 31 today! Countries, particularly those in the Gulf, are making...

Easily transferable to the corporate world, the values of sport are excellent vectors of communication, both internally and externally. Particularly when it comes to high-profile events such as the Olympic Games, the Football World Cup, the Six Nations Tournament, Roland-Garros, the Tour de France, the Vendée Globe or the Ryder Cup...

"Friluftslkiv, the art of connecting with nature, is part of the DNA of all Norwegians," says Christine Blois, Hurtigruten's General Manager for France. This explains why the Norwegian company has always been committed to eco-responsibility. Without being moralistic, the crews have become experts in environmentally-friendly tourism, raising awareness of the...

Companies are organised to receive MICE customers. How is the cruise market doing? Antoine Lacarrière - It's growing steadily, stimulated by the commissioning of new ships every year and the introduction of new itineraries. The offer is diversifying, reaching an increasingly wide target...

Last April saw the opening of the Paris-Saclay Convention Centre. Why did you choose this location? Erwan Jouët - It's the first in Essonne! It's ideally located, at the heart of the Paris Saclay Massy economic hub. It's a fast-growing new district designed by Elizabeth de Portzamparc and Christian de Portzamparc, and the...

What are the major trends in the market? Béatrice Cuif-Mathieu - With changes in consumer behaviour, the market has had to adapt. Formats are becoming shorter and shorter, and participants expect a maximum amount of information as well as an experiential dimension. Quality is taking over from quantity. After ROI, return on investment,...

Coach Omnium, a research and consultancy company specialising in business tourism, lists nearly 200 establishments in France that can host major professional events, including 120 convention centres, 60 exhibition centres and around 20 multimodal establishments. This density of supply makes France one of the world's leading players in the MICE market....

What does the new MICE offer unveiled by Eurostar look like? Guillemette Jacob - We are offering companies the opportunity to privatise an entire car, or even several cars and an entire Eurostar train. This new service will be available in our three service classes: Standard, Standard Premier and Business Premier. For these last two classes,...

Airbnb for Work does not intend to limit itself to individual business trips, which according to its calculations only concern a quarter (25 %) of a company's employees, on average. Targeting business groups, the people in charge of the collaborative platform unveiled "a new strategic direction" on Wednesday, based around new offerings: "Airbnb Experiences...

The new wing of Nausicaà will open in Boulogne-sur-Mer on 19 May, with a museographic trail that takes visitors on an incredible "voyage to the high seas" through a recreation of the ecosystem of Malpelo, a Pacific island 500 km off the coast of Colombia. The highlight of this extension, still designed by Jacques...

The big event in the meetings & events sector is approaching: IMEX 2018 kicks off in Frankfurt on 15 May. For three days, the various players in the market will be meeting as usual at the Messe Frankfurt exhibition centre. Buyers, suppliers and other specialists in the MICE industry will have the opportunity to...