Module 3: MICE Venue, Logistics, and Management
Lesson 8: MICE Organization Management
Objectives:
By the end of Chapter 8, the students should be able to:
-
Explain the appropriate organizational structure according to business size of
MICE.
Explain and evaluate the structure of responsibility and duty of MICE
Organizer
Identify the qualifications of MICE Organizer.
Determine the components of MICE and the steps on MICE proposal.
Time frame: 9 hours (in total)
Introduction:
Welcome to Module 3 of Introduction to MICE! In this module we will unravel the
inner workings of MICE Industry that influence not only the conduct of activities for
MICE Organizations but also the environment of the totality of the industry.
This is designed to be remotely-learned and self-paced. Good luck and have fun!
Activity and Analysis:
Instruction: Fulfil with data that is being asked for below.
a. Research about a MICE Event that had been specifically held in the
Philippines.
What was the name event?
What was it all about?
Who were the delegates/attendees?
Where were they housed to stay?
What were the objectives of the event?
Was the event successful? How could you say so?
b. In your own words, what was the process that your chosen event had gone
through, from conception of the idea up to the end of the event? Write the
steps on the space provided. Write as many/as specific as you can.
Name of the MICE undertaking:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Abstraction
As per Eunice Gan (2005), the important parts of organizing meetings and exhibitions
are coordination and paperwork. Thus, strategic management has to be in line with
these trends:
1. Quality Suppliers
- Known as outsourcing, the host or organizer is responsible for finding
specialists from different places to work on a project.
For example: An International Conference
The organizer must act as coordinator for the different people
specializing in their works such as: venue preparation, modern
audio system installation, car service, food and drink source and
others. These people specializing in different has to work together.
2. Strategic Alliances
- These are connections that can be useful to the management of
event.
3. Creative Thinking
- To differentiate the event from others, creating thinking has to be
applied in every level of operation.
4. Knowledge worker
- As MICE businesses are reliant on accurate and timely decision
making, people working behind event should have adequate
knowledge on the things about and beyond the event.
5. Small Flexible Company
- Should be small and flexible to minimize spending on full-time
workers. People assigned should be able to multitask.
6. Teamwork
- Everyone working in the team should have a uniform goal.
Cooperation and communication should always be employed in
the process.
7. Strategic thinking
- The top management of the company should be able to have
visions and lead the workers to highest possible benefit, for them
and the company. They have to look for business opportunities and
learn when to move forward, back away or expand.
Appropriate Organizational Structures for Different Business Levels
Mice organization should be based on decentralization. Employees in the business
must have expertise as their tasks involve analytical thinking, problem solving and
being responsible for complicated tasks.
The MICE Industry consist of 4 main businesses. They are as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Professional Conference Organizer (PCO)
Professional Exhibition Organizer (PEO)
Event Management Company (EMC)
Destination Management Company (DMC)
MICE organizing businesses consist of few employees. A professional conference
organiser, or conference company specialises in the organisation and management
of congresses, conferences, seminars and similar events.
The Structure of Responsibility and Duty
Altogether, the main businesses specialize in planning and executing conferences
on behalf of academics, researchers and associations. Conference planning is hard
work and you need a broad set of shoulders. Ensuring your conference goes
smoothly means you need to have a firm grasp on all the little details, but also a
stable understanding of the underlying principles that come into play when you’re
making an event work.
From plenary speakers and delegates to sponsors and exhibitors, a lot of people
count on you to successfully plan, promote and host your conference. But what
happens when your plenary speaker pulls out the week of your conference? Or your
AV supplier goes AWOL the day before? A professional conference organiser has
seen it all before and, crucially, knows just what to do to keep things on track.
Here are some of the services a typical professional conference organiser might
offer. Many of them will manage more or fewer aspects of the conference
depending on your needs and their particular services.
-
Negotiating contracts with suppliers
-
o
Can you go through venue contracts with a fine-tooth
comb, spotting problematic words like “exclusive” (which
means you can only use potentially expensive in-house
suppliers)? Do you have strong negotiating skills and solid
relationships with event suppliers built on previous
experience and mutual trust?
o
A professional conference organiser can research solid
conference suppliers, compile quotes and then supply this
information to your organising committee for a final decision.
This will save you from endless online searches trying to spot
the reputable-yet-cost-effective supplier who can meet your
needs. The PCO acts as the main point of contact for your
committee and can manage all communication and ensure
each supplier provides their service to the agreed standard.
This is especially useful around areas live AV, and the mobile
app for your conference.
Financial management
o Once your committee has agreed on a conference budget,
you can hand this over to your PCO and they’ll take care of
budgeting each element of the conference. That means
negotiating the best prices, managing expenses and taking
care of bookkeeping and tax adherence.
o
-
PCOs work every day to reduce costs and increase the
efficiency of the conference they organise. They also have
the knowledge to manage your budget effectively to meet
committee objectives all while ensuring the quality of your
conference isn’t compromised. This streamlines
your conference financials and keeps them all in a
centralised place (which will come in handy during the postconference evaluation).
Marketing and promoting
o Ask any newbie conference organiser and they’ll tell you
that one of the biggest struggles they encounter
is promoting their conference to interested researchers. A
professional conference organiser will take care of
marketing and promoting your conference to attract
authors and delegates. The service may include website
design and content maintenance, social media
management, PR and media releases to relevant
publications. Whether you want advice or marketing
and promotion management, PCOs have the knowledge,
skills, tools and contacts to create a successful conference.
Tapping their skills can greatly assist in spreading the word
about your conference.
-
Managing your conference management software
o If you want them to, your PCO can also handle setting up
and running aspects of your conference management
software. Your committee will still be in charge of which
topics authors can submit under, and how the review
process works, but your event pro can do the more adminfocused tasks, like sending reviewer invitations, configuring
your registration form and building your book of
proceedings. So that’s more time for your committee to
spend on ensuring your conference has a high-quality
technical programme.
-
Managing your conference contacts
o Almost every one of your conference contacts – from your
plenary speakers to your reviewers – will have a long list of
priorities that come ahead of your conference. People often
don’t have time to fully read things. Or they park an
important email and then it disappears down their inbox.
o
-
If you’re organising the conference by yourself, expect that
you’re going to have to walk people through a lot of stuff.
(And sometimes you might just end up doing it for them – like
selecting a reviewer’s speciality topics, or registering on
behalf of a plenary speaker.) Here’s where a PCO can be
invaluable in keeping on top of who’s been asked to do
what, sending timely reminders, and stepping in and
completing tasks when it’s appropriate.
Reporting and evaluation
o When your conference is over, it’s absolutely essential to
complete an end-of-conference report and evaluate its
success. This allows your committee to identify areas that are
working well and areas that need improvement for next
year. This hugely assists next year’s chair and can help
ensure your conference continues to improve in the long
term.
o
A PCO can provide you with data and an evaluation of
each aspect of the conference. They’ll also likely give you
their own feedback on how to improve next year’s event.
Common Duties of Mice Managers
1. Be a consultant of those who want to organize events on sources of loans,
advance funding, taxes, and international conference arrangement.
2. Responsible for all the paperwork, such as, bidding, inviting guests, issuing
event-related letters.
3. Supervise the arrangement of conferences, fairs and exhibitions from project
planning to project completion.
4. Planning projects and setting objectives.
5. Estimate event costs.
6. Determine registration fees.
7. Find suppliers to help organize the event in terms of electric system, safety,
cleaning, food and beverage, stage decorations, and recording sounds.
8. Evaluate the result of events.
9. Decide marketing plan and attract attendees.
Mice Managers Qualifications
1. Be a problem-solver who can fix problem promptly.
2. Be a planner who carefully plans the project from start to end.
3. Be a manager that can run the event successfully under time constraints and
any other constraints.
4. Be a marketer who can attract attendees according to the target.
5. Be a PR officer who can provide basic and in-depth information to the public.
MICE Components
1. Event Owner
- The initiator of a MICE Event
o International Organizations
 United Nations
 World Trade Organization
o Government bodies organizing MICE for:
 Kick-off projects
 Serve political agendas
 Government policy announcements
o International Trade and Professional Organizations
 Physicians
 Architects
o
o
o
 Engineers
Private sector organizers for:
 Meetings
 Updates
 Seminar for employees
Educational Institutions
 Present research works
Charity organizations
 Red Cross symposiums and workshops.
2. Delegates
- Mostly association members or employees of a company.
3. Venue
-
4. Airlines
-
Depends on the number of attendees, should include:
o Wide variety of restaurants
o Business Service center
o Post office
o Shopping area nearby
o Sufficient number of restrooms
o Modern phone systems
o Mobile phone rental service
o Translation and interpretation system
o Satellite system
o Email service
o Video conference equipment
o First aid room
o Covid-19 isolation facility
Can offer special ticket prices for MICE delegates.
5. Professional Organizers
6. Hotels
-for welcoming MICE delegates.
7. Transportation
8. Tourist Attraction, Recreation and Culture
9. Suppliers or other contractors that include:
- Advertising/Media Company
- Audio-visual Equipment Suppliers
- IT Companies
-
Electricity Equipment Contractors
Souvenir Suppliers
Entertainment Companies
Restaurants and Caterers
Security Guards
Tour Operators
Transport Service Providers
Special Software Suppliers
Printing Houses
Cleaning Companies
Furniture rentals
Monetary agencies for currency exchange
Event Hosting Proposal/Bidding
Before discussing the administrative structure of conferences, exhibitions and
incentive travels, we need to understand a significant step which is event hosting
proposal. These are following steps that are followed:
Step 1. The hosts selects the most reliable company to organize the event. The
person taking part in the bidding process is usually assigned by the host as the
organizer.
Step 2. Upon the meeting of the host and organizer, the organizer will draft an
outline or framework for the host’s approval and make adjustments based on the
host’s recommendation. After, they will make a contract and leave suggested
amount of deposit, which is usually 30-50% according to agreement.
Step 3. The organizer creates a detailed work plan and convenes a meeting with
selected suppliers. Contingency plan is also prepared by the organizer.
Module 3: MICE Venue, Logistics, and Management
Chapter 9: Venue Management
Objectives:
By the end of Chapter 9, the student should be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Explain the roles and importance of venues to the MICE industry.
Explain compositions of venues inducing venue selection decision.
Explain roles, responsibilities and venue management.
Explain the importance of organizing sustainable meetings and exhibitions.
Identify national and International MICE venues.
Venue Types
1. Hotel and Resort
Over the past 10 to 20 years, hotels and resorts have positioned
themselves as venues for MICE events apart from merely providing
accommodations to MICE and leisure travellers. Several hotels and resorts
have renovated facilities to support to support different assemblies of MICE
events while many new hotels have included facilities built especially to host
MICE events. Numerous hotels and resorts worldwide as well as in Thailand
now see the meeting sector as one of their main targets as service hotels
normally provided can be used to compliment services required in meetings
such as caterings, guest rooms & suites and function & meeting rooms.
2.
Exhibition/Convention Center
These are designed especially to host MICE events and combine every
necessary amenity. Convention centers, nowadays, include catering services
that event organizers can use. Furthermore, centers previously used primarily
to host exhibitions are now used for smaller-scale meetings with spaces
arranged and segregated into smaller meeting room areas.
3.
Multi-Purpose Facility (MPF)
The newest concept in the venue business with their focus on
customization and personalization of floor plan layouts and configurations to
meet event requirements. Provided by its convenience and flexibility, MPF are
believed to generate more income for owners when compared to traditional
convention facilities. MPF facilities are intended to host several small or large
functions simultaneously, while keeping each one private and independent.
This trend suggests that the growth of multi-purpose facilities will become
more apparent while conventional venues will slowly decline. An example is
our very own SMX Convention in SM Lanang Premier where different events
can be held simultaneously, conventions and expos alike. The whole area
can be divided into parts by soundproof walls.
4.
Other Venues
Other than those venues mentioned, some serve different
purposes and specific events.
o Sports Facilities/Arena
Are facilities intended to host indoor (swimming, boxing) and outdoor
(baseball, football, motorsports) sporting events. Such spacious facilities can
be perfect locations to host MICE events or a certain scale or type.
o Music Venue/Theatre
These facilities are designed especially for concerts and live
performances. Just like Sydney Opera House, performing venues are
segregated for different purposes such as concert hall, opera theatre or
drama theatre with facilities especially lighting and audio systems designed
especially to meet the function of each room.
o International Venues
Below are some examples of venues in different countries.

MiCo/Milano Congressi (Italy)
It is among the largest conference facilities worldwide, catering
for up to 18,000 people in 70 so fully appointed conference rooms with
permanent control booths. It has two plenary rooms, and auditorium
and exhibition halls that can accommodate more than 5,000 people.
The total area is 100,287 square metres. All of this in downtown Milan,
with a parking lot for more than 1,100 cars, a heliport and direct access
to Milan’s subway.

Messe Frankfurt/Frankfurt Trade Fair (Germany)
One of the largest exhibition halls globally with 578,000 square
meters of indoor exhibition space. The hall can be separated into 10
exhibition rooms used for both meetings and conventions.

Las Vegas Convention Center (The United States)
It is one of the largest conventions and exhibition centers
worldwide. Originally opened in April 1959. It has been renovating and
expanding its facilities and now has over 975,000 square meters of
available space.

Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Center (Singapore)
Singapore’s newest, largest and most flexible exhibition and
meeting venue standing in the middle of Central Business District. The
venue has one of the largest ballrooms in South East Asia, able to
accommodate up to 6,600 banquet diners or 11,000 delegates. Due to
its central location, visitors and delegates can enjoy entertainment,
shopping, dining, arts and culture and accommodation options under
one roof after a day of work and meetings.

Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center
Opened in 1988, HK Convention and Exhibition Center is one of
the two main convention and exhibition centers in Hong Kong. It is
designed and built to be a multi-purpose facility to host and variety of
MICE events since Hong Kong is among the top MICE locations in Asia.
It has 91,500 square meters of indoor space, which it can be separated
into 12 individual spaces.

Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (The United Arab Emirates)
ADNEC has been in operation since February 2007. It is the
largest exhibition center in the Middle East with 73,000 square meters of
indoor space.

Shanghai New International Expo (China)
SNIEC started operations in November 2001 and has become
one of the most successful exhibition centers worldwide. Equipped with
over 200,000 square meters
MICE Venues in the Philippines
From a Guest Post by Glen Dimaandal, CEO of GDI Online Marketing at Grit.ph.
The Department of Tourism’s Tourism Promotions Board of the Philippines (TPB) has
singled out Metro Manila, Cebu, and Davao as the capital regions for MICE events in
the country. The province of Iloilo is also said to be a top contender.
Luzon
The island group of Luzon houses the MICE powerhouse of Manila, which many flock
to for specialized seminars, conventions, and trade expos.
The first MICE venues that come to mind when one brings up Metro Manila are the
Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) and the SMX Convention Center.
But if you want to escape the bustle of the city and conduct smaller, group-focused
events elsewhere, you can look to the following destinations in Luzon.
1. Eagle Point Resort, Batangas
Eagle Point Resort in Batangas is a well-known diver’s and snorkeler’s hub, but the
resort also manages a private island that boasts a canopy of white sand facing
beautiful blue-green waters—a perfect venue for team building activities.
It also has 3 meeting rooms that can accommodate up to 200 participants. Its
meetings package includes accommodation, meals, use of equipment like LCD
projectors and flipcharts, and free-flowing coffee or tea.
2. Crystal Beach Resort, Zambales
Crystal Beach Resort is a laid-back, family-friendly, and faith-oriented beach resort in
Zambales. It is also host to some wild waves during the rainy season.
The resort’s usual clientele is surfers and campers, but it is also a cozy and peaceful
site for seminars and team building activities.
There are two conference halls in Crystal Beach: the Hall of Moses, an open hall
which can seat up to 100 people, and the Hall of David, which has a fully airconditioned theater setup and space for 40 guests.
3. Caliraya Resort Club, Laguna
The lakeside Caliraya Resort Club in Laguna boasts hotel rooms and camping-style
cottages, watersports facilities, and other outdoor attractions like a zip line, a
climbing wall, and a rappelling bridge.
It also has its own Team Building Venue that can accommodate as many as 1,500
guests, and as such it is a popular choice for company seminars, industry
conferences, wedding receptions, and church retreats.
4. Club Balai Isabel, Batangas
Casual guests and seminar participants alike will enjoy the breath-taking view of Taal
Lake at Club Balai Isabel.
The resort may be known as a picture-perfect destination for weddings, but it can
also host up to 500 seminar or conference attendees in its Talisay Pavilion, up to 120
in its theater-setup Maharlika Hall, and 100 in its Rajah Hall, respectively.
Visayas
According to the TPB, two locations reign supreme for MICE events in the Visayas:
Cebu and Iloilo.
While Cebu has long been the site of one of the most agile and fast-moving business
economies in the country, Iloilo has combined much of its old-world genteel with
new infrastructure, improved transport systems, and upgraded commercial facilities
to suit business and leisure travellers alike.
For MICE events in Cebu or Iloilo, organizations can seek out the following
accommodations.
5. Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino
The Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino can still purport to be one of Cebu’s
leading MICE resorts, as it features its own convention center with a 4,000-person
seating capacity along with 4 function rooms and 2 ballrooms.
Other amenities that support the Waterfront’s high-profile MICE events are a business
center and an in-house team of convention and secretariat support.
6. BE Resort Mactan, Cebu
The boutique BE Resort in Mactan shows off Cebu’s clear and sunlit waters on
expansive grounds that include infinity pools, a private white sand beach, and
Jacuzzis.
Its accommodations for travellers on business include a business center, foreign
currency exchange, a 300-seater grand ballroom, a boardroom, several function
rooms, and poolside decks for cocktails.
7. Goducate Training Center, Iloilo
The Goducate Training Center in San Miguel, Iloilo offers multi-purpose venues that
are lent to pre-nups, weddings, birthday celebrations, and educational tours.
The lush facility’s function hall, gym, and outdoor field can accommodate up to 400
people for an event, and you can secure equipment such as a wide-screen
projector and a fully operational sound system at the venue.
The folks over at Goducate are also masters of team building, and they will be
happy to assign competent team building facilitators to help at your office’s event.
8. Damires Hills Tierra Verde, Iloilo
Damires Hills Leisure Farm showcases a beautiful, airy natural backdrop that is
perfect for corporate retreats, seminars, and team buildings.
They have packages for such purposes that include accommodation, tours, and
outdoor activities such as zip lining and swimming.
They also have a 200-seater function hall and a meeting room that can
accommodate between 50 and 100 guests.
Mindanao
The home island region of the Philippines’ current head of state, President Rodrigo
Roa Duterte, Mindanao is quickly evolving to welcome a lively business travel sector.
Davao City, in particular, is a hub for both local and large-scale MICE events in the
Southern Philippine islands. Below is a survey of two top MICE facilities in Davao.
9. Marco Polo Hotel, Davao City
The Marco Polo brand is already known for world-class hospitality services and
amenities, but the Davao location has made a name for itself in the sector of MICE
events.
It is well-equipped to host high-profile conferences and corporate meetings alike,
with the most spacious of its 16 meeting rooms having a theater-style seating
capacity of 600.
10. Grand Regal Hotel, Davao
Davao’s Grand Regal Hotel is a four-star facility that is a short distance away from
the beach, the city center, and other cultural landmarks.
With 14 meeting rooms, the biggest of which has a theater-seating capacity of 360
guests, this hotel remains a top choice for MICE events held in Davao City.
Venues in urban areas
Disadvantages
Can cause traffic congestion in the
area
Convenient for transportation
Rush hours may cause inconvenience
Close to where the attendees stay
Limited space to host large events
Advantages
Takes less time to reach
Venues in suburban areas
Advantages
Disadvantages
Less traffic congestion
Takes long time to commute
Adequate parking spaces
Inconvenient if there’s no public
transportation
Usually have spacious outdoor halls
Transport maybe costly
Venue Layout
An event floor plan usually varies depending on event type as well as venue layout
such as entries and exits along with barriers and utility ports. Venues with flexible
layout are desirable to organizers as they can mold almost any floor plan on to an
existing floor space.
a. Hall Space
- Hall size is a key determinant of whether a venue will be chosen by
organizers. Venue operators must have all the information about
every square-meter within the venue, as they need to know the
actual area that can be used.
b. Ceiling height
- This is an essential consideration when it comes to exhibitions to
accommodate tall booths as well as ease in construction and
dismantling. Booth designs can vary, some maybe a double story to
increase available space. Low ceiling can create discomfort to
guests, while high ceiling takes a lot of energy to control
temperature.
c. Number of Entries and exits
- Entrance and exit numbers will determine management of
attendee traffic flow. Halls with single entry and exit can help
organizers control the overall atmosphere of the event but can
easily cause congestion. On the other hand, halls with multiple
entries and exits can ease out crowding.
d. Emergency Exits
- There has to be a sufficient number according to the size of the
venue.
e. Location and size of restrooms
- Location of restrooms should have convenient proximity to event
spaces and must be proportionate to venue capacity.
Venue Infrastructure
a. Lighting System
- It can enhance attractiveness by setting up the mood of the
venue.
b. Audio-visual Equipment
- Can either be from the venue or event organizers can contact
service provider according to their needs and discretion. There has
to be proper acoustics to avoid discomfort.
c. Internet Connectivity
- The need to have internet connection, usually through Wi-Fi
(Wireless Fidelity), is essential as people are now becoming more
intertwined to what the internet has to offer, from news,
entertainment and other forms media sharing platforms.
d. Supporting Facilities
- These are secondary considerations by organizers and depends on
the need of the guests, these are: Muslim Prayer rooms, VIP
Lounges, child-care rooms and others.
e. Loading Area
- Loading docks must have adequate space to move the facilities all
around the area of the venue. There also has to be special
entrances for loading and unloading big necessities needed in an
event.
f.
Safety and Security System
- These are important especially to events with important figures as
guests. Venues should provide safety and security equipment that
are well-maintained and ready to use like walkthrough metal
detectors, handheld detectors and other tools.
g. Waste Management System
- Waste, water management and garbage management systems
can add value to services venues can provide as well as support
green meeting initiatives.
h. Transportation Access
- A venue located downtown or in urban areas may have little
concern with linkage to transportation routes as convenience and
coverage by transportation systems especially public transportation
in urban areas is usually well-developed.
- Countries with better transportation accessibility, therefore, can be
at an advantage over less developed countries.
- Another inevitable consideration is parking space with effective
parking management tools and systems to ensure full utilization of
available spaces in an organized manner even with large number
of attendees.
Venue Management
-
Looking at venue management as a business, return for venue
operators is the fees charged for services provided: Maintenance,
Marketing and Public Relations, Box Office and Registration, Human
Resources, Development, Safety and Security, Compliance, and
Insurance.
a. Maintenance
- Maintenance should be regarded as one of the most important
aspects of venue management to ensure a venue is kept at its best
conditions to host MICE events of any kinds
- Maintenance of venues includes maintaining cleanliness,
conditions of facilities, renovating layouts and designs & renovating
buildings
- Venues make up of many facilities and equipment that must be
maintained to prolong usefulness and preserve performance
- Layouts and interior designs of venues must also be renovated as
appropriate. Venue operators can schedule this process from time
to time to control time and cost
- Layouts and interior design have an impact on organizer decisions,
as discussed earlier; therefore, venue operators should keep them
modern and up-to-date.
b. Marketing and Public Relation
- Marketing products and services are essential every business owner.
Likewise, venue operators must market their venues to target
audiences who, in this case, are organizers.
- Venue operators can use price incentives, additional services as
methods to attract organizers to host MICE events at their venues.
-
Primarily, venue operators can promote venues through local CVBs.
Trade and road shows provide an opportunity for venues to show
case themselves and what they can offer to potential clients and
as such, they must try to present themselves in a unique and
attractive manner.
c. Box Office and Registration
- MICE events come in many forms, some are without entrance fees
while some require entrance tickets to be purchased
- Some events may require registration for attendees to receive a
personal badge  Venue operators must take into consideration
these possible options and make certain they can provide facilities
to support each activity
- Fortunately, technology has become an important part of
registration and ticketing services due to its ability to save time, cost
and promote convenience.
d. Human Resource
- On MICE context, human resource is all about finding the right
people at the right time and putting them in the right spot to avoid
unnecessary costs.
e. Development
- As dynamic as the MICE industry is, venues as a key component
contributing to the success of MICE events should keep track of any
changes and development within the industry reflected in
organizer and attendee requirements.
- Apparent trends include an increase in technology requirements
like Wi-Fi coverage, RFID, new registration systems, waste
management and energy conservation
f.
Safety and Security
- Safety and security is an important factor that organizers take into
consideration when choosing venues
- Especially after the most outrageous terrorist attack 9/11, safety
and security and emergency tackling plans have become even
more important especially for MICE events attended by many
important figures
- Emergency response plans vary depending on the type of MICE
events, size, and number of attendees and location of the venue.
- However, emergency response plan normally include these
aspects:
o Possible unexpected events
o Direct supervisors authorized to handle each issue
o Responsibility of each supervisor under each circumstance
o Emergency contact point & location
o Transportation access in case of emergency
o Evacuation plan
o
Communication plan under emergency state
g. Insurance
- To ensure the smoothness of the event is through insuring over other
possible risks. In most cases, venues usually insure against these risks:
o Cancelations: With insurance, venue operators can hedge
themselves against these risk. Venues will be compensated
for cancelations upon previously agreed reasons of
cancelations.
o Attendees’ welfare: In case of accidents within venues on
attendees, venue operators are usually liable to those
damages on the attendees.
o Buildings: In case of unexpected incidents that cause
damages on any part of the building, insurance can be an
effective tool to compensate for the damages.
- Insurance is not mandatory for any venue operators, though having
insurance can ensure venues over numerous risks.
Module 3: MICE Venue, Logistics, and Management
Chapter 10: MICE Industry Logistics
Objectives
By the end of Chapter 10, the student should be able to:
-
Define Logistics and Transportation in the context of Tourism and
Hospitality.
Analyze the considerations for the modes of transportation.
Identify other different stakeholders of the MICE value chain for
Logistics and Transportation.
Logistics and Transportation
-
Logistics can be defined as management of the flow of goods or
people from a point of origin to a point of destination
This flow is managed while taking into consideration two factors time and cost
Transportation is simply a movement of people or goods from one
location to another
There are three main components in transportation, infrastructure,
vehicles and operations
Transport infrastructure is a fixed installation required for
transportations
Vehicles are instruments that utilize transport infrastructures
Operations are how these vehicles operate
Modes of Transportation
-
Choosing a mode of transportation has become more
complicated and requiring effective planning.
The three main modes of transportation, air, land and sea each
have advantages and disadvantages making it impossible to point
out which one is the best.
a. Air Transport
- Considering time as the most crucial factor, air transport will
definitely be the most effective mode of transport in transporting
people and items from one place to another.
- There are two main air transportation usages, passengers and
freight.
- Most commercial airlines service passengers who wish to travel from
one location to another.
- The other usage of air transportation is freight airlines that specialize
in transporting goods, mail, cargo and other tangible items.
-
With air transportation, users usually have to bear more cost when
compared to other modes of transportation.
Apart from costs, the size of items to be transported is also limited
those that can fit inside a plane.
For commercial aircraft, plenty of time is typically spent before,
during and after flights.
b. Land Transport
- Land transportation can be divided into two modes Rail Transport
and Road Transport:
o
Rail transport can transport both people (passengers) and
goods (freight). Passenger trains are used to transport
people inter-city and intra-city transit.
 Inter-city service typically entails higher speeds with
longer distance between cities
 Intra-city transit entails lower speed, shorter routes and
more stops along the way
 Regardless of whether rail travel is between cities or
within a single city, it can save significant travelling
time and lessen pollution.
 The other type of rail transportation is freight trains
used to transports cargos and goods.
 Freight trains offer an efficient way to move goods
due to its lower price and loading capacity
 A major drawback with freight trains is that the
network does not always allow for door-to-door
delivery.
o
Road Transport
 Road transportation utilizes networks of highways and
roads to transport people and goods from point A to
point B.
 With modern highways that connect every city and
important location within a country, transportation of
people and goods is fast and more convenient as it
can provide door-to-door delivery.
 Unlike rail transportation, road transportation does not
require stations, ports or terminals to be able to
operate making road transportation very flexible.
 However, road transportation is less efficient than the
railway when load capacity or distance to cost is
compared.
c. Water Transport
- The slowest method, yet one of the most popular, especially for
cross-continental transportation, is by water and is probably the
most suitable for moving goods over long distance
-
However, it may not be the most popular method to transport
people except for recreational purposes
Modern freight ships can be categorized according to their
purpose;
o Bulk carriers – transport bulk cargo items
o Container ships – carry and transport truck-sized containers
o Tankers – transport goods in liquid form
o Reefer’ ships have a temperature-controlled compartment
for perishable commodities
o RORO ships, roll-on/roll-off ships, are specifically designed to
carry cargo with wheels such as automobiles
o With so many varieties of ship, logistic management
companies need to select the most appropriate one for the
products to be transported
o Not only ships, but also route or shipping lanes have been
developed to maximize efficiency and economy of scale
that can drive the cost per unit down and has made water
transport the bridge between other modes of transport in
multi-modal transportation
o One important disadvantage is that it depends on ports to
have access to a certain location
o Another limitation lies in operating speed
MICE Industry Logistics
-
To ensure the success of the event, transportation methods and
arrangements must be well planned.
MICE events have specific requirements and precisions in terms of
logistics and transportation.
Six specific requirements organizers need to take into consideration when planning
and selecting modes of transportation.
a. Speed
- The faster the journey and the shorter the time spent on
transportation, the better it is for business travellers.
- However, better benefits come with greater cost. It is necessary for
organizers to balance between the two to get delegates to the
destination in an appropriate amount of time at a reasonable cost.
b. Comfort
- The opportunity to sit comfortably and relax with minimum
distractions are qualities for which people traveling for business
purposes, even to attend MICE events, are willing to pay extra.
- On the other hand, this factor may not be of much importance
when it comes to transporting goods, as organizers simply need to
ensure their condition is maintained at all times.
c. Reliability and Punctuality
- As time is one of the most vital matters for business travellers and to
MICE attendees, reliability and punctuality of any transport services
must be ensured to mitigate risk.
- Organizers and exhibitors also need to stress reliability and
punctuality qualities in the services rendered by transportation
service providers.
- To ensure everything goes according to plan, organizers should
take into consideration not only the time required for transportation
but also time required for clearing goods through customs.
d. Convenience
- Convenience is linked with many business travellers need for speed
and is not limited to location or public transport networks, it can be
incorporated into the services designed to save time or prevent
frustration.
- For transporting goods and equipment, convenience may be less
important when compared to reliability and speed.
e. Frequency
- Another factor closely related to convenience is frequency.
- An airline company with frequent flights schedules for each route
will allow MICE attendees to tailor their itinerary according to their
schedule.
- For transporting goods and equipment for MICE events, most cargo
airlines and shipping companies operate with regular intervals and
schedules that are typically fixed.
- This means that an organizer must decide on the mode of transport
to use based on the scheduled delivery time and then work
backward from there.
f.
Value for Money
- Value for money is one of the most important factors for business
travellers and MICE organizers.
- A transport operator who can offer superior services with a
competitive price will have a distinct advantage.
When considering the mode of transportation for MICE attendees traveling
from abroad, air transport should be the most preferable choice because it is the
fastest way for attendees to get to the destination. However, once they reach the
airport, they might require transportation to their hotel or to the venue. Exhibitions
often require complicated logistics planning since they involve transportation of
both people and exhibits. Organizing any successful exhibition relies on well-planned
logistics in three phases: build-up, exhibit and dismantling. However, before anyone
can create a flawless logistics plan, time & budget constraints as well as space
limitations need to be analyzed and dealt with in the planning stage.
Related Stakeholders in Logistics and Transportation
a. Ports and Stations
- Some types of transportation cannot take place without the
existence of ports. Airports are locations where aircraft take off and
land. Most international airports also offer space for aircraft to go
through maintenance.
- Seaports are locations where ships dock to transfer goods and
resupply all needed resources. Port location is selected to optimize
access between land and water for commercial usage, especially
for large container ships due to their need for deep water.
b. Immigration Bureau
- The Immigration Bureau is responsible for granting visas to nonFilipino nationals who wish to come to the Philippines.
- The connection to MICE industry lies in the leniency and simplicity of
this process.
c. Customs
- The Customs Department is responsible for collecting tariffs for
imports & exports passing through the borders of Philippines. As
every exhibit going in or out of Thailand must pass the customs
department, the customs department can be regarded as a
gatekeeper allowing goods and equipment in and out of the
country.
d. Food and Drug Administration
- Food and Drug Administration ensure the quality of food, drugs,
medical devices, chemicals and cosmetics available in the
country.
- Rules and regulations set by Food and Drug Administration also play
a role in the exhibition industry as some rules may apply to the
quality of exhibition goods entering the country.
e. Airlines
- Airlines are companies commercially operate aircrafts for
transporting passengers and goods.
- Passenger airlines are those operated aircrafts for the purpose of
transporting people to various destinations.
- On the other hand, freight airlines are aircrafts operators
specialized in handling and delivering of tangibles.
f.
Shipping Companies
- A shipping company is specialized in transporting goods on ships.
Example: 2GO
g. Freight Forwarders
-
-
Freight forwarders are companies that organize shipments of goods
for individuals or corporations and will make contracts with airlines
and shipping companies to facilitate the transport of goods.
They act as an intermediary standing between those who need
goods delivered and companies that can deliver those goods.
Application
Instruction: Answer each question in not less than 75 words each.
a. What makes a good MICE Structure and how can it be measured?
b. As a Tourism Management practitioner, what are the 2 most important
qualities that a MICE Manager must have and why?
Assessment
Instruction: Answer in not less than 100 words per question.
a. Establish a connection between the components of MICE and explain its
significance.
b. MICE sector is one of the fastest growing sector in the Hospitality and Tourism
Industry, this not only boosts local economy in localities where MICE Venue
are present, it also contributes substantially to local employment, tourism
destination promotion, generates foreign exchange and increases trade and
exchange. Today, Covid-19 pandemic has brought an immense disruption to
the then well-performing MICE value chain. In the table below, identify at
least four (4) MICE stakeholders and the respective losses incurred due to the
pandemic along with recommendations on how to catapult back from the
backlash of the pandemic. An example is given below.
Stakeholder/s
Ex. MICE Organizers
Losses/Setbacks
Loss of income source
Re-establish operational
procedures to fit with
recommended
guidelines. E.g. Guidelines
set by the IATF.
Recommendations
Open the
company/organization to
new funding sources. E.g.
Bank loans, Selling of
shares to potential
financers.
Amidst the financial losses
taken, purchase of Covid19-related facilities is still
needed. E.g. purchasing
of Thermal Scanners,
Sanitizers, etc.
1.
2.
3.
c. Without repeating what has been discussed in the module, think of other 2
stakeholders and briefly explain their essentiality to the value chain of MICE
Logistics and Transport.
1.
2.
End of Module 3
“Another word for compromise is failure.”
Eudora, MLBB