Mice tourism notes

Running Head: MICE EVENTS & TECHNOLOGY 1

MICE EVENTS & TECHNOLOGY 8

MICE Events and Technology Literature Review

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Introduction

The Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions (MICE) Tourism sector has been growing rapidly in the past decade in most parts of the world and especially in the Asia Pacific region. However, one of the key challenges brought about by the rapid growth of the sector is on maintaining high service standards within the context of intense competition. Specifically, the development and incorporation of skills from the information technology sector to the MICE sector is regarded as one of the most essential elements in the provision of quality services to the tourists (Mistilis & Dwyer, 2010). Technology remains to be a key aspect of MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conference, and Exhibitions). Technology serves as a tool for actively shaping consumer and delegate engagement thus enhancing audience participation as well the delivery of intended results. Moreover, technology enables the creation of long-lasting and fulfilling relationships between the involved businesses in the events and the audiences. As a result most of the events have incorporated the use of technology virtual elements like video-conferencing, social media and the use of live-streaming to make presentations (Yang &Gu, 2012), As a result there has been a gradual shift to the use of virtual events in most of the conference and exhibition events to help make the delivery of the more effective and to reach out to an even larger number of people. The literature review aims to address the issues and concerns regarding technology in the MICE sector in a bid to illustrate how nations can use technology in MICE to attain competitive advantage.

Literature Review

The MICE sector is one of the few industries where the old meets the new. Although the sector has existed for decades it is only until recently that the age-established practices are colliding with innovation and new ideas. As a result of the two opposing approaches, there are different hurdles that need to be overcome in order for the MICE sector to remain practical, innovative and to push its boundaries.Mistilis& Dwyer(2010), notes that the only catalyst for progression in the MICE sector is technology and cultural shifts, where a reciprocal relationship between the two is likely to foster innovation and better creativity within the industry. These cultural shifts are already evidenced in the growing consumer demand for the provision of key technology products and services. Key players within the sector have already noted that technology has enhanced the provision of a majority of the services, hence resulting in a positive change, enhanced efficiency, and advancement. In fact, according to O’Connor (2017) any business within the MICE sector that is not taking advantage of technology to offer the risks of the most efficient service becoming both obsolete and old-fashioned.

According to Yang&Gu, (2012), technology and changing consumer expectations are offering more transparency and immediacy within the MICE industry. Technology, for example, helps with the venue booking process online, the publication of all the venue details upfront as well as putting the consumers in control of the booking and settling process. Garland (2018), further adds that technology has necessitated the participants of the MICE events to turn to the internet and gather the information they need in a matter of minutes. Therefore, technology is quickly enabling the efficiency in the supply and demand process for the MICE industry. Hence, even despite the need for expert knowledge and experience, technology is on the fore-front in refreshing ideas especially in the key processes surrounding the MICE sector.

According to Schlentrich (2008), the implementation of technological innovations within the MICE sector can be done in multiple ways and is currently even being used to great effects by some industries. For example, major companies within the MICE industry, are taking a key interest in investing in apps which will enhance the booking and payment process. Such has been necessitated by growing consumer demand to book venues online, as it is deemed to be streamlined and more efficient. However, O’Connor(2017) notes that the implementation of new technological practices will require a complete overhaul of the long-standing established business practices and systems. Hence this is where the industrial shift is appearing, especially since the new businesses practices are quick and dynamic. Often, technology is ever-changing and takes effect within a very short time and thus the key players within the MICE sector need to be both proactive and agile to catch up with the process rather than being passive and slow in their transition.

In a prediction made by Deloitte, “Millennials will make-up 75% of the global workforce by the year 2025” (Murugesan, 2018). The millennials are well-vast with the different aspects of the internet meaning that the use of technology in a sector like MICE will almost be inevitable. In this case, technology is intended to hasten and make easier the life of an MICE planner.O’Connor (2017), notes that there are multiple ways that technology is revolutionizing the MICE sector and that more industries need to get in the board since there is no turning back. One of the ways is by investing in mobile-savvy events especially since a majority of the digital advertising is spent on mobile advertising, and hence by being mobile-savvy means that the potential stakeholders should have all their event specifics accessible on mobile Garland (2018), adds that it is critical that all key players invest in the MICE sector invest in mobile-savvy events which involves having a mobile website, mobile app, mobile friendly Google maps, mobile-optimized emails and travel details incorporated within its mobile traveling apps. The other key technological aspect that all key players within the MICE sector need to invest in is social media. For all the event planners, social media serves as a great platform for the planners to market their events, to post their events information, to update their attendees on emerging event changes among other key things(Murugesan, 2018). Lastly, the event planners need to be open to the world of apps, as they play an integral role in the MICE events. Often these apps are effective in fostering eco-friendly events where they allow the different attendees to connect and exchange ideas with each other, to exchange key information regarding eth events and to gather feedback regarding the events as a whole (Murugesan, 2018).

According to Arnold (2016) technology within the MICE sector will result in increased collaborations and better audience engagement. Owing to the heightened use of social media in today’s world, collaborations are almost inevitable in every business. With regards to the MICE sector, collaboration needs to be the primary motive, and hence it is essential that the event planners consider the limitless possibilities that come with collaborations and networking before, during and after the events (Arnold, 2016). For example, social sharing, instant messaging as well as gamification are all important features that the participants need to access throughout the events period. On the same note, it is important for the event planners to keep the participants vested in the events by conducting audience engagements through the use of questions and answers.

In conclusion, in today’s age, the industries that will get ahead of the game are those that will leverage technology to help innovate and create essential experiences, thus making the ground for the industries stuck with the traditional methods of execution. Therefore, it is critical that more stakeholders, event planners, and industries alike learn how to evolve with the changing time and to keep up with the changing technological changes in a bid to remain relevant and to attract more returns in the end.

References

Arnold, D. (2016). Technology Shakes Up the MICE Industry. WEX. Retrieved from: https://www.wexinc.com/insights/blog/wex-travel/technology-shakes-up-the-mice-industry/

Garland, C. (2018. Top Trends Taking Over MICE Tourism in 2018. Tourism Review. Retrieved from: https://www.tourism-review.com/mice-tourism-trends-include-security-technology-experience-news10464

Murugesan, D. (2018). How technology is Breaking Barriers and Setting Trends in the MICE Industry. Freshworks. Retrieved from: https://medium.com/@divyam0511/how-technology-is-breaking-barriers-and-setting-trends-in-the-mice-industry-5e03ddb45dcb

O’Connor, N. (2017). Research into the Impact of Technology in the Events Industry. Routledge.

Mistilis, N., & Dwyer, L. (2010, January). Information technology and service standards in MICE tourism. In Journal of Convention & Exhibition Management (Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 55-65). Taylor & Francis Group.

Schlentrich, U. (2008). The MICE industry: meetings, incentives conventions, and exhibitions. The Sage handbook of hospitality management, 400e420.

Yang, L. T., & Gu, Z. (2012). Capacity optimization analysis for the MICE industry in Asia. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 24(2), 335-349.