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Feature: Mice

22 Jan 2020
Comments | 0

MICE – gateway to a greater bottom line

TECHNOLOGY continues to

have a profound effect on

the travel industry and, as

more consumers go online

for their requirements,

there is a growing focus

in the trade with regard

to increasing the bottom

line by infiltrating the MICE

sector.

This is according to an

extract from the MICE

Academy Trends 2020

report released early this

month. The report aims to

help the industry progress

to higher professional

standards to ensure more

successful event outcomes.

“Previously on the

periphery, the travel industry

continues to become

greater competitors to the

traditional independent

event planners,” states the

report. “The MICE industry

is rapidly evolving into being

perceived as a part – or

stepchild – of the tourism

industry.”

The report suggests

the travel industry alters

the general perception

that the MICE elements

included within travel

and accommodation

requirements are merely

the ‘gateway’ to a greater

bottom line. “Their

attitude needs to have a

360-degree turn in realising

that the MICE component

is the raison d’être for

the traditional travel,

accommodation and ground

arrangement requirements.”

Helen Brewer, joint md

of the MICE Academy,

says with corporate clients

attempting to cut costs, it

makes sense for them to

incorporate event planning

into one with the travel side,

while travel professionals

see the potential of

additional income.

“It’s unlikely that the

majority of corporates

appreciate or indeed

comprehend whether a

travel agency or TMC is

proficient at the planning

tasks. It is equally unclear

whether the travel agencies

fully realise the intricacies

of some tasks,” she says.

It boils down to money

and communication, Helen

adds. “Corporates don’t

check proficiencies and

travel professionals don’t

explain precisely what they

do and don’t do per line

item.”

Events and travel are

related but very different

businesses, agrees Kerith

Hulme, a Travel Counsellor

who specialises in eventing

by working with the Soldiers

Group, an event-staffing

agency.

“The events industry

is dynamic and highly

pressurised, as is travel,

and while the basic

deliverables may seem

similar, I would still say

that for certain events

an experienced events

manager adds serious

value.”

The ultimate prize, she

believes, is when the events

and travel departments

work seamlessly together,

or when the travel manager

has events experience and

vice versa.

“For simple conferencing,

a travel agency with a

MICE division would be

well suited and price points

would satisfy the client. As

the complexity of the event

grows, there is a need for a

dedicated project manager

to work alongside the travel

manager. It comes down to

the detail required on the

event.”

Martine Sanderson,

World Leisure Holidays

group sales manager, says

there is still a lot of cross

pollination in this area. “It

depends on what the travel

agency can bring to the

table in terms of expertise

and experience. If it’s a

straightforward incentive

that does not require huge

technical conferencing and

events planning, it is likely

to be driven through a travel

agency.”

It is not uncommon to see

travel agencies and events

companies working hand in

hand on the same job, says

Martine. “The travel agent

books the accommodation

and air segments whilst

the event management

company plans and runs the

events on site.”

According to Kerith, when

she first started working in

the MICE industry 19 years

ago, there were only a few

major players, and people

knew of one another.

“These days there are

industry bodies, academic

qualifications and decades

of experience that set

agencies apart.”

Book it! 

Minor Hotels is promoting a package for meetings or incentive groups at The Royal

Livingstone Hotel by Anantara in Zambia, selling from US$395 (R5 612) single and

$425 (R6 038) double in the low season. Different rates apply for the medium and

high seasons. The nett rate includes accommodation and dinner; group check-in;

private venue hire on the deck or lawns for dinner; access to Victoria Falls; welcome

cocktail reception; 30% savings on selected spa treatments and no porterage or

resort fee. An additional daily conference package of $50pp (R710) covers venue hire

for a boardroom (maximum 12 people) as well as refreshment breaks. The offer is

valid until December 20. Black-out dates apply. 

Planning essential to mitigate safety risks to delegates

ESCALATING crime rates

in some of South Africa’s

prime conference and

incentives hotspots have

prompted role players in the

business events industry to

pay more attention to risk

mitigation.

“The more effectively

we can address clients’

concerns, the more MICE

business we will be able to

secure locally,” says Durban

ICC ceo, Lindiwe Rakharebe,

adding that issues related to

safety and security require

an integrated approach from

all stakeholders.

Md of Walthers Destination

Business Solutions

Africa, Daryl Keywood,

agrees, elaborating that

organisations considering

local incentive and

conference programmes

are directly responsible for

participant safety.

“The due diligence and

contracting for an incentive

group is often a thorough

process including risk

assessments, safety audits

and emergency planning.

Prior to embarking on

this process, corporate

clients especially look to a

destination’s safety record.”

Industry has welcomed

the fact that the safety

issues have been directly

addressed by high-level

government tourism and

police ministers, along

with efforts by key public

and private institutions to

consistently work toward

ensuring delegate safety.

“The most effective way

of dealing with any possible

risks is to work as one

united industry to take

on our challenges,” says

Michael Tollman, ceo of

Cullinan Holdings.

He echoes sentiments

shared by the Minister

of Tourism, Mmamoloko

Kubayi-Ngubane, at a

tourism safety media

briefing last year where she

highlighted that while SA

had its share of tourism

safety challenges for the

MICE industry, this was not

unique when considering the

global picture.

Speaking to TNW on the

side lines of the briefing, the

Minister reiterated that all

tourism sectors, including

MICE, would benefit

from the holistic Tourism

Safety Strategy, which was

launched in December last

year.

“With a dedicated

budget of R40m, the

strategy is focused on

a proactive response

rather than a reactive

one. It includes training,

monitoring, victim support

and swift investigation

and prosecution of crimes

perpetrated against

travellers.”

Ceo of the Tourism

Business Council of

South Africa, Tshifhiwa

Tshivhengwa, says this will

give the South African MICE

industry confidence to sell

South Africa as a domestic

group travel destination.

According to Saaci ceo,

Glenton de Kock, industry

players have pooled their

insights and experiences

to help planners better

understand the critical

elements of a riskmanagement policy that is

right for their event as well

as reflecting the current

realities.

He says these plans

are event-specific and

encompass the full

spectrum of the business

events value chain.

“Adopting a proactive

approach that will keep

staff and clients alert

to potential threats that

could compromise the

organisation and/or

outcome of an event is an

area that all South Africans

are now making part of

their daily routines,” says

Glenton.

He says a forward-thinking

approach to not only being

on the lookout for risks,

but to having a plan in

mind should these threats

become realities, ensures

the industry can explore

SA’s off-the-beaten-track

destinations through events

and incentives. 

SITE Africa gears up for continental membership drive

Q: What does the rebrand

mean for the association and

its members?

A: It is a very exciting

occasion for Africa as we

are now one inclusive

continental chapter. We had

some resistance in the past

from East and West African

DMCs in terms of joining the

Southern African chapter as

they felt that they did not

belong.

Q: What is your first priority

for 2020?

A: We need to appoint nonSouth African board members,

set up regional steering

committees and write a

comprehensive and practical

strategic plan.

Q: What do you hope to bring

to the continent that you

were unable to achieve as

SITE Southern Africa?

A: Cross pollination. Our

vision is to share skills across

the continent. There is so

much potential just waiting to

be unlocked and the people

of Africa are so motivated.

There are quite a few new and

existing tour operators out

there who want to get their

hands dirty and grow into the

MICE sector.

I am eternally positive about

Africa. Africans are getting

their mojo back and we have

every reason to be proud

of what nations across the

continent are achieving. East

Africa is the Golden Child at

the moment, with so much

positive development. SITE

Africa also hopes to assist in

some small way with regard to

promoting foreign investment

into Africa, as infrastructure

will be required to promote

tourism growth. That said,

one of the SITE Africa pillars

is sustainability, so in spite

of promoting growth, we need

to move forward in every

sustainable way possible.

Q: What will be your biggest

obstacle in trying to achieve

this?

A: Funding, so we need to find

sponsorship from the public

and private sectors to fund

our travels within Africa to

provide training.

Q: What does this change

mean for you as you are still

involved in day-to-day event

management?

A: It is an immense amount

of volunteer work, but it is my

passion to grow MICE tourism

across the continent and to

promote business tourism

into and within Africa. With

the right teams pulling their

weight, this should all be

achievable.

Q: How do you plan

to embark on a new

membership drive?

A: We have amazing contacts

across the continent in the

public and private sectors

who have already stepped

up to the plate. We will be

using the regional steering

committees to help us raise

awareness via their various

tourism associations. We’re

also looking at finding more

media partners, such as

yourselves, to spread the

word and forming alliances

with various tourism boards

and convention bureaus.

Q: How can travel agents

assist?

A: Outside South Africa,

most agencies are travel

agents first and foremost

and are only now carefully

starting to enter the world

of corporate events. These

are the companies SITE is

looking at supporting through

our network and educational

events. It is important for

agencies who want to venture

into being professional

conference organisers, or to

run exhibitions or congresses

etc., that they have the right

set of skills on board. It is

very risky to take on these

kinds of events if they do not

have the right experience.

Providing that sort of training

is part of SITE Africa’s

objectives, but there is a

much bigger picture involved

and this will be explored as

the new 2020 board roll out

their strategy.

Q: What do most travel

agents not know about SITE

in Africa?

A: Incentive travel is a

highly specialised sector

and it is key for agents to

understand the end-client’s

needs, company culture and

objectives in order to deliver

a world-class incentive travel

programme. SITE provides

in-depth training on these

matters through its CIS and

CIPT certifications.

Q: What trend are you most

excited about for 2020?

A: In spite of recent

challenges, South Africa is

still about good news, what

with the Springboks bringing

home the Rugby World

Cup, having our third Miss

Universe, and Cape Town

being selected the numberone tourist destination in the

world! We are super excited

about the new United Airlines

direct flight from New York

to Cape Town and hope our

amazing airlift team at Wesgro

have a few more surprises up

their sleeves.

SITE looks for new African members

SITE is calling on DMCs,

tour operators, travel

agents and PCOs across

Africa to join as SITE Africa

members.

The association, which

is based in Chicago and

the only fully international

association that has a

specific focus on incentive

travel, has more than 2 300

members in 90 countries

with 30 chapters worldwide.

New African members

may join as a Developing

Member at a discounted

rate of US$200 (R2 839)

plus a once-off joining

fee of $50 (R710). This

membership is valid for two

years and runs from January

through to December.

Birchwood prepares for a strong year

THE Birchwood Hotel and

OR Tambo Conference

Centre in Boksburg has

seen recent upgrades and

additions to its already

vast establishment.

According to

spokesperson Greg

Hoffmann, both the

Domestic and International

Centres were closed for

a complete refurbishment

that included modern

audio-visual installations

such as digital signage

screens, high-speed

connectivity with dedicated

SSID and bandwidth

options as well as other

features offering further

convenience to delegates.

The conference venues in

the two buildings comprise

15 conference rooms

that range from smaller

boardrooms to a 164-seat

auditorium as well as

large meeting rooms and

dedicated holding or VIP

rooms.

“We also added a

second option to our

large convention hall, The

Terminal.

“The 3 000 sqm

structure now has a

convenient, slightly smaller

option extremely close,

The Terminal B,” said Greg.

Cruising options elevated in style and innovation

GROUP travellers – particularly

in the MICE sector – are

increasingly appreciating

product offerings that offer

a singular and luxurious

experience and cruising is a

natural choice, according to

Development Promotions (DP).

“Three global cruising

brands are pushing the

traditional boundaries of

group travel by offering

unique on-board experiences,

interesting ports of call and

the type of attention to detail

that is required for dealing

with a group,” says DP

director, Jane Davidson.

One of Croatia’s leading

cruise operators, Katerina

Line, offers boutique cruising

for smaller groups of up to

38 passengers on its fleet of

more than 60 vessels, says

Jane.

“Katarina Line prepares

different round trips, specialinterest programmes,

excursion packages and

various new ideas for groups.”

The French luxury cruise

line, Ponant, which has

elevated itself in both

style and experiential

innovation, according to Jane,

accommodates larger groups

of up to 260 passengers. The

ships can also be chartered

for any type of cruise and

number of nights.

Ponant’s most innovative

product, says Jane, is the

Blue Eye Lounge on four of

the company’s luxury yachts.

“The Blue Eye Lounge is a

multi-sensorial underwater

salon allowing guests to

explore the underwater world

through two windows looking

out on to the sea bed.”

River cruising in Europe

remains popular for MICE

travellers and CroisiEurope’s

vessels offer capacity

for between 16 and 200

passengers, she says.

Destinations on trend for 2020

INCENTIVE and conference

organisers are increasingly

receiving requests for

off-the-beaten-track

destinations or add-on tours

offering affordable, authentic

and fully immersive

experiences and activities.

Based on this, Ecuador

and Peru look good to

trend in 2020 as two of the

most ‘Instagrammable’ hot

spots in South America,

with attractions such as

the Galapagos Islands and

Machu Picchu in the lead,

according to Border Air’s

Rathna Sewdass.

Brazil remains a favourite

due to its proximity and

affordability, she adds.

“Argentina is also incredibly

affordable with sights like

the Iguazu Falls seen from

both Argentina and Brazil.”

Furthermore, Manaus and

the surrounding areas on

the Brazilian side of the

Amazon rainforest were

untouched by last year’s

fires, making them popular

on the cruising and jungle

lodge circuit.

Ross Volk, md of MSC

Cruises SA, says some of

the most popular meeting

and incentive destinations

around the world this year

include Italy, Spain and

France. “The Caribbean and

Americas as well as the

Far East are still popular

even though they are more

expensive than Europe.”

Incentive organiser of

African Firefly Travel, Debbie

McHardy, believes a

reduction in barriers to intraAfrica travel – such as visa

and air access restrictions

– has sparked local interest

in incentive trips to the

continent, including Kenya,

Uganda and Rwanda.

Service levels in Africa

remain a challenge for

incentive travel, she says,

but the increase in supply

and demand should

contribute towards better

service delivery.

Director of Dana Tours,

Natalie Tenzer-Silva, agrees

that African destinations are

increasingly on the MICE

radar. She predicts that

Mozambique will become

one of the go-to business

travel destinations in

Southern Africa this year.

One advantage of choosing

Mozambique, she says,

is that it often prompts

requests to add a leisure

or incentive element pre or

post a business trip. 

Bush & beach

TO CAPITALISE on the

pre- and post-trip trend, the

Seychelles Tourism Board

(STB) is actively marketing

what it terms twin-centre

packages – luxury safari and

beach experiences in one

bundled deal – in Southern

and East Africa, including

Kenya, Zambia and South

Africa.

STB regional director for

Africa and the Americas,

David Germain, says the

strategy is supported

by daily flights between

Africa and the Seychelles

operating from Nairobi,

Addis Ababa and

Johannesburg. “Promotions

will be carried out during

2020 in collaboration with

the STB’s airline and trade

partners.”

Seychelles is one of the

leading MICE destinations

in the Indian Ocean, says

Border Air commercial

manager, Helena Maxwell,

speaking on behalf of Air

Seychelles.

Guests can conveniently

connect to the domestic

carrier upon arrival in Mahé

and enjoy a 15-minute

bird’s-eye view of the

scenery on the way to

Praslin.

“The fantastic properties

located across the islands

of Mahé, Praslin and

La Digue accommodate

different sizes of groups

in specialised settings,

however due to limited

capacity, the Seychelles is

better suited to small and

medium MICE groups.”

Activities for delegates can

range from underwater tours

and laughing yoga classes

to sampling Creole dishes

and teeing off amongt the

coconut trees.

MSC Cruises boosts MICE offering 

CRUISE bookings for the

MICE industry are a good

way for travel agents to

increase their earnings

by upselling cabins

and promoting pre-paid

packages.

This is according to Ross

Volk of MSC Cruises South

Africa, who has seen a

steady year-on-year increase

in the South African MICE

cruising market, despite a

weakened economy.

According to Ross, MSC

Cruises recently increased

its product offering for MICE

clients. “An example is our

newest ship, MSC Grandiosa,

which has an attractive

offering of a seven-night

cruise in the Mediterranean

that includes Italy, Malta,

Spain and France. We think

the offering provides the

best value for MICE clients

within easy reach of flights.”

MSC Grandiosa – fitted with

the latest environmental,

safety and AI technologies –

is also the line’s third ship

to feature ‘Cirque du Soleil

at Sea’, he says, as part of

the on-board entertainment

on offer.

MSC Cruises’ threenight weekend cruises

are extremely popular for

MICE business, he adds,

because time out of the

office is limited. “During the

2021/2022 local cruise

season, there will even

be the option of two-night

cruises on MSC Musica and

MSC Opera.”

Good to know is that

the line will offer more

departures out of Cape

Town in 2020, and a second

ship for the South African

2020/2021 cruise season

will increase guest capacity

by 50 000, he says.

Last December, MSC

Cruises welcomed its

first guests to Ocean Cay

MSC Marine Reserve,

its new private island in

the Bahamas. “As part

of its commitment to

environmental rehabilitation,

MSC Cruises transformed

the industrial sand

excavation site to a stunning

tropical destination.”

MSC Cruises offers

competitive group rates that

include accommodation, all

meals, entertainment and

conferencing facilities. There

is one free cruise fare for

every 23 delegates booked;

this is limited to a maximum

of ten free cruise fares per

booking.

Book it!

Guests at Minor Hotels’

Anantara Bazaruto Island

Resort in Mozambique

can enjoy a nett package

selling from R5 700

(single) and R9 300

(double) in the standard

season (different rates

apply for the high season).

The price includes

accommodation in a Beach

Villa; breakfast, lunch and

dinner; soft drinks, coffee

and tea, local beer and

wine; and boat transfers

from Vilanculos. Also

included are dune boarding

or a sunset dhow cruise per

group; private beach party;

snorkelling equipment;

one 30-minute morning

meditation; private group

seafood barbecue dinner;

use of bicycles (limited

availability); access to

sports facilities; and nonmotorised water sports.

Valid until January 6, 2021.

Block-out dates apply.

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