MICE little earner: new trend boosts tourism sector

Senior figures is the Chinese tourism industry are now increasingly concerned with MICE. Fortunately this does mean the country's hotels and getaway spots are currently rodent-riddled, but rather that a whole new raft of opportunities are opening up in this sector. MICE is the innocuous sounding acronym for Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions and it is tipped to be a major driving force for the industry in the years to come.

Compared with traditional tourism sectors, such as sightseeing and leisure tours, MICE projects typically feature greater numbers of tourists, longer dwell periods, higher fees and, most importantly, greater profits.

This is also a sector that can drive the growth of many related industries, including transportation, catering, hotels, advertising, financial services and insurance.

More importantly, a MICE event is always a showcase for a city's overall image - its history, culture, tourist attractions, economic development levels and, above all, its future potential. Increasingly, the success of such an event inevitably boosts the host city's appeal to both tourists and businesspeople, a fact that has not been lost on many local governments.

Not all cities, however, are amicable to MICE initiatives. Before a city decides whether to invest in its own MICE offering, its local government needs to decide if it matches a number of important criteria. Key elements for success here are a lively business sector, leading-edge industries, an appealing natural and cultural environment, convenient transportation, dedicated tourism facilities (including hotels, catering and event venues) and, above all, professional companies capable of organizing events and offering high levels of service.

These are the reasons why a number of cities - notably New York, London, Paris, Singapore, Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai - are now firmly established in the premier league of MICE destinations. These cities can all match and exceed every one of the key requirements. In many cases, they also have the added advantage of being global leaders in particular spheres, such as politics, the economy, culture or tourism.

That doesn't mean though that there is no scope for second-tier cities to enter the field. A number of examples now clearly demonstrate that, if a city can shine in one or two of the required aspects, then they have a good chance of success.

A case in point is Boao, a small city in Hainan province. It has recently become one of the leading MICE host cities in China. This is quite an achievement for a city lacking a distinguished history, a booming economy or any landmark industries. Quite simply, until recently, Boao, was a place that few people had heard of.

Today, though, the name of Boao is recognized by the world over all because of one simple fact - it is the eponymous host city for the Boao Forum for Asia.

The local authorities in Boao have been straightforward in the development of their MICE industry. They have no real ambitions to turn the city into a business hub, industrial center, or anything of that nature. They have solely focused their efforts on hosting the successful Forum. This has allowed them to constantly refine their professionalism and resources for organizing the event, as well as to improve their facilities and to maintain the quality of the natural environment.

The success of the Forum has naturally drawn more exhibitors to other events held in the city, along with an increasing number of tourists curious to see firsthand the unique and well-preserved landscape of this now famous coastal city.

MICE events, then, can be the natural outcome of a region's industrial and economic development. The city of Dongguan in Guangdong, for instance, has developed into a globally renowned manufacturing base over the last 30 years or so. It is as a natural consequence of this that international and domestic buyers now regularly attend the city's trade fairs to seek outsourcing opportunities.

A number of the country's second-tier cities, such as Suzhou, though considerably smaller than the urban conglomerations of Shanghai and Beijing in terms of both size and population, are even more likely than Boao and Dongguan to become the shining stars of China's MICE industry.

Suzhou is at the heart of the Yangtze River Delta, the booming economic powerhouse of China, and only half an hour's drive from neighboring Shanghai. With the rapid development of several of its business sectors, including electronics, information technology, biomedicine, machine building, chemistry, textiles and garment making, Suzhou has an economic volume surpassing many of China's larger cities and approaching that of Shanghai.

Suzhou is already an internationally renowned tourist destination, due to its southern China-styled gardens, ancient towns and the picturesque Taihu Lake.

More importantly, the city also has high-quality exhibition facilities and experienced, professional event organizers.

The Suzhou International Exhibition Center (SuzhouExpo) is an exhibition venue with facilities matching internationally advanced standards. The Suzhou International Expo Center Co Ltd is also an experienced event organizer, with the successful managements of hundreds of domestic and international events under its belt.

Recognizing Suzhou's leading role in the MICE industry, the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) opened its China headquarters in the city last year. Chen Gang, general manager of SuzhouExpo, has also been named as the president of IAEE China.

(China Daily 08/31/2009 page8)