Meetings

Meetings are usually a single-day event held in hotel conference rooms or at convention centres. They can vary in size from only a small group of senior executives to larger gatherings like annual shareholder meetings.  The purpose is to bring together people from one company, industry, or project to address challenges, discuss plans, and set goals. Catering is often kept simple and there’s rarely an entertainment program.

Incentives

Incentives are probably the most fun part of the MICE segment. They include all types of travel rewards a company offers to individual staff, teams, or partners (e.g. affiliates). In this context, the goal of an incentive is to thank people for their great performance, boost morale, or increase employee loyalty.  Incentives can take different forms depending on the company organising them. Some may send their team for an all-inclusive weekend trip to an out-of-town resort. Others might plan a variety of activities closer to home to encourage staff to bond in an informal setting.

Conferences

Think of conferences as supersized meetings. They often last more than one day and can vary in size, but usually they have more attendees than meetings. As with incentives, conferences can look very different depending on the organisers and the industry behind them.

Exhibitions

Also referred to as trade shows, exhibitions are usually massive events that draw thousands of visitors and exhibitors from around the world. They can last anywhere from several days to a week. Exhibitions are usually very industry-specific and have a well-defined target market. Exhibitors go to trade shows to present and promote their product or service, drive business, and liaise with existing and potential partners.