MICE comprises four event subfields. They are Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conferences and Conventions, and Exhibitions.
In some countries, MICE is called Business Events. As the Incentive Travel is removed and delegated to Travel and Tour Operators or Destination Management Companies (DMC).
Meeting is a gathering of two or more individuals convened for the purpose of achieving specific goals.
The Convention Industry Council defines meetings as a gathering of 10 or more individuals for a minimum of four hours in a contracted venue.
Type of meetings include general meetings, board meetings and management meetings (Professional Event Management Phil. MICE Academy 2018).
Incentive travel is business-related travel that is designed to provide motivation or incentives to help businesspeople become more successful. Incentive travel is business travel that helps motivate employees or partners to increase certain activity or to reach a goal (tripsavvy.com).
Incentive Travel is a global management tool that utilizes travel experience to increase the performance of an organization in achieving goals (Society of Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) ) .
Convention is a gathering of individuals to discuss common interests that are usually based on a profession, industry or fandom (Professional Event Management of Phil. MICE Academy 2018).
Examples of Convention are TOYCON – the best Pop Culture event in South East Asia and the biggest Pop Culture event in the Philippines.
Medical Associations also do their annual conventions.
Conference is another meeting of various sectors of an industry that can last for several days with hundreds or thousands of participants.
Conference can be accompanied by Exhibition.
Example of Conferences are Customer Lovefest Conference – the first and biggest Loyalty and Customer Experience Conference in the Philippines, National Retailers Conference accompanied by Stores Asia Expo, National Marketing Conference.
MICE is an important success area of Tourism and Trade. MICE attendees contribute 7x to the economy of the host country or city.
MICE attendees are mostly businessmen or leaders of industries. They have high spending power.
Most of the time, MICE attendees do R and R to experience the host country.
This behaviour has a positive impact to the economy of the host city or country.