GCC corporates show increasing interest in hosting international and regional MICE activities

Organized by QnA International, The MICE Arabia Congress brought together key event managers, marketing, PR, Communication heads and business travel planners from some of the leading companies in the region discussing the importance of MICE and a need for hosting such business driven platform to discuss the key issues and source new destinations as GCC corporates look at hosting regional and international events and incentives.

A large number of organizations in the region are using travel incentives as a strategy to boost corporate results. Dubai Cables (Ducab) case study on powerful incentive travel reward for their distributors and retailers validates how incentive travel plans can take your sales, customer relations and profits to the next level.

"We saw a 73% increase in wire sales during our "www.DucabDragons.com" sales incentive last year, and look forward to a repeat with the 'Return of the Ducab Dragons' which will see winning channel partners awarded with an all-expenses paid five night stay in Hong Kong & Macau, including local sightseeing, a visit to HK Disneyland and team building activities like professional sessions in Kung Fu/Tai Chi self-defence techniques in June this year." said Ashish Chaturvedy Marketing Manager of Ducab, one of the largest manufacturers of wires and cables in the Middle East.

Tailored to the GCC market, the congress brought together event specialists and meeting planners in a special session to discuss the challenges from a regional perspective and debate on inhouse versus outsourced approach to corporate event management.

As quoted by Mr. Franklin Boitier, Head of Corporate Citizenship & Events from Qatar Gas "In the event business, It is fundamental that when you are organizing an event wherever in the world, you need to tailor-make it according to the region and consequently to the local culture. Furthermore a large company will always outsource 90 % of the event but its supervision has to be internally managed for its success."

The event managers attending the congress showed great interest in meeting with event management companies to discuss their requirements. The congress was chaired by Ms Rima Arab, Certified Consultant and Trainer for Business Etiquette and International Protocol from Qatar.

The Head of Press Office at Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, Mr Tariq Al Sada was among the many experts speaking at the congress who credited MICE Arabia Congress with elevating and expanding the spectrum of MICE activities. According to him "MICE-Arabia has proven to be a conference that doesn't only focus on the logistical and travel sides of the industry, but it also touches on very important topics that plays an important role in the overall success of any event, such as social media and technology, it is also a valuable networking opportunity, MICE-Arabia should be a destination for anyone who is looking for insight information from experienced industry leaders".

Miriam Farshoukh, PR Lead from Microsoft Gulf further adds "The MICE Arabia Congress is a platform for the region's industry experts to share insights on trends within the industry with insights that are valuable to the success of any event in our region. The networking is definitely a plus for a professional in the field, and provides an opportunity to build bridges between the region's key contributors to Events and Incentives. The panel discussions were highly insightful, especially the ones that touched on Event Management & Social Media communications given that this is a fairly new aspect of MICE."

The Congress concluded on a high note with delegates and sponsors applauding the event as a vital driver of discussions to monitor trends and changes in the industry. It was a good source to discover new destinations, gather creative ideas for events and incentives and establish contacts with key MICE providers from around the globe.

The congress was supported by the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Crowne Plaza Doha - The Business Park Hotel was the host sponsor.

Some of the key sponsors for the congress included: AIM Group International, The Address Hotels and Resorts, Armani Hotel Dubai, Atlantis the Palm, Batanay incentives, Bluechip Incentive travels, Corinthia Hotel Lisbon, The Convention Centre and Royal Suite Kuwait, The H Hotel,Dream Travels, Fairmont, Raffles and Swissotel Global, Haxel Events and Incentives,Grand Resort Lagonissi, The Gulf Hotel Bahrain and Gulf Convention Centre, Island Hideaway Maldives,Intercontinental Hotel Group Jordan, Hotel Cala De Volpe, Marriott Milan and Rome ,Mardaan Palace Turkey, Kempinski Grand & Ixir Hotel Bahrain city centre,Out of the Blue Capsis Resort Greece, Net tours, CHIC Outlet Shopping and Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC). Qatar Airways was the official airline partner and Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels was the gala dinner sponsor for this year.