Global Meeting Industry Day was celebrated on April 11th and was an opportunity to underline the golden moment of the sector. According to the Global Mice Industry Market Report published by Expert Market Research, globally the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) market closed 2023 with 783.7 billion dollars. For the period 2024-2032, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.69% is estimated, reaching a value of 1,413.1 billion dollars by 2032.
The scenery
This is a macro scenario that also projects confidence in the growth possibilities of the Lake Como destination and confirmation comes from ABG Lake Como, the first DMC (Destination Management Company) in the Lake Como area.
«These nine months have been very positive – says Alessia Bianchi, CEO of the company – we have developed relationships with numerous Italian and foreign companies and with various intermediaries, interested in holding corporate events in our territory. A planning activity was carried out for a few million euros and the share of related activities for the territory is high and in this context it has, moreover, the possibility of increasing the deseasonalisation of the tourist offer. To the companies, beyond some key moments in which there is no room for modification in the calendar, it has always been our concern to suggest the periods of the year in which there are no peaks in tourist presence”.
In Europe, the MICE industry has developed into a thriving sector attracting tourists, event organizers and business professionals. Among the main conference centers in the world, the report cites Hannover Messe in Germany and Fiera Milano in Italy while the four leading sectors are medical, technological, scientific and industrial.
«Based on our experience – continues Bianchi – ours is a well-equipped area in terms of infrastructure. It must be said that, for our business, we only use private transport services, for example. Likewise, I consider it an added value that companies can choose a large number of very different locations in Como and a vast offer of experiences in the area.”
The Como company focused on corporate events with a maximum of 120 guests. «It is the correct number for our possibilities in terms of location and transport – Alessia Bianchi always says – obviously these are different numbers compared to those of a conference center like Villa Erba, we focus on niche events always looking for top of the range in terms of service offering and I must say that the message was well received because we received requests from companies in different sectors: from real estate to automotive and insurance. Como is now perceived as a cool destination and coming to this area means giving guests a sought-after destination.”
The motivations
There are five reasons indicated by the Richmond Italia experts why it can be useful to participate in this type of meeting: exchange of information and ideas (sharing experiences and paths creates an exchange of knowledge that can lead to new solutions, strategies and innovative approaches); networking (meetings encourage meetings between colleagues, customers, suppliers and other professionals in the sector); problem solving (in a context of direct confrontation, it is easier to identify and solve problems collaboratively); personal growth and motivation (meeting different and successful realities can increase motivation and determination to reach new goals).
