MICE

Bleisure

In the Politics, Aristotle noted that "The first principle of all action is leisure. Both are required, but leisure is better than occupation and is its end." Important to say here is that leisure, in the sense intended in this quote, means the opposite of downtime. Leisure is not idleness, but activity undertaken for its own sake. Therefore, we should be able, not only to work well, but to use leisure well. Work, work, work, work, work, work Vacations are people’s favorite escape plans. A way to take a break and enjoy the life away from the office, tasks, meetings, deadlines, and computer screens. Something to look forward to. Finding the right time to travel can sometimes be challenging when you have a full-time job and your work dynamics do not allow you to take the time off whenever you feel like it. Sometimes business travel is in the picture too, but we all know it is really not the same. It is not a big surprise that a combination of these two has been extremely popular for several years already. Captain Obvious defines Bleisure as the art of combining business and leisure, merging the leisure aspect into the business trip. This kind of travelling makes perfect sense – when you are on a business trip, you are in a position to explore the new place, alone, or in the company of your spouse or colleagues. According to a SAP Concur study it’s happening quite often. This perk brings several benefits to the companies: there are more employees who are willing to travel for business, these kinds of trips provide moral boost and increase productivity, travelers get to enjoy the new destination and decrease stress levels. Last but not the least, travel industry generates more revenue. Many business travelers return to the same location several times. In these circumstances, bleisure offers an opportunity to get to know the destination better and include the special interest of the guests in the itinerary of the trip. Depending on the type of the destination, the itinerary group can opt for hiking in the mountains, ballooning, gastronomy experiences or...

May 20, 2021

Mima Đuričić

in General, Tourism

Importance of standards and procedures in the MICE industry

This is a story about the things you didn’t know you wanted to care about. The important stuff small businesses usually avoid. Standards, procedures, SOP, documentation… MICE is very dynamic industry and something new and interesting is always around the corner. And all these words sound so, well, boring. Similar to when you buy a new home appliance you wanted for some time. And you skip reading the manual because it is too long and boring. And how hard can it be unpacking and setting up something which is designed to make your life easier? These stories usually end with you digging up the manual from the trash and reading it in detail. Some things are not as simple as they seem. Do you want a similar scenario with your event? We guess not. Standards and procedures might sound boring, but they are important. And if you are new to this business, this is something which (in our humble opinion) you should go through on your first day of work. Let’s get to it. Standards are set of definitions, the guidelines, the “how to” instructions for all aspects of business: development, implementation, production, delivery, use of products and services. Good products and services don’t become great if they are not held up to the highest standards. Standards are implemented through certifications and licenses. As in every industry, MICE has several of them. Here are some examples: HAACP – Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points ISO 20121 Event Sustainability Management Systems ISO 22301 Business Continuity Management Systems ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems ISO 22000 Food Safety Management Systems ISO 50001 Energy Management Systems TISI 22300 MICE Security Management Systems But why should you care about this? You do your job and all is well at the moment, right? But, apart from playing it safe, there should always be room for improvement and scaling your business. Application of standards can: Improve your services Improve your performance Prove your commitment to quality in every phase of the project Ensure consistency Obtain new and keep your existing customers Ensure regulatory compliance (they must be checked and, if needed,...

March 8, 2021

Mima Đuričić

in General, MICE, Tourism, Uncategorized

Do I need an agency?

If you are working in a DMC or a similar type of inbound agency, chances are you’ve already heard this question one too many times. I know that every time I hear it, I remember my ex-colleague from Spain and how she organized her own wedding: 1) in Italy, 2) by phone and fax, 3) back in the day when the internet still was not a big thing. And I cannot help but agree with my clients. With technology today and the amount of available information on the web, you really don’t need assistance to book a set of services. Same goes if you are working in the corporation and find yourself in charge of organizing incentive trip or a conference abroad. Why would you need a local agency? When you think about organizing almost anything, it comes down to booking a set of services. You know how to book a hotel. And a restaurant. And a coach. And a guide. And whatever else is needed. All the businesses have online presence nowadays. And that is all true. You don’t need an agency to do that. Everything IS now online, with thousands and thousands of reviews from users around the world. It is now easier than ever to find the suppliers and organize your event abroad. All you need is a computer, internet connection and some research. You have the layout of your event: flights, accommodation for x nights, conference program, social program day, some free time, dining out of the hotel, maybe even an elegant dinner and transfers as per program. And One budget to rule them all. And a deadline. Simple enough. Here is the algorithm of an average event manager, we’ll call her Susan. Step 1: Let’s start with the easiest task and solve the accommodation first. Susan checks Convention Bureau’s web page for some recommendations, also Googles 4* and 5* hotels, close to the city center, with adequate room structure and meeting facilities, etc. She needs to include three hotel options into the proposal, meaning she needs to contact more hotels and compare the offers. No biggie, let’s just email...

February 1, 2021

Mima Đuričić

in MICE, Tourism

Emotional Aspect Of Virtual Events

Just like anything else, the circumstances we found ourselves in, which moved our focus to hybrid and virtual events, have their good and bad sides. The way we used to communicate and socialize at the events changed in 2020. As we already mentioned here, technology evolves quickly but human nature does not. We can shift the mindset, but can’t do the same with our emotions easily. Change is hard in the beginning and it is natural to resist it at first. This particular change raises many questions: Is this situation permanent or temporary? Is it easier to adapt or to hibernate and wait for the first opportunity to devolve back to how it used to be? Is everyone really happy with this new normal or it’s just “fake it ‘till you make it” situation? There are many downsides to virtual events, but this article is not about that. In this post we discuss one of the least mentioned downsides of virtual events – the feelings of social isolation and loneliness during the online events. This can be considered the first article in our Unpopular opinion category. Basic premise: People are social beings. They need the connection with their fellow humans. But now, we have been moved to cyberspace. For many, there are emotional and psychological implications to staying physically apart from others, which can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation. It is not only the physical distancing, but emotional distancing which follows it. Not everyone loves crowded places or being too close to other people. But having the freedom and choice to do so, while feeling safe at the same time, makes all the difference. And now what? We are bridging the gap with the technology. The technology is emotion blind. It transfers data. It is binary. 0 or 1. Yes or no, on or off. Even if you are using EAI software (Emotion Artificial Intelligence, it works by scanning our facial expressions or non-verbal cues and translates it into the set of data) it is still up to us to sort that data into information. And what should we do with it then? One obvious, intangible...

November 26, 2020

Mima Đuričić

in General, MICE