CHAPTER III

MICE PLANNERS
TOUR28
Jan Edizon J. De Silva
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this chapter, you should be able to:
1.Explain the meaning of a MICE planner;
2.Understand the characteristics of successful MICE planner;
3.Explain the responsibilities of MICE planners; and
4.Discuss the following activities of MICE planners, which are:
a. pre-meeting activities;
b.on-site activities; and
c. Post-meetinga activities
MICE PLANNERS
Meaning of MICE Planner
Individuals or groups who sponsor meetings
usually appoint a single individual or committee to
coordinate the meeting. The person coordinating
the meeting is called several names-MICE planner,
meeting planner, meeting manager, coordinator,
meeting director, and professional congress
organizer (PCO).
CHARACTERISTICS AND
RESPONSIBILITIES
OF MICE PLANNERS
Characteristics and Responsibilities of MICE Planners
MICE planners must possess strong administrative and leadership qualities. In a
study conducted by Strick and Montgomery, the following are the 10 personality
characteristics of success ful MICE planners:
1. Organized
2. Efficient
3. Responsive
4. Attentive
5. Intelligent
6. Prompt
7. Courteous
8. Hardworking
9. Friendly
10.Hospitable
Majority of association and corporate
meeting planners are between the ages of
35 and 55. More than 50 percent are women
and 66 percent have a college education.
Most of them have more than four years of
experience in the field.
Responsibilities of
MICE Planners
Responsibilities of MICE Planners
In general, MICE planners are
responsible for the following:
• Pre-meeting Activities:
• On-site Activities:
• Post-meeting Activities
PRE-MEETING ACTIVITIES:
1. Plan the agenda of the meeting
Before a MICE planner can start planning
the meeting, he or she must know why the
meeting is being held. Meetings and
conventions are often held for several
reasons-training, problem-solving,
brainstorming, planning, networking, team
building, etc.
2.Establish the objectives of the meeting
The meeting agenda provides the basis
for the establishment of objectives. The
meeting objectives, in turn, will provide
the groundwork for the budget, the site
selection, and the site facility.
3. Predict the attendance
Attendance determines the success of a meeting or convention. To solicit
attendance, the MICE planner should develop a marketing plan. To develop
a marketing plan, the MICE planner must know what he or she and the
sponsoring organization are marketing and who are the prospective
attendees are. The work of the MICE planner is easier if he or she has a list
of attendees has demographic, psychographic, and historical data regarding
past meeting participants.Id the MICE planner is not familiar with the
potential attendees, that person should develop a profile of them through
discussions with the executive directors of the association or corporation.
The planner must develop questionnaires too determine the needs, desires,
and expectations of the group. These questionnaires should be administered
before the event.
4.Set the budget of the meeting
Setting a budget for the meeting is a
difficult task. It is successful if the MICE
planner is consulted before the budget
is finalized. A working budget should be
established and used as a guideline in
making decisions.
5. Select the site of the meeting
The success of a meeting, convention, or exposition depends on
the site and facilities chosen. When selecting a host city, the following
are the questions that should be answered:
a. Have you used the site before?
b. Is the site easily accessible for the majority of your participants?
c. Does the geographic area lend itself to pre and post- meeting or
conference excursions?
d. Is the ground transportation appropriate for the group?
e. What is the reputation of the site?
f. Is the climate acceptable to your participants?
g. Are there enough meeting places and sleeping rooms available to
accommodate your group during the desired period?
6. Select the meeting facility and the hotel
When choosing the meeting facility and the hotel, service is the first
priority. MICE planners must provide a level of service that makes the
guests feel at home, well cared for, and anxious to return. Along with
the service attitude of the staff, MICE planners are also looking for a
higher level of services for their special attendees-the physically
handicapped and those with special dietary needs.
Another important area to be considered is the ability to meet the
needs of their international attendees. The facilities, services, and
amenities that have to be provided are multilingual staff, easy exchange
of currency, interpreters, international codes and symbols on guest
information and signage, and the ability to accommodate special dietary
considerations.
7.Negotiate contracts
The person in charge of site should never
sign a contract with a facility unit after just
one site visit. It is suggested that the MICE
planner makes two visits to the site-one
announced and one unannounced. After
completing the two site visitation, the
planner can negotiate and sign the contract.
8.Plan exhibition
After the site has been selected, the
actual meeting, conference, or
exhibition can be planned. A detailed
agenda can be made which will include
meeting rooms and recreational
activities.
9.Prepare the exhibitor
correspondence and
packet
10.Create a marketing plan
In corporate training meeting, the marketing may
only be a flier or memo discussing the time, date,
place, and agenda. If the event is a major convention,
marketing starts one year before the event. In general,
the convention is marketed in the registration packet of
the previous year’s convention.The type of information
that should be included in the marketing piece should
be dates, places, and general overview of the theme.
11.Plan travel to and
from the site
12.Arrange ground
transportation
13.Organize shipping
14.Organize audiovisual needs
ON-SITE ACTIVITIES:
1.Conduct pre-event briefing
During the pre-event briefing, the participants
will brief each other regarding the changes that have
been taken since the event guide was developed. Each
department head will discuss the arrangements he or
she has made to service the group.The MICE planner
should arrive at least one hour before the event in the
case of a single meeting. In case of a major convention
or exposition, the MICE planner should arrive several
days before the event to oversee the move-in activities.
2.Prepare executive plan
In order to execute the plan
properly, it is necessary to have a
thorough event guide and maintain
open lines of communication
between the sponsoring organization
and the host venue.
3.Move people in/out
4.Troubleshoot
5.Approve invoices
Another important function of MICE planner is
to approve all invoices. It is the practice of host
venues to present an invoice at the end of each
major food and beverage function. It is the
responsibility of the planner to check the
accuracy of these invoices and to make the
necessary changes, if any.
 The MICE planner should arrive at least
one hour before the event in the case of a
single meeting. In case of a major
convention or exposition, the MICE
planner should arrive several days before
the event to oversee the move-in
activities.
POST-MEETING ACTIVITIES
1.Debrief
The aim of the debriefing is to
allow all those involved to discuss
openly their perceptions about the
meeting. At this time, the items of
contention will be discussed and
resolved.
2.Evaluate
The MICE planner is also responsible for administering
the evaluation. This can be done in a number of ways. The
sponsoring organization may place evaluation information
in every session so that it can evaluate the perception of
the attendees for each event. An evaluation form may also
be encouraged to complete the evaluation form before
they leave the site. The evaluation may also be mailed to
the attendees once they leave the meeting. A summary of
the evaluation should be compiled and used in the planning
of future events.
3. Provide recognition and
appreciation
4. Arrange shipping
5. Plan for the next year
These responsibilities may vary due to the nature
of the association, corporation, or group that the
planner is representing. In general, the association
and corporate planners are responsible for all
aspects of the meeting, including the agenda,
while the independent meeting planner may only
be responsible for certain aspects of the meeting,
such as site selection, agenda planning, budgetary
matters, and negotiations.