Definition of MICE
MICE is a commonly used acronym standing for "meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions," each playing an integral part in the wider tourism and hospitality industries.
Consisting of participants, sponsors, planners, committee members, suppliers, venues, accommodations, and more, the MICE industry is quite large and profitable, grossing millions globally every year.
Meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions can be organized to achieve a variety of business, political, cultural, or academic purposes, but the goal is commonly to grow businesses, increase awareness and visibility, foster relations, and ultimately generate profit.
Types of Events
Conferences
A conference is a formal event that usually takes place over several days and mostly occurs on an annual basis. Conferences gather people of common interests and are typically organized for business, academic, or political purposes.
Conventions
Conventions are large-scale events organized in attractive locations for a variety of purposes, usually based on a certain industry, profession, or fandom. Conventions can be informal on occasion, highly interactive, and open to the public.
Congresses
Featuring a number of talks and sessions, congresses gather notable figures and industry professionals to discuss as well as share knowledge and expertise pertaining to a certain field. Similar to conferences and conventions, a congress would typically be organized on an annual basis.
Forums
Forums are interactive events where participants and experts debate certain topics or issues, usually of high importance and relevance to the public, such as current news, politics, the economy, academic and scientific advancements, etc.
Summits
Summits are held by political figures to discuss topics and issues of importance to the public. Though they are usually televised and covered intensively by the media, summits are closed to the public and are by invitation only.
Exhibitions and Trade Shows
Exhibitions and trade shows are large-scale events, usually taking place over several days, where established brands, small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), as well as aspiring entrepreneurs, participate by purchasing booths to display and promote their products or services, networking with other professionals, and foster business relationships. Exhibitions and tradeshows are typically accompanied by talks, workshops, and other sessions within their duration.
Seminars and Symposiums
Typically held for training purposes, seminars are instructional sessions where one or more specialists present the content. Seminars allow attendees to ask questions that are within the purview of the topic in a semi-formal and to some extent participatory setting.
Seminars can include professional or academic subjects and are typically designed for a particular group of participants, such as senior students or employees of the company. When the number of attendees rises from a small group to a few hundred, seminars turn into symposiums. Compared to seminars, symposiums are more formal, and because of their size, interaction is confined to a select few participants' queries.
Workshops
Workshops are small-scale sessions with a limited number of participants who receive hands-on training from an invited expert. The subject of workshops varies; they can be put together for the development of defined groups with certain skills or techniques.
Product Launches
Product launches are critical for a new product's successful market entry. Product launches generate a lot of buzzes and can be extravagant with creative themes and graced with the attendance of important figures such as celebrities, influencers, and media personnel.
Board Meetings and Shareholder Meetings
Board meetings and shareholder meetings are common occurrences, especially for publicly listed companies. Board meetings gather board members to review business performance and make important decisions or changes where necessary.
Shareholder meetings, on the other hand, provide companies with the opportunity to share updates about current company performance, targets, future goals, and business strategies with their shareholders. Depending on the amount of work and projects at hand, these meetings can be held on an annual, biannual, or even quarterly basis.
Executive Retreats and Incentive Programs
Executive retreats and incentive programs are often held at luxurious locations to discuss business development and organizational planning, but ultimately, all parties involved should have an enjoyable time.
These trips and retreats typically last between 3 and 5 days and require careful planning and selection in terms of locations, accommodations, transportation, catering, and more.
Appreciation Events
Events of appreciation are planned in an informal setting and might be targeted toward either client or employee appreciation.
Company or Organization Milestones
Company milestone events are organized to commemorate accomplishing a particular objective, a notable anniversary, concluding a difficult project, or any noteworthy milestone deserving of celebration.
The size of company milestone celebrations varies; they might be a modest, private celebration for management and staff only, or they could be planned on a larger scale with media attention and prominent business players as guests.
Team Building Events
Team-building activities are organized to boost team spirit and morale. They allow employees to spend time together sharing stories and participating in activities in an informal, outdoor setting.
Definition of a Conference
A conference is a formal event that usually takes place over several days and mostly occurs on an annual basis. Conferences gather people of common interests and are typically organized for business, academic, or political purposes. The distinction between a conference and a convention a conference is a formal event that usually takes place over several days and mostly occurs on an annual basis. Conferences gather people of common interests and are typically organized for business, academic, or political purposes. Conferences are typically paid events that are closed to the public and dominated by one-way communication in which experts do the majority of the speaking.
Conventions, on the other hand, can be organized for a variety of purposes, usually based on a certain industry, profession, or fandom. Conventions can be informal, open to the public, and allow a higher degree of interaction than conferences do.
Difference between Conference and Event
"Event" is an umbrella term that can be used to describe any type of organized happening, from birthdays and weddings down to corporate meetings, conferences, etc.
On the other hand, a "conference" is a specific type of event that is formal in nature and usually takes place over several days. Conferences gather people of common interests and are typically organized for business, academic, or political purposes.
Definition of Conference Management
Conference management is what ensues after a plan and objectives have been set; it entails overseeing the overall execution of the event, monitoring the progress of team members with their assigned tasks, and resolving any situations or issues onsite. Conference management can either be done in-house within a company or by a third-party agency, commonly referred to as a "professional conference organizer" (PCO).
Types of Conference Management
There are 3 common types of conference management, depending on the resources or preferences of the conference owner:
In-house management
With available resources and manpower at their disposal, several conference owners opt for planning and managing their conferences internally with little to no help from third-party service providers.
Joint-management
Conference organizers can choose to hire professionals or an agency to work with for the duration of the conference. Efforts are divided between teams according to experience and capabilities for optimum results.
Complete outsourcing of operations to a third-party service provider.
Be it event management, tourism, or public relations companies, some conference owners prefer to entrust a third-party service provider with the task of managing the conference in question from start to finish.
Popular Conference Types
Conferences can be organized for a variety of reasons, but there are three popular types of conferences: business, academic, and political.
What Is the Process of Conference Management?
The process of conference management is typically as follows:
Drafting a master plan for the conference with an overall budget
Identifying the conference's objectives as well as the date and location
Identifying people to be involved, from team and committee members
Reviewing plans and assigning tasks to team members
Creating a task completion timeline
inviting speakers and making arrangements for entertainment (if needed)
Finalizing a guest list
Finalizing registration types, pricing, and deals (if any)
making arrangements with third-party suppliers and vendors where needed.
making arrangements with hotels, airlines, and transportation companies if necessary.
Choosing conference management software to automate processes
Building your conference website and mobile app
Choosing the method of collecting your registrations, submissions, payments, and more
Sending well-written and designed invitations to your participants
Notifying your participants, authors, or speakers of any important updates
Preparing the onsite operation schedule and the team to carry out onsite tasks
Reviewing the event hall decoration, furnishing, and equipment to be used onsite (presentation equipment, desks, seats, audio/video equipment, etc.)
Prepare participant kits with event booklets, goodies (if any), social event tickets, etc.
Types of Event Management
The most common types of event management are based on the resources or preferences of the event owner.
In-house management
With available resources and manpower at their disposal, several event owners opt for planning and managing their events internally with little to no help from their third-party service providers.
Joint-management
Event organizers can choose to hire professionals or an agency to work with for the duration of the event. For optimal results, efforts are divided between both teams according to their capabilities.
Complete outsourcing of operations to a third-party service provider
Be it event management, tourism, or public relations companies, some event owners prefer to completely entrust a third-party service provider with the task of managing the conference in question from start to finish.
Who is a conference manager? What Is the Role of a Conference Manager?
A conference manager is a person entrusted with managing all details of an event as per a pre-determined plan; his job entails overseeing the overall execution of the event, monitoring the progress of team members with their assigned tasks, and resolving any situations or issues on site.
Conference management can either be done in-house within a company or by a third-party agency, commonly referred to as a "professional conference organizer" (PCO).
Difference Between Conference Manager and Event Manager
"Event" is an umbrella term that can be used to describe any type of organized happening, from birthdays and weddings down to corporate meetings, conferences, etc.
On the other hand, a "conference" is a specific type of event that is formal in nature and usually takes place over several days. Conferences gather people of common interests and are typically organized for business, academic, or political purposes. A manager's role for an event of any type would entail overseeing the overall execution of the event, monitoring the progress of team members with their assigned tasks, and resolving any situations or issues on site.
What Skills Do You Need for Conference Management?
Successful event organizing takes a lot more than having budgets and finances in order; event organizers must possess certain skills to ensure their events run smoothly as planned. While it could be argued that some of these skills are innate and one must be born with them, practice, determination, and hard work are key to making any challenging task work.
Great Attitude and Communication Skills
Teamwork is essential for any business; event planning is rarely a one-man show. To prevent communication breakdowns, event planners must have strong interpersonal skills and listen to team members' ideas and concerns. A vital component of inspiring and motivating the team as a whole is having a positive attitude.
Good Decision-Making Abilities
Making wise selections, whether they pertain to your budget or the flow of the event, is essential for successful event planning. Doing so will optimize all of your procedures.
Flexibility, Creativity, and Ingenuity
Event organizers must be able to think on their feet. Any number of unanticipated issues may arise during your event, so you must be able to act fast and harness your ingenuity to come up with last-minute creative solutions.
Attention to Details
When organizing an event, paying attention to even the tiniest details may make a big impact since it ensures that every component is properly organized and in place so that everything proceeds as intended.
Good Time Management Skills
Good time management and even multitasking skills are fantastic qualities in an event organizer. Having the ability to prioritize tasks allows you to be more productive and achieve more within a limited time frame.
Leadership Skills
An event requires excellent leadership skills to plan. Event planners need to be skilled at assigning tasks to team members and directing them toward completing them effectively and on schedule.
Organizational Skills
Events are highly choreographed performances, and event planners must make sure every phase or component goes according to plan and keeps a successful flow.
Tech Savvy
Event planners must make use of these tools in order to save time and be more effective and productive in the face of constantly advancing technologies that make our jobs easier.
There is a ton of event management software available now that can automate time-consuming tasks and make event planning simple! Event planners must carefully choose a software platform that best meets their goals from the variety of capabilities available. When selecting an event management software, factors like the size of the event or the number of events to be planned should be taken into account. The greatest software should, above all, provide cutting-edge, configurable features as well as 24/7 customer assistance.
Why Is It So Important for Conference Managers To Plan Properly?
Strategic event planning is important to achieve all event objectives, including cutting costs and increasing attendee satisfaction, but also to eliminate any reputational issues or crises that may arise, because a poorly planned event can do more damage to a business's reputation than having no events at all. When you start planning an event, consider why you're organizing it in the first place and what kind of audience you'd like to attract. Having your objectives in check is crucial in planning; objectives act as a roadmap, providing you with focus and keeping you on the right track. Once objectives are determined and a guest list is set, deciding on themes, speakers, venues, accommodations, and more ensues.
Proper planning should cover all aspects of an event, from getting the right team, delegating tasks strategically, establishing communication channels, knowing which tasks to prioritize, setting deadlines, determining event flow, and making sure each activity occurs at its scheduled time. The more elements run smoothly, the more success you can guarantee for your event.
Event organizers can also go above and beyond by thinking tactically, anticipating any issues or scenarios that may arise during the event, and having procedures and protocols in place to deal with them. At the end of the day, all event organizers want their events to be successful, and strategic, meticulous planning makes all the difference.
Importance of Conference Management
Regardless of industry or field, not all organizations are in the business of organizing conferences. Organizations hold conferences when they have the capability—both in terms of finances and manpower—as well as public interest, i.e., when they have an audience that's interested and willing to attend.
Conferences are a great way to increase awareness of both the subject matter (the topic or theme of the conference) and the organization that holds them. Conferences are also quite profitable; in fact, the wider industry of meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) grosses millions of dollars annually worldwide. Conferences are a great way to market your brand, association, society, culture, location, and even the entire country as a hub for international events. Some industries and fields are dependent on conferences, such as property, transportation, commerce, publishing, food and beverages, as well as science, technology, and academia.
What Is the Definition of Convention and Event Management?
A convention is a specific type of event that can be organized for a variety of purposes and is usually based on a certain industry, profession, or fandom.
On occasion, conventions can be informal and open to the public.
"Event," on the other hand, is an umbrella term that can be used to describe any type of organized happening, from birthdays and weddings down to corporate meetings, conferences, conventions, etc. (refer to the types of events above for more information).
What Is the Role of an Event Manager? What Is the Role of an Event Planner? What Is the Difference Between Event Planning and Event Management?
The first step in event organization is event planning. It entails developing a blueprint that covers all aspects of the event from start to finish. Once objectives are drafted, event planners can continue by carefully deciding on themes, budgets, venues, hotel deals, suppliers, menus and catering, guest speakers, entertainment, transportation, invitations, and more. Once a plan has been set in motion, event organizers can now move on to the harder task of managing all the moving components.
Event management entails overseeing the overall execution of the event, monitoring the progress of team members with their assigned tasks, and resolving any situations or issues on site.
What Exactly Is an MC in Event Management?
MC stands for "master of ceremonies," though it can also be called an emcee, host, or compere. An MC is the official host of a ceremony, event, or performance. They take on the responsibility of delivering the welcome address, introducing special guests and other speakers, and moving the event program forward. They must be fully versed in the running order of the show and know the approximate times of each element of the event components.
What Is the Event Management Process?
The process of event management is typically as follows:
Drafting a master plan for the event with an overall budget
Identifying the event's objectives as well as the date and location
Identifying people to be involved, from team and committee members
Reviewing plans and assigning tasks to team members
Creating a task completion timeline
inviting speakers and making arrangements for entertainment (if needed)
Finalizing a guest list
Finalizing registration types, pricing, and deals (if any)
making arrangements with third-party suppliers and vendors where needed.
making arrangements with hotels, airlines, and transportation companies if necessary.
Choosing event management software to automate processes
Building your event website and mobile app
Choosing the method of collecting your registrations, submissions, payments, and more
Sending well-written and designed invitations to your participants
Notifying your participants, authors, or speakers of any important updates
Preparing the onsite operation schedule and the team to carry out onsite tasks
Reviewing the event hall decoration, furnishing, and equipment to be used onsite (presentation equipment, desks, seats, audio/video equipment, etc.)
preparing participant kits with event booklets, goodies (if any), social event tickets, etc.
What Exactly Is Event Management?
After developing a blueprint that covers all aspects of the event from start to finish and deciding on themes, budgets, venues, hotel deals, suppliers, menus, speakers, entertainment, transportation, invitations, etc., event organizers can now move on to managing all of their event's components. Event management entails overseeing the overall execution of the event, monitoring the progress of team members with their assigned tasks, and resolving any situations or issues on site.
Conference Manager Salary
Event management is quite a lucrative business; in fact, according to reports as recent as May 2018, the average salary for an event manager is $50,000 a year in the United States.
Conference Manager Salary Range by Country
According to several reports, the average annual income of event and conference managers as of 2022 is as follows:
United States $82,527 (USD)/yr
Great Britain £50,032 (GBP)/yr
Canada $92,171 (CAD)/yr
UAE 219,805 د.إ. (AED)/yr
Australia $113,963 (AUD)/yr
Germany 71.375 € (EUR)/yr
Conference Management Courses
Conference management courses vary in terms of price, duration, and provider; there are some institutes and universities that provide long-term courses and certifications in event and conference management, but there are also short-term ones that can be found at training centers and associations as well as online.
Some of the associations that provide tremendous resources and even workshops or training courses on occasion are:
- CEIR: the Center for Exhibition Industry Research
- EIC: Events Industry Council
- ESA: Event Safety Alliance
- IAEE: International Association of Exhibitions and Events
- IAVM: International Association for Venue Managers
- UFI: The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry
- MPI: Meeting Professionals International
- NACE: National Association for Catering & Events
- PCMA: Professional Convention Management Association
As for universities and colleges, some of the notable US-based ones that offer useful programs are:
- Florida International University - Miami
- University of Nevada, Las Vegas
- University of Central Florida - Orlando
- Iowa State University
- Kennesaw State University - Atlanta area
- Indiana University ñ Purdue University at Indianapolis
- University of South Carolina - Columbia
- Metropolitan State University - Denver
- Georgia State University - Atlanta
- San Jose State University - California
- Madison Area Technical College - Wisconsin
- East Carolina University
- San Francisco State University
Online conference management courses
There are several online courses that teach candidates the skills needed for conference management. Some of the popular conference management courses are:
YouTube Channels and Blogs
Another great way to learn about conference management is via YouTube videos as well as blogs available online; such content is easily searchable and free to access. Some channels that offer great insight into conference and event planning are: Event Planning Blueprint TV, The Caterer, QuickMobile, and Events Uncovered TV.
Free Conference Management Courses
Conference management courses vary in terms of price, duration, and provider; several institutes and universities provide long-term courses and certifications in event and conference management, but there are also short-term ones that can be found at training centers and associations as well as online. Another great way to learn about conference management is via YouTube videos as well as blogs available online; such content is easily searchable and free to access. Some channels that offer great insight into conference and event planning are Event Planning Blueprint TV, The Caterer, QuickMobile, and Events Uncovered TV.
Conference Management Companies
Conference organizing is time-consuming and requires relevant expertise; it takes a lot of strategy, planning, and teamwork behind the scenes to ensure all the pieces are in place.
Not all organizations have the capability, in terms of manpower and expertise, to organize conferences; thus, several organizations outsource their operations to third-party agencies that specialize in event and conference management, such as Professional Conference Organizers (PCO) and Destination Management Companies (DMC), as well as individuals offering conference management services, such as certified event planners and even some travel experts.
What Is Conference Management Software?
Event management software assists organizers in automating a good majority of their tedious tasks, from managing registrations, marketing, submissions and uploads, bookings, and payments to creating websites, mobile apps, and more.
Open Source Conference Management Software
Conference management software assists organizers in automating a good majority of their tedious tasks, from managing registrations, marketing, submissions and uploads, bookings, and payments to creating websites, mobile apps, and more. When conference management software is open source, it means that its original source code is available for modification.
International Conference Solutions
There are several considerations to be thought of when organizing conferences in international destinations: working around language barriers, knowing which local guest speakers would be influential as well as which locations to book, negotiating costs with vendors, and more. The bottom line is, expertise and knowledge of the country in question and its industries are necessary to ensure the success of your conference. Thus, hiring local agencies or independent consultants is highly advisable, as they possess the knowledge and expertise needed to assist you in organizing your conference.
Academic Conference Management Software
An academic conference management software is one that provides advanced content management tools for academic conference organizers to be able to collect, view, and grade abstracts, papers, presentations, and various academic documents, as well as communicate accordingly with their students or participants in a swift and easy manner.
Online Conference System
An online conference system assists organizers in processes such as managing registrations, marketing, submissions and uploads, bookings, and payments, as well as allowing for better communication between all the parties such as committee members, reviewers, suppliers, etc.
Open Conference System
An open conference system is free, open-source content management software for building and deploying a web presence for a scholarly conference. When conference management software is open source, it means that its original source code is available for modification.
Conference Management System Project Documentation
Conference Management System Project Documentation refers to the documents that guide conference organizers in using their chosen conference management system; charts, forms, logs, reports, as well as procedures and protocols for onsite operation, etc.
Documentation also entails having a traceable record or history of the entire project. It is also extremely important that the documentation be well organized, easy to read, and adequate. When using a user-friendly conference management interface, you can easily follow the structure as well as step-by-step guides to managing your conference successfully.
Free Conference Management Software
Conference Management Services
Conference management services range from hiring a third-party conference manager to oversee and manage all aspects of a conference to suppliers and vendors who provide specific services such as catering, tech support, and so on.
Conference Management Tools: Online Conference Management Tools
Conference management tools, whether online or offline, perform various solutions to optimize and expedite processes; they are all the systems, applications, gadgets, and equipment that conference organizers use before the event and onsite.
Conference Management System
A conference management system is a software that's used to manage conferences. In another sense, the term "system" does not just refer to software; it can also refer to the larger scheme of conference organization, i.e., all procedures in place that are physically performed by the conference organizing team.
A conference management system should have tools in place to manage online registrations, ticketing, marketing, abstracts and uploads, bookings, payments, and budgets, as well as assist in creating a website and mobile app.
Web-based Conference Management System
A web-based conference management system is online software (as opposed to downloadable computer software) that's used to manage conferences.
A conference management system should have tools in place to manage online registrations, ticketing, marketing, abstracts and uploads, bookings, payments, and budgets, as well as assist in creating a website and mobile app.
Conference Management System vs Conference Management Software
It's safe to say that today, "conference management system" and "conference management software" can be used synonymously to indicate software that's used to manage conferences. In previous years, conference management software had a limited capacity to manage multiple processes; now, software available on the market provides event organizers with a holistic system that takes care of almost all processes that conference organizing entails. In another sense, the word "system" isn't just confined to meaning software; it can also indicate the bigger scheme of conference organizing, i.e., all procedures in place that are performed physically by the conference organizing team.
Conference Management System Project Documentation Sample
A Conference Management System is a program that manages the planning and execution of a conference, including participant registration, submission, payments, bookings, and the conference agenda.
Working with a conference management system is aided by project documentation.It refers to the documents that instruct conference organizers on how to use their chosen conference management system, such as charts, forms, logs, and reports, as well as procedures and protocols for onsite operation, and so on.
Documentation also entails having a traceable record or history of the entire project. It is also extremely important that the documentation be well organized, easy to read, and adequate. When using a user-friendly conference management interface, you can easily follow the structure as well as step-by-step guides to managing your conference successfully.
Conference Management System SRS
SRS stands for "software requirements specification," which is a description of software that lays out functional and non-functional requirements and establishes the basis for an agreement between customers and the software provider on how the product should function.
For a conference management system, SRS should provide a detailed assessment of the software's main requirements to reduce the number of redesigns at later phases. It should also provide a basis for estimating software costs, risks, and timelines that, when adhered to, can help prevent software project failure.
Conference Management System Problem Statement
Some of the problems conference organizers can encounter with a conference management system have to do with speed, responsiveness, and user-friendliness—all of which are essential to ensure time, money, and effort aren't wasted.
Some of the flaws of certain conference management systems can be:
Lengthy and overly complicated software setup
Limited customization
Expensive subscriptions and charges per event/registrant
The lack of automation in mundane processes necessitates a great deal of manual labor.
unfriendly user interface causing confusion or mistakes for participants and organizers
The training was required to use the systems efficiently, which increased the cost.
Outdated communication channels
Limited third-party integrations with other mainstream service providers
Conference Management System Database
The conference management system database is a complex body of information related to the conference participants, submissions, bookings, payments, etc. This information is stored systematically in tables to easily view and retrieve any particular information.