The MICE industry is one of the fastest growing segments within the tourism industry, with the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) reporting on an approximate 9% annual increase on registered events taking place.

According to Ray Bloom, the IMEX Chairman, the emerging markets in Europe, such as Poland, Romania, Russia, Bulgaria, Croatia and Latvia, are all showing increasing demand for meetings and incentive travel, and in the case of Russia, over 65% of Russian corporate meetings are held outside of Russia. Clearly the potential of the MICE industry in all its various forms, is greater now than ever before.

The activities of the Meetings Industry are an increasingly significant element in the future growth of the global economy, and provide several plus points, such as:

• Meetings are big business in their own right, and play an important role in supporting other businesses.

• Meetings promote investment, trade, communications, and technology.

• Meetings bring education and professional development to the local community, creating jobs and retaining workforces.

• It is a “clean” industry and promotes environmental quality.

• Meetings promote and support other business sectors.

• Meetings represent the “high end” of visitor spending.

• Meetings attract global expertise.

• Meetings create and spread knowledge world-wide.

• Meetings build community profile.

• Meetings promote global understanding and cooperation.

Sustain Europe offers an effective platform for sharing the current MICE trends and challenges, networking and forging new relationships. We promise to keep you up to date on the MICE industry, informing you of all the latest information on environmentally friendly conference and congress centres, including redevelopments and the construction of new centres, as and when they happen. We look at the specifics of the MICE industry in Europe, and examine the future potential for the European market, so you can always make the most informed decision when it comes to choosing your MICE venue. Make it sustainable. Make it Sustain Europe.