When we think of MICE, the C in the term stands for conventions or conferences. This is a gathering of professionals who come together to discuss a specific topic. The United Nations General Assembly is a good example.
Conventions come in a variety of types and sizes. A corporate convention is the first type. Companies such as Apple and Microsoft, and any other corporation you can think of organize these. They want to gather their employees, shareholders, or investors to discuss a new product they’re introducing, for example.
However, there is a second aspect of conventions: associations, which are slightly different. Associations are groups of people who come together for a specific interest. Perhaps you have a family member who works in the medical industry, such as a dentist. A dentist will be a member of a dental association, and these organizations provide continuing education for individuals in the field.
Consider this: if a dentist has been out of school for a few years, you want them to be up to date on the newest research and treatments for dental issues.
These types of associations also hold annual conferences, and they can be enormous. The International Contact Lens Association, for example, has a yearly meeting that attracts over 10,000 participants.
Different destinations across the world will compete for the right to host that convention over all others. That’s 10,000 people who will need a hotel room, food to eat every night, shopping, and transportation. It’s a lot of spending for destinations to attract that kind of convention.
