The MICE, an acronym that stands for Meetings, Incentives, Conference and Exhibition, seeks to harmonise equipment and logistics suppliers and technocrats in the industry to offer the best form of services to business tourists.

The MICE community consists of professionals who plan and execute events such as large public gatherings, concerts and association meetings including corporate board meetings and brand activations that take place in Ghana with the main purpose of creating a unique opportunity for networking. 

MICE Expert Show

At the maiden gathering of industry stakeholders to outdoor and explore the initiative last Friday at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra, the Deputy Director of the Ghana Investments Promotion Centre (GIPC), Yaw Afriyie Amoateng, said Ghana was becoming the preferred destination for tourists in the West Africa region and initiatives like MICE would boost the local hospitality and tourism industry and generate revenue for the state.

“MICE is inextricably linked to commercial real estate, transportation, food and beverages, hospitality and many value chain opportunities in the industry,” he said.

He revealed that the platform would afford businesses to meet face-to-face with potential clients, suppliers, and partners to facilitate business negotiations while providing the avenue for businesses to showcase the products and services they offered.

He called on the industry to imbibe technology in its activities and improve the quality of services provided to attract both leisure and business tourists.

Destination Management

The Lead Consultant at IbyService Destination Management, organisers of the show, Wilhelmina Bruce Apenteng, told the Daily Graphic that the initiative was to draw attention to the expanding and growing effects of MICE in the industry.

She asserted that after the Year of Return, the momentum must shift to a much larger projects such as the creation of an entity to draw more visitors into the country

“Business tourism, which rakes in more than leisure tourism, is what we are driving home here and to let the business world recognise that there is an ecosystem in Ghana that makes tourists comfortable in doing business in Ghana, the conditions are created for the tourists to feel at ease and that is the MICE project,” he stated.

She called on stakeholders in the industry to sit up, and plan ahead of time and look out for business opportunities for the growth of the sector and the economy.

Exhibition

Stakeholders in the sector, including the Ghana Tourism Authority, Food and Beverage Associations and the Hoteliers Association displayed their exhibits, products and services to participants in the event.