Meeting & Incentive Forums () are a new venture being launched to challenge the traditional trade show format. Set to change the way that hotels promote themselves to the MICE industry, the format will provide a refreshing way of generating new business leads for hotels.

The M&I Forums (by Great Hotels Organisation) offers hotels and resorts the opportunity to attend an event with over 250 vetted, hand selected meeting and incentive planners, all of whom have confirmed budgets to spend. Participating hotels will be able to conduct a series of private 20-minute meetings with up to 30 qualified buyers during the two-day events. The meetings will all be pre-scheduled, with the buyers themselves booking the appointments so that the hotels can be assured of their genuine interest in the property. In addition, further networking opportunities are presented through the lunches, refreshment breaks and champagne receptions which are also included.

The 100% business focus is already significantly different to the traditional trade show format but the lack of need for expensive exhibition stands sets apart the new M&I Forums even further. With the facilities and meetings all organised for them in advance, the new M&I Forums will represent a very cost effective platform and genuine return on investment.

The Meeting & Incentive Forums are born from a format that is tried, tested and highly successful. For four years Great Hotels Organisation has organised a separate brand of Meeting Forums on behalf of members of Great and Special Hotels of the World. Great Hotels Organisation’s experience of running these member Forums, which have generated vast amounts of MICE business for the participating hotels, has provided the quality template from which the Meeting and Incentive Forums have been created.

The new M&I Forums will take place in the four cities of London, Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam during 2006. They will provide access to a mix of agency and corporate M&I buyers in the UK, Germany, France and Benelux, as well as shoulder countries such as Austria and Switzerland.

There will be a maximum of 100 hotels at each of the four Meeting & Incentive Forums by Great Hotels Organisation; early booking is strongly recommended for any properties wanting to take part. The Meeting & Incentive Forums will take place in:

  • London : May 8 & 9 2006 (Marriott Grosvenor Square)
  • Frankfurt : July 3 & 4 2006 (Frankfurt Marriott Hotel)
  • Paris : October 11 & 12 2006 (Hotel Concorde La Fayette Paris)
  • Amsterdam : October 24 & 25 2006 (Hotel Okura)

The cost for participation in all four is €12800 (approx. £9000). This includes pre-scheduled meetings with up to 120 key buyers (30 each from the UK, Germany, France and Benelux), opportunities to network with more than 800 key buyers, a presentation table at each Forum, a networking lunch each day and an invitation to the champagne reception on the first evening of each Forum.

Costs for participation in one to three M&I Forums are:

Any single Forum €4100 (approx. £2780)

Any two Forums €7600 (approx. £5155) Any three Forums €10500 (approx. £7122)

Zoe Martin
Account Executive | PJ Inc.
+44 (0) 20 7380 8580
GHotW