It is no secret that the MICE sector has been one of the economic sectors most affected by the current pandemic. However, 2020 was one of the most important turning points for thinking about the revival of the mice sector and seeing the opportunities it presents, the challenges and the development of innovative initiatives to take the sector to the next level.
As a community of innovation and trends of the future of work, Valkiria has developed the concept of Smart Events, which encompasses an integral perspective in the development of meaningful, sustainable events, with state-of-the-art technology and multipurpose spaces that adapt to the needs of each project.
Networking
The Mice sector is characterized as one of the most cohesive in the country. According to the director of the Catalan Tourism Agency, the Catalan Tourism Agency (ACT), David Font “in this phase of resumption of activity, and still with some uncertainty, it is time to work for the revival of the industry. From the ACT and in consensus with the boards of trustees of the councils and the territorial convention bureaus, we have proposed and worked on the reactivation plan for the MICE sector in Catalonia”.
The public administration, together with agencies, locators, companies and professionals in the sector, have joined forces to develop methodologies, strategies and work plans that make it possible to reactivate the MICE sector and generate new business opportunities and innovation to stimulate the economy, formalize jobs that may have been lost during this time and also to boost destinations and mobilize the industry.
Professionalization of the sector
Due to the inevitable changes, professionals have had to accelerate the process of professionalization, starting with schools. The reactivation of the MICE sector depends on an extensive network of professionals whose mission is to be the spearhead of innovation, which has allowed all links in the production chain to come together to understand the new context, see the opportunities and develop new strategies to pivot at key moments.
Gamification, the use of digital tools for event planning, virtual scenarios, online and offline networking, teambiuldings,conferences, seminars and any type of event and its components, have undergone changes that help the sector to move forward and propose fresh, innovative ideas that serve as platforms for the development of events of any format. To achieve this, each professional has intensified their level of knowledge, experience and skills to keep up with the current global event and community proposition.
Multipurpose spaces
As we mentioned in one of our previous posts, according to the Barcelona Tourism Observatory, in the city there has been a 15% increase in total stay spending during the month of May 2021. This means that the development and production of events of different types will increase in the summer, with a view to consolidating the full reactivation of events in September, taking into account security measures and the availability of unique spaces for these activities.
In Barcelona there are hundreds of spaces that are used daily for multiple purposes. This is why the city attracts people and companies from all over the world and consolidates it as one of the most relevant MICE destinations in the Mediterranean and Europe. Hubs of innovation, technology, development, industry and talent are concentrated here, making the city a multipurpose space in its own right.
However, multipurpose spaces are more efficient for companies and agencies that need to adapt the conditions and functionalities of the space according to their objectives and requirements. For this reason, it is essential that these spaces also have all the technology, specialized professional staff, and work equipment that adapts to the conditions of the space and of the different clients and projects.
There are no magic formulas to overcome the current impasse in the MICE sector and revive the economy in no time. But what we are sure of at Valkiria is the immense effort of the entire industry to move forward, innovate, offer better conditions and solutions, and to continue working to meet the goals set and continue to be one of the economic and business generation engines of the country.
