hotel bookings for companies and business travellers

The MICE industry is currently undergoing a period of dynamic change and challenge. The Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events (MICE) segment is showing a strong recovery from the pandemic, outperforming traditional business travel. While smaller business meetings are increasingly conducted digitally, there is a clear preference for large-scale events

The latest edition of the Meeting & Event Barometer, conducted by the German National Tourist Board, the GCB German Convention Bureau, and the European Association of Event Centres, provides valuable insights into the trends and developments shaping the industry.

Insights from the Meeting & Event Barometer

Growth in the MICE Segment
The number of events in Germany increased to nearly 2.2 million last year, representing approximately 74 % of the pre-COVID level. In comparison, experts estimate the recovery in traditional business travel to be around 65 to 70 %.

Increase in Large-Scale Events
The number of large-scale events, such as trade fairs, conferences, and meetings, has increased significantly in recent years. They now account for 58% of all business trips.

In 2023, there was a 7% increase in participation in congresses and conferences, which now account for 37% of the entire business travel segment. Approximately 13% of all business travelers attend trade fairs, while around 7% participate in incentive programs.

In-Person Events Dominate
In-person events continue to dominate the corporate events landscape. Of the 2.1 million on-site corporate events held in 2022, 1.8 million were pure in-person events, while hybrid events accounted for only 0.3 million.

Significant Increase in Attendance Numbers
The total number of participants in 2023 reached 311 million, an increase of 69 % compared to the previous year.
Large-scale events (over 100 participants) experienced a growth of 3.6 %, while smaller events saw a decline of approximately 5 %.

Positive Booking Situation for Conference Hotels
Almost 90 % of organizers anticipate a good to very good year for 2024.
76 % of hotels and other venues also assess the booking situation for the upcoming months as good to very good.

The personnel situation remains challenging
A survey of event organizers and hotels revealed that 87% of organizers and 93% of hotels report occasional staff shortages.
A further 34 % of providers indicated that they are unable to fully meet their needs, which represents a significant improvement compared to last year when this figure was at 54 %.

Optimistic Outlook
Both event planners and providers anticipate further growth in the MICE industry. Additional growth is particularly expected in pure on-site events.

GCB Managing Director Matthias Schultze aptly sums up the industry’s optimism: “Business events remain places where people come together to develop answers to the big questions of our time. Especially in a virtual working world, people yearn for real encounters, immediate networking, and the building of communities.” – Quote from fvw

For further detailed insights and in-depth analysis of the current trends and challenges in the MICE industry, visit gcb.de.

 

Integration of Modern Technology into the MICE Industry by ehotel®

ehotel® leverages advancements in digitization to streamline the organization of meetings and events. Our platform enables you to quickly and efficiently identify and source offers tailored to your specific needs, providing a valuable resource in a world where saving time is synonymous with saving costs.

Sustainable Event Planning with ehotel®

ehotel® enables you to selectively choose business hotels that meet green, sustainably certified standards.

Integration of Electric Mobility

With our new filter function enabled by innovative meta-search technology, ehotel® is making sustainable strides. You can now specifically search for hotels that have electric charging stations. This contributes to improving charging infrastructure and promotes sustainability in transportation. Details about the types of charging stations are available in the hotel descriptions on our portal.

ehotel® Makes Hotels’ Carbon Footprints Visible

As a hotel booking platform, ehotel® takes responsibility not only to operate in an environmentally friendly manner itself but also to feature “green” hotels. Together with climate protection experts from ClimatePartner, ehotel® calculates the carbon footprint for the desired hotel stay.

 

Efficient Participant Management with ehotel®

The ehotel® Participant Management System streamlines the administration of your event participants and supports:

• Detailed planning and coordination: Comprehensive management of all participants and service providers.
• Comprehensive process support: Invitations, registrations, invoicing, contingent retrieval, and more.
• Modular structure: Customizable to your specific needs, saving time and costs.

 

Conferences with ehotel®

Efficiently plan your conferences with ehotel® and benefit from:

• Customized offers: Quickly and precisely tailored to your requirements such as the number of participants and meeting rooms.
• Comprehensive hotel and venue database: Over 20,000 conference hotels and event locations, including more than 15,000 in Germany.
• Time and cost savings: Take advantage of our negotiated framework contract conditions and maintain full budget control with ehotel®.

Plan your next event with ehotel® and discover how our tools can help you save time and utilize your resources more effectively. Book your next conference or learn more about our participant management system to take your events to the next level.

 

 

More about ehotel®:

The best sustainable business hotels in Germany

Optimised payment processing for business trips: ehotel® and the upcoming PSD3 changes

ehotel® Analytics: Transparent with Real-Time Relevant Metrics