MICE - 2025/6

Module Overview

The meetings, incentive travel, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) industry is the largest and most lucrative sector of event management and has an important role to play in todays¿ global business environment. This module will explore the global importance of the industry and the critical issues facing managers within the industry such as the use of virtual conferencing to support sustainable business practices across diverse cultures. Specifically, the module will equip students with the underpinning knowledge of this sector of event management including the characteristics of corporate and association conferences and consumer and trade shows, the challenges of bidding for MICE events and how to effectively meet the needs of specific market segments. Students will explore strategies for delivering and partaking in exhibitions through the module content and the first assignment which is a simulation of a professional exhibition. The second assessment will provide students with the opportunity to engage with digital sources of information to critically assess the factors involved in bidding for and delivering a conference. The module aims to improve students¿ knowledge, negotiation and communication skills and thus contribute to building confidence when working in business to business environments.

Module provider

Surrey Hospitality & Tourism Management

Module Leader

DELANEY Emma (Hosp & Tour)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 6

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Scope and scale of the global and UK MICE industry and challenges of working across linguistic and cultural borders
Influence and role of key agencies and professional standards
Characteristics of corporate and association conferences
The roles of the professional conference organizer and conference producer
Trends in conferencing; virtual and hybrid events, changing technology, sustainable conference management, security procedures etc.
Delegate demographics
ICCA rankings and benchmarking across countries
Industry multipliers and frameworks for measuring economic impacts
Global subvention practices and ethical challenges
Characteristics of consumer and trade shows
Operational issues in strategic exhibition planning
Strategies for effective exhibition sales and negotiation techniques as professional standards
Working in teams towards a common goal (successful exhibiting)

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Exhibition - A report which will critically assess the factors involved in bidding for and delivering conferences and exhibitions.

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate both the theoretical and practical skills they have developed in the module. The first assessment will enable students to develop their ability to negotiate with others within a business to business context and thus develop key industry skills and competencies. The second assessment will provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of the global MICE industry in a digital report.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• Exhibition Practical (group work, but assessed individually)

Students will work in small groups on a project that will involve taking part in a simulation of an exhibition. During a live exhibition, each student will assume the role of an exhibitor and will be assessed on their ability to interact with a buyer.

• Coursework (individual)

Students will write a report which will critically assess the factors involved in bidding for and delivering a conference.

Formative assessment and feedback:

Students will have the opportunity to rehearse their exhibition contribution (assignment 1) with the module staff and receive feedback on their performance. Students will have the opportunity to present a plan for assignment 2 and receive feedback on their ideas. Formative feedback is designed to help students reflect on their performance to date and to identify opportunities for further development.

Module aims

• Develop students¿ knowledge of the structure and role of the global MICE industry
• Enable students to critically analyse challenges for MICE professionals
• Enable students to apply theoretical and practical aspects of managing MICE events
• Enhance students¿ communication, sales and negotiation skills

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to: Facilitate the development of students knowledge of the specific characteristics of the MICE sector of the events industry. Provide students with the skills and opportunity to explore specific MICE careers. Assist in the development of students¿ confidence in their ability to sell to and negotiate with MICE buyers.

The learning and teaching methods include:

• Interactive workshops which may include short lectures and a variety of team activities, discussions and presentations

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MAN3209

Other information

This module is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate both the theoretical and practical skills they have developed that relate specifically to the MICE sector of the events industry.  The module requires students to engage in group work and to reflect on the current global MICE industry as they develop a market-led approach to exhibition sales. The module will enable students to reflect on the challenges involved in global bidding practices through digital research and to develop key employability skills such as negotiation techniques.

 

This module adopts the University curriculum framework, which aims to develop learners with strong capabilities in Digital Capabilities, Employability, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability, and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module contributes to the development of the following capabilities: 

Digital Capabilities: This module is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate both the theoretical and practical skills they have developed that relate specifically to the MICE sector of the events industry.  

Global and Cultural Capabilities: The module requires students to engage in group work and to reflect on the current global MICE industry as they develop a market-led approach to exhibition sales. 

Employability: The module will enable students to reflect on the challenges involved in global bidding practices through digital research and to develop key employability skills such as negotiation techniques.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.