Uganda’s 2007 CHOGM memory Loss: What the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibition) Industry means to hoteliers. After 2007 CHOGM craze, Uganda is still fumbling with the foundations of the MICE industry. The all time record awareness and promotional capital that CHOGM created for Uganda is also slowly fading away. The opportunities that come with the MICE industry are enormous and destinations all over the world are strategising to partake this hot cake. Painfully but to our advantage, the preparations for CHOGM saw unprecedented growth in bed and room capacity across all regions of Uganda and more especially the central metropolitan region of Kampala. This growth was and remains a positive development to Uganda as a tourism destination and was a precursor for MICE industry development. The benefits of MICE to any destination can be enormous and hoteliers are the number one major beneficiaries. MICE usually accounts for over 60% of MICE positioned hotel revenues and contributes significantly towards feasible room occupancy levels for most midrange and luxury hotels. Additionally, MICE has substantial multiplier effects and is a noteworthy supplier of tourists to various attractions at a destination. The industry also presents a destination marketing opportunity. Usually the enormous preparations that take place before any MICE activity portray hosts as an organised entity and this often leads to generation of favourable word of mouth and can sometimes attract free press at source markets usually done by happy participants instantly (social media) and on return (print media). In terms of competitiveness and underscoring the effects of the current terrorism acts, Kenya still leads in MICE and in terms of cities, Nairobi is a regional leader. Thanks to Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC). Kampala can only be compared to Mombasa city in international MICE business. Rwanda and Tanzania are fast tracking their MICE development plans and could become the next alternative hubs for MICE in the region and considering that Rwanda is now rated as Africa’s safest destination. As preconditions for the MICE industry development and in order to harness and increase the benefits from international and domestic MICE volumes, Uganda must do the following; (i) fast track the MICE policy, (ii) establish MICE planning and implementation frameworks at national and regional/city/town level (establishment of MICE bureaus), (iii) support and encourage investment in MICE infrastructure such as convention centres, (iv) active bidding for international events and intercity bidding for national events. Currently, Uganda has a lot of underutilized MICE capacity in Kampala alone which resulted from CHOGM although some hotels have painfully adapted by being more creative. Uganda underutilized MICE capacity has negative implications on the profit and loss accounts of MICE positioned hotels and has rendered most hotels uncompetitive entities compared. Uganda Hospitality Institute (UHI) visitor perception highlights of the MICE industry indicate that Uganda is a favourable MICE destination and has enormous potential to grow with the rest of the economy. We need to lay a firm foundation now or else we risk losing the CHOGM awareness and promotional capital, lose the regions favourable rating and the enormous benefits that come with the development of the industry.
Posted on: Wed, 30 Jul 2014 07:21:00 +0000
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