An eventful festive season as businesses celebrate with international events
Businesses are embracing the festive season, with Christmas parties, meetings, events and conferences in December spanning the globe from Vienna, to Oslo, Queenstown and Delhi.
FCM Meetings & Events, the long-standing specialists in the sector and flagship division of FCM Travel, had seen an upward trend of big businesses travelling internationally for meetings, events and conferences over the Christmas season.
“International bookings account for more than 38 per cent of booking spend in December 2023,” said FCM M&E Global General Manager Simone Seiler.
“The most popular international destination was Port Villa, followed by Nadi, Kuala Lumpur and Auckland. Further abroad, groups are attending events in Vienna, Oslo, Paris, London, Phuket, Delhi, Queenstown and Hanoi, among others.
“Closer to home, organisations are commonly opting for ocean-side events, with the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Hamilton Island, Esperance and Newcastle making up 32 per cent of total spend.
“Capital cities around Australia also account for 38 per cent of overall spend, where we typically see the highest rates of business events.
Ms Seiler said the education sector has accounted for the majority of bookings, making up 69 per cent of all activity in December 2023, up from 50 per cent in the same month last year.
“We’re seeing significant demand for high-quality, personalised event experiences, as we see organisations place an emphasis on in-person connection,” she said.
“FCM M&E is focused on creating immersive, experiential events which draw on technology, unique venues, memorable activities, and impactful moments.
“With our superior technology, decades of industry experience, and full-service meetings, events and travel offering, we couldn’t be in a better position to support the corporate festivities taking place around the world.”
A research report by Grandview Research shows the MICE industry is set to continue booming, with an expected compounded annual growth rate of 7.5 per cent from 2023 to 2030.
According to the report, in 2022 the industry was valued at USD 876.42 billion.
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