ENCOURAGED by a growing interest among event planners in hosting activities at Chic Outlet Shopping retail villages, the group has developed a MICE strategy that will be led by a newly appointed hospitality expert.
Marnie Kovacs, who brings 18 years of experience representing high-profile businesses including CHI Hotels & Resorts, Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, Ian Schrager Hotels and The Dorchester Collection, steps into the role of head of MICE under Value Retail, the company that operates the nine Chic Outlet Shopping villages across Europe.
Through the new MICE strategy, Chic Outlet Shopping will offer shopping experiences, priority F&B reservations, VIP hospitality area access and attraction visits to convention and meeting groups; sponsorship branding and use of the village on a large group or sole-hire basis including private access to boutiques for special events; use of VIP lounges and other facilities for meetings; and gift cards and rewards for incentive winners.
It will partner corporate and agency organisations, venues, convention bureaus, congress centres and communication and brand experience agencies to host bespoke events, meetings and incentives at the villages.
The company aims to host around 800 events in 2014, up from the 280 events with 22,000 delegates seen so far this year. Twenty-five per cent of this year’s events were generated from corporates and half from event management companies and DMCs. One of the larger corporate gatherings included a 1,700-pax Indonesian incentive group.
Desirée Bollier, chief executive of Value Retail Management, said in a press release: “For business travellers, we have seen an increase in the demand for exciting itineraries and things to do while they are attending meetings or conferences in other countries. (They) will carve out an afternoon for sightseeing and shopping.”
The company’s tourism director, Ian Stazicker expects “good demand” for its new MICE products from both Europe and Asia.
