PRESS RELEASE

FCM Meetings & Events targets global expansion as landmark survey reveals more than 25% of businesses spend over half their budget on MICE

8 October 2024 – FCM Meetings & Events (FCM M&E), revealed that more than a quarter of customers allocate half their travel budgets to the MICE sector, according to its landmark global State of the Market* survey. The results of this survey come as FCM M&E announced a $20 million global investment to target worldwide growth for this segment of the business.

The first of its kind survey, undertaken by Flight Centre Corporate, shows a substantial portion of customers allocate more than half of their travel budget to the MICE sector.

For Flight Centre Corporate customers in EMEA, 23% per cent of businesses said more than 50 per cent of their budget goes towards travelling for MICE, with an additional 8 per cent revealing an allocation of between 25-50 per cent of their travel spend goes towards the MICE sector.

"In the UAE, we offer a wide array of MICE services, including group accommodation, air travel, tours, team-building activities, meeting arrangements, conferences, and annual corporate events for groups ranging from 10 to several hundred individuals. Our primary focus has been on clients from the GCC region and select European markets. This year, we received over 200 enquiries, successfully converting 63% into engagements, while others remain under consideration.
 
We have partnered with esteemed brands and built a robust network of suppliers and hoteliers who consistently support our needs. Our FCM network colleagues in other countries also assist us locally. With a commitment to global expansion, we are leveraging the latest technology in the MICE industry to optimize costs and improve efficiencies for our clients and our team." - Said Ciarán Kelly, Managing Director FCM Middle East and African network leader.
 

FCM Meetings & Events Global General Manager, Simone Seiler, said the findings came at a time when the business was repositioning worldwide to deliver a unified offering, leveraging itself as a subsidiary of FCM Travel, and harnessing its global scale, but with regional customisation.

“Globalising the FCM M&E business will allow us to add consistency and scale for customers looking for a global meetings and events provider, with hub offices in all four regions, global consistency but with local nuance to understand specific client needs,” Ms Seiler said.

“We now operate in more than a dozen countries globally, with future expansion plans in the works. Australia, India, and Mexico are currently thriving for us, and we really see North America, Asia, and Europe as key regions with the largest opportunities for growth.

“Our global vision for the future of meetings and travel management is centred around innovation, sustainability, accessibility and seamless integration of technology like our new FCM Venue Finder platform to enhance the overall experience for our clients.

“By combining our expertise in event management with cutting-edge technology and a commitment to sustainability, we aim to lead the industry in creating future-proof, impactful, and responsible meetings and events.”

As part of the global relaunch, FCM Meetings & Events has now welcomed a new Global Director of Enterprise Sales into its London office, Joanne Shaw. Ms Seiler said Ms Shaw enjoyed extensive experience in both sales and account management.

“Joanne brings a wealth of MICE industry knowledge to drive strategic growth, articulating the MICE value proposition, excelling at building multi-level relationships, and stakeholder management. Her dedication to understanding client needs and crafting tailored solutions will play a key role.” she said.

*The State of the Market survey was conducted online between Monday 3 June 2024 to Thursday 11 July 2024. The target respondents were Corporate Traveller and FCM Travel customers, specifically decision-makers, travel managers, and authorised travel bookers. All Corporate Traveller and FCM Travel regions were included. A random sample of 562 responses were obtained utilising the innovative Qualtrics platform.

Media contact

Alexa Georgiannis

alexa.georgiannis@ae.fcm.travel

 

About FCM

FCM Travel is one of the world’s largest travel management companies with a 24/7 reach in over 95 countries. As a trusted travel partner for thousands of national and multinational organisations, including many household brands, Fortune and FTSE 100 companies, FCM’s agile and flexible technology platform anticipates and solves client needs supported by expert teams who provide in-depth local knowledge and duty of care as part of the ultimate personalised business travel experience. While as the flagship business travel division of the ASX-listed Flight Centre Travel Group, FCM is able to negotiate and deliver access to the widest network of airfares, hotels, and ground transport for unique and best-value solutions. The company recently debuted its new omni-channel platform featuring a ‘first of its kind’ customised end-to-end user experience that will be available to new clients in 2022. Discover the alternative at www.fcmtravel.com