Decades in the making
“It’s the evolution of our mission to find better ways to connect the MICE industry.” It’s a culmination of decades of experience: “We’ve been improving the way the MICE community meets for 20 years and m&i Fest is the result of all that we have learned over the last two decades and over 180 events.”
“Festivalising”, however, is not a new concept to Worldwide Events. As Richard explains: “We started doing this with Private Luxury Events years ago when we actually started using the term.”
Why Fest, why now?
Richard says the show will give the industry a breath of fresh air: “We believe our industry deserves a more stimulating place to meet, to do business, to develop, and to celebrate.”
It’s about building the future of the MICE industry and “always striving to find more effective ways to network.” This can be seen in the upgrades to meetings, programme format and supplier storytelling. But what else sets this event apart from other forums? In a broad sense: “More choice, more business, more happiness, more return on investment and more return on time.”
One of the most pertinent updates is the innovative ‘Pathway’ concept. Pathways are the new and improved destination activities which aim to provide delegates with maximum facetime in a relaxed setting while providing buyers with more in-depth opportunities to discover Marrakesh’s MICE offering.
Another enhancement is the introduction of the hosted exhibitor spaces which aim to provide suppliers with maximum exposure while also allowing them to tell their brand or destination story in new and unique ways. Other supplier opportunities include sponsored Pathways which offers another avenue for boosted exposure.
The Fest programme will see longer meetings, with longer rest periods in between and meetings spread across the morning and afternoon. This upgrade will allow delegates to focus on doing high-quality business without being rushed. With a total of around 200 international supplier tables and 240 international buyers, it’s the biggest to date. This means more meeting choices than any other m&i Forum and, importantly, more opportunities to find your best MICE matches.
Marrakesh: adding some spice to MICE
Richard enthuses: “Culture, intrigue, variety and especially authenticity – Marrakesh has all the ingredients for a magical event experience, and it is very much the embodiment of what m&i Fest stands for.”
A true delight for the senses, Marrakesh is a beautiful concoction of colourful souks, world-famous cuisine and plentiful natural beauty. Marrakesh does something else rather well: MICE events. The city has 3 conference centres and a whole host of conference rooms and meeting facilities integrated into its huge selection of 4 & 5-star hotels, ranging from traditional riads to luxury resorts.
Not only can it guarantee delegates over 300 days of sunshine, but it’s also easy to get to and get around with a flight time of under 3.5 hours from the UK and other European cities, and a compact and walkable city centre. More widely, an investment of $368 million has been made to the country’s airports and a further $1.59 billion into improving Morocco’s trains and train links to major cities.
Morocco’s commitment to tourism has also stepped up in recent years, with huge investments into waste disposal, hygiene certification in restaurants in Marrakesh and beach clean-ups along Morocco’s coastline – it’s cleaner and safer than it’s ever been.
Looking ahead
On a final note, Richard explained what he’s most looking forward to: “The atmosphere. If it comes together the way we’re planning, the event will have a unique buzz created by 500 people who are realising that they have found a new way to do business. What could be more exciting than that?”
The premier edition of m&i Fest is set for 17 – 21 March 2024. Register your interest for the event here.
