Tag Archives: FCM Meetings & Events

FCM Meetings targets global expansion as more than 25% businesses spend over half budget on MICE

FCM Meetings & Events, ahead of its global relaunch targeting worldwide growth, has 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 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.

Surveying Flight Centre Corporate customers, overall, 28 per cent of businesses said more than 50 per cent of their budget goes towards travelling for MICE, with 11 per cent revealing an allocation of between 25-50 per cent, and 10 per cent stating that 15-25 per cent of their travel spend goes towards the MICE sector.

Simone Seiler, FCM Meetings & Events Global General Manager said the findings came 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 local nuance to understand specific client needs,” 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 see North America, Asia, and Europe as key regions with the largest opportunities for growth.

“FCM M&E is targeting exponential growth and we’re already expanding into the likes of United Arab Emirates and South Africa – which will allow us to expand our workforce to the more than 365 that we already have servicing our valued customers.

“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. Seiler said 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.

“Events and celebrations are becoming larger and more exhilarating, with a stronger focus on experiential and grander executions. While the scale is increasing, the themes, mood boards, and messaging are steering towards a personalised approach, fostering deep connections between brands and their partners. In today’s landscape, celebration has evolved to emphasise connection and collaboration.

“Domestically, we at FCM are prioritising India as a key hub for MICE activities. The government is actively enhancing infrastructure and approving premier MICE venues like Yasha Bhoomi in Delhi and Jio in Mumbai. This has, in turn, spurred growth in the MICE and Weddings sector, resulting in increased footfall.

“Gone are the days when a typical MICE tour was limited to sightseeing and a single gala dinner. The contemporary MICE experience includes a variety of impactful events at select locations or stand-alone venues, team-building engagements, wellness workshops, and sessions with celebrity speakers. This multifaceted approach enriches the overall experience, making it both memorable and meaningful

“Clients are seeking a comprehensive global program that consolidates what is often fragmented. I’m thrilled about Joanne joining our team to demonstrate the global solutions we offer as part of our mission to truly globalise FCM Meetings & Events,” added Jude D’Souza, FCM Meetings & Events Leader for India.

 

 

FCM Meetings & Events appoints Henry Jones as Global Marketing Leader

FCM Meetings & Events (FCM M&E), the long-standing sector specialist and flagship division of the Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG), has announced a global business expansion with Henry Jones stepping up as the Global Marketing Leader.

Jones is a seasoned travel marketer and has spent the last 8 years with Flight Centre Travel Group, working across multiple brands and several regions including the United Kingdom, and Canada supporting the launch of Corporate Traveller’s Melon product.

He was most recently the Head of Marketing for FCM Travel Asia based out of Singapore, and has overseen the expansion of marketing efforts into China with the launch of The FCM Platform China, launched FCM Japan and incorporated India into the region with our fantastic team on the ground.

In his new role, Jones will manage FCM M&E marketing and communications strategy including bringing the division’s product suite to market and driving the global brand strategy as FCTG invests heavily in this space.

“Meetings and Events make up a substantial part of corporate travel with the MICE market expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 6.6 per cent from 2022 to 2030 to reach USD1563.3 billion”, said Henry Jones, Global Marketing Leader of FCM M&E.

“Henry is an example of our ‘Brightness of Future’ at FCTG, where every team member is encouraged to develop their career progression. We believe the meetings, events, conferences, and event travel markets are ripe for disruption worldwide and have invested heavily in technology and people. This ensures we have best-in-class technology and people to service the meetings and events industry.”

“By leveraging our global network, we are confident in delivering exceptional meetings and events experiences that captivate audiences, shaping the future of business gatherings worldwide. We know we have an incredible opportunity to grow and position ourselves as the travel management company of choice for meetings, events, and event travel”, said Simone Seiler, Global General Manager, FCM M&E.

 

FCM Meetings & Events India sees more than a 30% increase in requests for incentive trips

Incentive trips are making a comeback according to the flagship corporate travel arm of Flight Centre Travel Group. FCM Meetings & Events India has seen more than a 30 per cent increase in requests for incentive trips.

Incentive trips also known as employee reward programs are used to boost employee engagement and productivity. It works by encouraging employees to improve their performance and reach goals and it is especially motivating for younger and mid-career employees.

“Incentive trips are a popular way to reward employees and now that travel is back in full swing, both companies and employees prefer incentive trips versus vouchers or cash-in-kind, said Manpreet Bindra, FCM Meetings & Events Leader, Asia.

“We have managed incentive trips for startups to large-scale enterprises including upcoming destinations like Vietnam, apart from the popular Thailand and Indonesia. If companies can confirm their group movements 6 months prior, they can stand to save more than 20 per cent in airfares with FCM.

“Our advice is always to book group movement 9 months in advance as fares for full-cost carriers are comparable to low-cost carriers.”

“The most popular destinations in Asia are Bangkok and Pattaya in tandem, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh, Kuala Lumpur, and Colombo although Hong Kong and Macau are starting to gain traction again due to the increased air seat capacity as well as tourism marketing initiatives.”

“Companies are looking at destinations with both hotel and air seat capacity as well as the ease of visa procedures,” added Bindra.

FCM Meetings & Events promotes Manpreet Bindra as Leader of Asia

FCM Meetings & Events, a flagship division of the Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG), recently announced a global expansion of the business.

With lofty ambitions ahead of the company, Manpreet Bindra has been promoted to FCM Meetings & Events Leader of Asia.

Bindra has spent the last 23 years working for FCTG and was previously the President of FCM Meetings & Events in India. Through his leadership, FCM India’s Meetings & Events revenue doubled pre-pandemic numbers.

“FCTG as a group has strategically started investing in growing our Meetings & Events offering across the region. We are very excited to have Manpreet taking the lead in Asia, which reinstates our brightness of future opportunities. Manpreet has successfully managed to build an outstanding M&E business in India,” said Bertrand Saillet, Managing Director, FCM Asia.

“As a leading business in this area, FCM Meetings & Events offer unique and memorable experiences and products, using technology to enhance our customer experience for hybrid events or in-person events and more. FCM’s success is underpinned by our amazing team and leaders,” added Saillet.

“The Asia Pacific market dominated the MICE industry in 2022, accounting for the maximum revenue share of more than 44.3%. I see a huge opportunity given that we have a good customer base of corporate business in the region. I am looking forward to extending our Meetings & Events offerings to more businesses across Asia as we continuously grow to expand our capabilities. We have a team of highly experienced professionals providing high technology and high-touch services to our clients, from initial meetings through to project completion,” said Bindra.

“We are committed to providing our customers in Asia with unique and memorable experiences – while staying true to the wider FCTG ‘glocal’ philosophy,” concluded Saillet.