Asmita Mukherjee - Hyderabad 
Nashik is gaining popularity as a MICE-destination due to its close proximity with Mumbai, Pune and Surat, which makes the city ideal for corporate meetings. Also, being the Wine Capital of India, the city has evolved into a better destination over the years have added more attractions, tourist hotspots, and activities to do.
Courtyard by Marriott Nashik is the first international hotel to make its mark in the Wine Capital of India. Due to the growing popularity of the MICE segment in the city, the hotel is now targeting the MICE business. Amol More, Hotel Manager, Courtyard by Marriott Nashik informed
that the hotel is centrally located at a travelling distance of about 3-4 hours, from two of the busiest metropolitan hubs i.e. Mumbai and Pune. Nashik also houses the top 5 Major MIDCs which are located just a 15-minute drive from the hotel, making the property attractive to business travellers. Also, the constant rise of corporate business in the city makes it an ideal place for corporate meetings and incentives.
According to More, proximity to the local office/site, connectivity from the host city to the destination, food and beverage options, and tourist hot spots for incentive travel have been some of the main deciding factors for MICE business over the years. “However in recent times, hygiene and safety have become immensely significant factors, as well. With the evolving lifestyle guests, often want to experience luxury gateways and classy retreats beyond metros,” More added.
He added that limited options to travel abroad have exposed many interesting domestic set-ups and curated experiences for MICE gateways. Also, price sensitivity post-Covid has become an important factor, where every hotel is trying to come up with tailor-made offers to incentivise great meeting destinations.
Due to the deadly pandemic, MICE had stopped picking up last year, but according to More, this year MICE events have already begun on a smaller scale in Nashik. He informed, “With increased vaccination drives all over and more showcases towards the hygiene level at the hotel, the pace has increased significantly since August. There is also a pent up requirement from corporates over the last year which is driving heaxlthy demand for meeting spaces in Nashik.”
MICE as a segment is huge, and as the number of guests would be more, their demands would also be more. To
accommodate those demands, many hotels offer customised packages for their MICE guests. Speaking about the reasons behind MICE guests choosing Courtyard by Marriott Nashik, More said, “The hotel has already received much appreciation for curating memorable experiences for our guests. We are constantly providing experiences with great value adds to groups, upgrades, a variety of food and beverage offerings, up to date audio-visual facilities for conferences, bundled with room and banquet packages. We are on a constant lookout to bring out the true essence of Nashik by curating tailor-made occasions with secret wine trails and unique experiences.”
Elaborating on the various advantages offered to MICE guests at the hotel, More stated, “Our hotel is the only hotel currently located in the heart of the city in Nashik. With multiple foods and beverage options of international calibre, there is always an opportunity to spark creativity when you book your business event in our soundproof state of the art meeting rooms.
The banquet area and the pre-function space are well spread to ensure the comfort of space while maintaining social distancing. Advanced audiovisual equipment for larger conferences also ensures smooth operations and effortless presentation to meeting participants. Reenergized open-air meeting venues which allow meeting attendees a great environment of Nashik, are also one of the interesting features of the hotel.”
For hoteliers, MICE was always an attractive segment. More informed us about the importance of the MICE segment for Courtyard by Marriott Nashik by saying, “MICE contributes a large extent in driving occupancy in the hotel. It also acts as a great platform to be visible to guests who are on the lookout for evolving lifestyles. As a new hotel, we have hosted many events which became a great source of referral marketing. The loyalty of the brand and tailor-made services offered by the hotel’s event experts have inspired guests and given us new business opportunities even in a restricted environment of the pandemic, where we were able to ensure memorable experiences following all the government norms”.
