INTRODUCTION TO

EVENTS
DR. CLARENCE JOY D. ALCARAZ
UM College of Hospitality Education
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Define Event
2. Distinguish different types of events
3. Identify characteristics of events
categorized under MICE
4. Classify events according to content
and purpose.
5. Understand the economic
significance of events.
What is an event?
What is an event?
An event is a general term
indicating the coming
together of a number of
people in one place to confer
or carry out a particular
activity. Frequency can be
on an ad hoc basis or
according to a set pattern,
as for instance annual
general events or committee
events (International
What makes an event special?
TRIVIA
Did you know that the “Main Street
Electric Parade” ( a special event
with colorful floats, Disney
characters and fireworks) saves the
Disneyland all over the world for it
allows visitors not to leave as early
as five o’clock in the afternoon.
THE HERO? Rober Jani – Director
for Disneyland Public Relations.

Reference: Goldbatt, Special Events: The Roots

and Wings of Celebration, Fifth Edition)
TYPES OF EVENTS
1. BASED ON SIZE
A. Mega Events
B. Hallmark Events
2. MICE
A. Meetings (Conference,
Congress and Other Types)
B. Incentives
C. Conventions
D. Exhibitions
3. BASED ON PURPOSE AND CONTENT
4. SPORTS
5. ADVOCACY AND PHILANTHROPIC
6. OTHER EVENTS
TYPE OF EVENTS: BASED ON
SIZE
A. MEGA EVENTS
- large events generally targeting
international markets (Van der Wagen,
2009)
- it affects whole economies and
reverberance in the global media (Allen,
O’Toole, Harris and Mcdonnel, 2002)
- events expressly targeted at the
international tourism market and may be
suitably described as mega by virture of
their size in terms of attendance, target
market, level of public financial
involvement, political efforts, extent of
television coverage, construction of
TYPE OF EVENTS: BASED ON
SIZE
A. HALLMARK EVENTS
- designed to increase the appeal of a specific tourism
destination or region. (van der Wagen, 2009)
TYPE OF EVENTS: MICE
TRANSPORTATI
ON
ENTERTAINME
TRAVEL NT
TRADE IMPAC
T OF
MICE
ACCOMMODATI
ON
ATTRACTIONS

FOOD AND
BEVERAGE
TYPE OF EVENTS: MICE
A. MEETING
- It takes placewhen two or
more people come together
with a common agenda.
People attend meetings for
education, training, decision-
making, research, sales,
information exchange,
networking, strategic planning,
teambuilding and problem
TYPE OF EVENTS: MICE
A. MEETING: Types
1. Conference
- an event used by any organization
to meet and exchange views,
convey a message, open a debate or
give publicity to some area of
opinion on a specific issue. No
tradition, continuity or periodicity is
required to convene a conference.
Although not generally limited in
time, conferences are usually of
short duration with specific
objectives. (Convention Industry
TYPE OF EVENTS: MICE
A. MEETING: Types
1. Congress
- the regular coming
together of large groups of
individuals, generally to
discuss a particular subject.
A congress will often last
several days and have
several simultaneous
sessions.
TYPE OF EVENTS: MICE
A. MEETING: Other Types
1. Symposium
- a formal presentation where there is a limited
interaction between presenters and the audience.
TYPE OF EVENTS: MICE
A. MEETING: Other Types
2. Lecture
- is an individual presentation, often by one expert,
where the audience can ask questions after the
discussion. The panel is composed of two or more
resource persons offer their opinions on a specific topic.
TYPE OF EVENTS: MICE
A. MEETING: Other Types
3. Forum
- It is an interactive discussion led by invited speakers.
TYPE OF EVENTS: MICE
A. MEETING: Other Types
4. Seminars
- It provides room for much interaction between
attendees and resource speakers. It is preferred for use
in small groups.
TYPE OF EVENTS: MICE
A. MEETING: Other Types
5. Clinic
- It refers to training activities, usually sport activities. It
presents drills and instructions on specific topics.
TYPE OF EVENTS: MICE
A. MEETING: Other Types
6. Retreats
- Generally spiritual in nature usually conducted in a
location away from the city. It is used for bonding,
planning sessions or for relaxation and meditation.
TYPE OF EVENTS: MICE
B. INCENTIVES
- It is a gift for a job well done. It is also motivational
tool to encourage employees to achieve business goals
such as a sales quota set by a company. Incentives are
not only vacations in exotic destinations, but include
golf and casino games, shopping, spa and massage
treatments and/ or ticket to a boxing match.
TYPE OF EVENTS: MICE
B. Conventions
- defined as a meeting with an exhibit. Its strength
comes from the combined attractions of having
multiple, simultaneous activities.
TYPE OF EVENTS: MICE
B. Conventions: Types
1. Public or Consumer Show
- Exhibition that is open to the public, usually requiring an
entrance fee.
2. Trade Show
- This generally refers to exhibits that are not open to the
public. It is considered a business-to-business event
where products are not sold directly during the exhibit.
(Convention Industry Council
3. Combined Exhibits
- Exhibits that are open to the trade for the first couple of
days. Then, the organizers will allow the public to view the
TYPE OF EVENTS: MICE
B. Conventions: Types
4. Exposition
- it refers to a large-scale industrial, regional exhibition
scheduled for a longer period of time, often for several weeks
in the same venue.
5. Fair
- An occasional meeting of buyers and sellers specifically to
trade.
TYPE OF EVENTS: MICE
B. Conventions: Types
1. Public or Consumer Show
- Exhibition that is open to the public, usually requiring an
entrance fee.
2. Trade Show
- This generally refers to exhibits that are not open to the
public. It is considered a business-to-business event
where products are not sold directly during the exhibit.
(Convention Industry Council
3. Combined Exhibits
- Exhibits that are open to the trade for the first couple of
days. Then, the organizers will allow the public to view the
TRIVIA
Did you know that the world’s
first international exposition of
manufactured goods, inventions,
works of art and artifacts from
many cultures is The Great
Exhibition of 1851? It was
held from May to October 1851 at
the Crystal Palace in London. It
highlighted 100,000 exhibits from
14,000 exhibitors. There were
more than six million people
TRIVIA
The French
commissioned designer
engineer Gustave Eiffel to
build for the Paris
Exposition. Now known as
the Eiffel Tower, it also
served to commemorate
the centenary of the
French Revolution.
TYPE OF EVENTS: BASED ON PURPOSE
AND CONTENT
A. Marketing Events
- a commerce-oriented event to facilitate bringing buyer and
seller together or to create awareness of a commercial
product or service, scheduled alone or in conjunction with
other events (Silvers, 2004)
1. OPEN HOUSE
- It features a new residential and/or commercial property for sale or lease
1. PRODUCT LAUNCH
- It introduces a product or service to entice people to buy.
TYPE OF EVENTS: BASED ON PURPOSE
AND CONTENT
A. Festivals
- a cultural celebration, either secular or religious, created by
and/or for the public, scheduled alone or in conjunction with
other events. Many festival include bringing buyer and seller
together in a festive atmosphere.
1. Religious
- It commemorates feast days and celebrations focusing on one’s faith.
2. Cultural
- It refers to the arts as well as to national, regional, ethnic or indigenous events
that honor traditions.
3. Social
- a private event, by invitation only, celebrating or commemorating a cultural,
religious, communal, societal or lifecycle occasion, scheduled alone or in
conjunction with other events (Silvers, 2004)
TYPE OF EVENTS: SPORTS EVENTS
- a spectator or participatory event involving recreational or
competitive sport activities, scheduled alone or in
conjunction with other events (Silvers, 2004)
TYPE OF EVENTS: ADVOCACY AND
PHILANTHROPIC
- these are events created by or for a charitable or cause-
related group for the purpose of attracting revenue, support
and/or awareness, scheduled alone or in conjunction with
other events.
TYPE OF EVENTS: OTHER EVENTS
- These are events that focus on natural wonders , flora and
fauna, fun and spiritual events. Examples are the Northern
Lights (Scandinavia); Ibiza Closing Parties (Spain); Wild bees
Migration (Kenya); Killer Whale Safari (Norway); Summer
Solstice (Stonehenge, United Kingdim); Holla Mahalla (India);
and the Lotus Lantern (Korea).
Are events economically
significant?
Tourism
Multiplier Effect
MAIN BENEFITS OF Tend to visit in off
BUSINESS TOURISM peak season,
generally not in
(MICE) FOR the summer or
school and public
DESTINATIONS holidays

Help justify and fund Relatively

infrastructure
developments which high per
benefit the host head per day
community, e.g. airports Business
Tourism expenditure
Destinatio
ns

Help ensure viability of Business tourists

community leisure tend to be
facilities such as shops relatively well
and theaters, which behaved, causing
are used by local few problems for
people as well as the host
business tourists community
Source: Swarbooke and Horner, 2001
OW MICE BENEFITS HOST COUNTRIES
TERTIARY SECONDARY
BENEFITS PRIMARY BENEFITS
BENEFITS
Technology Contractors,
Transfer, Freight Professional
International
Trade,
Forwarders,
Exhibitors,
Congress
National Restaurants Organizers,
Economy, &
National entertainmen Professional
Image, ts, Tour
Agents,
Exhibition
Positive Image
Shopping Organizers,
Centers,
Transportatio
Destination
n& Management
Communicati
on, Banks Companies,
and
Temporary
Hotels,
Staff Participants,
END
CLARENCE JOY D. ALCARAZ
UM College of Hospitality Education