Isn’t it a lovely feeling to brainstorm while sitting back in a cosy sofa chair, overlooking a beautiful landscape, which may otherwise test stress levels when in an office setting? In fact, the pressure is cut in half just by being away from the usual workplace. This is exactly why corporate houses are investing in MICE. Jnanesh Upponi of Fountainhead, a company that specialises in MICE says, “Team-building is one of the main activities conducted during a MICE outing. However, it is looked at as more of a reward for their [employees’] past performances, and also to boost their confidence and morale to perform better in the future.”
In case of larger groups, such outings make it easier to engage in building on inter-department relations, thus improving communication in the long run. Upponi says, “For an ideal MICE setting you need to have an appropriate destination, which suits the budget apportioned for the event by the corporate, clocks in travel time, and is coupled with a good hotel, which has excellent conferencing facilities.” What he means is that it isn’t just the location, but a hotel with good infrastructure for presentations, and ample space for group activities is also a priority. It isn’t uncommon to have organisations host a day long session in their own city too, but at a hired space, which is usually dressed in a casual theme to keep the mood light. “Very few people are willing to trek the distance because travel time is the top priority when it comes to a getaway with dealers’ incentive movements.
Then again, when these corporates take their own employees outstation, they don’t mind trekking to a far off place. You can say mingling during long travels forms a part of their team-building exercise,” Upponi adds. In such cases, towns picked are usually those which are away from the city’s bustle. Hill stations such as Pelling, Mussoorie, and Coorg are gaining popularity for MICE, in spite of lacking an airport. Them being four hours from a metropolis isn’t looked at as a deterrent. Besides, they are ideal options when budgeting for large groups as they are cheaper than thriving business cities, in addition to being a pleasant change from the usual work environment.
HILL STATIONS
JW MARRIOTT MUSSOORIE WALNUT GROVE RESORT & SPA
Nearest business city: Delhi and Dehradun
Reaching Mussoorie: A one-hour flight from Delhi to Dehradun. Mussoorie is nearly two hours from Dehradun by road.
Meeting room: The Grand Orchard ballroom can be divided into two equal parts of 154 sqm. In addition to this it has one large boardroom, Maple, for 18 people, and two small conference rooms, Oak and Juniper, for 10 people each. These are equipped with a flat-screen TV, a projector,a dropdown screen, a white board and wifi. Azalea Court, an outdoor space is what the property calls a pre-function area to the ballroom. They also have a JW Terrace with an indoor bar.
Wifi rates: ₹4,000 for 4mbps/24 hours and ₹6,000 for 6mbps/24 hours. Special wifi rates are curated for MICE groups as per speed required, duration and number
of devices.
Best time to visit: In the winter months from November to February. However, their indoor recreational room allows you to enjoy the property year-round.
Special MICE rate: It is planned as per number of outdoor activities, theme breaks, unique dining experiences at their outdoor farms. They also have a special all-inclusive package comprising of meals, conference facilities, and sightseeing. Each month, the JW Marriott Mussoorie events team is engaged in conceptualisation and execution of two to three medium sized MICE trips. Their culinary team gets involved in case of themed menus. Food innovations are very popular amongst MICE groups for their creativity. Their 1,115 sqm recreational floor has a bowling alley, video games and other such indoor entertainment. Outdoor activities include treks, visit to local areas of interest with their adventure guides, treasure hunts, special outdoor farm meals, and breakfast in the brook.
ELGIN MOUNT PANDIM, PELLING
Nearest business city: Kolkata
Reaching Pelling: A one-hour flight from Kolkata to Bagdogra, from where you drive three hours to Pelling. Meeting room: They have one board room and one banquet hall with a seating capacity of 120 people each. Both are equipped with an audio-video facility, a screen, a projector, and wifi. Their lawns are also available for outdoor conferences.
Wifi rates: Free
Special MICE rate: Subject to number of rooms. Elgin Mount Pandim is proud of their successful cocktail dinners with live music, around a bonfire setting. Further, the hotel’s tie-up with travel agents who specialise in Pelling as a destination, helps plan a customised itinerary for a weekend of fun mixed with work. During these outings, the hotel even packs lunches for outdoor activities.
HILTON SHILLIM ESTATE RETREAT & SPA
Nearest business city: Mumbai and Pune Reaching Shillim: A 2.5-hour drive or a 30-minute helicopter ride from Mumbai, and a 1.5-hour drive from Pune.
Meeting room: Their meeting rooms are named after
the four elements — Air room (127.5 sqm), Earth room (34 sqm), Wind room (34 sqm), Fire room (62 sqm). These are equipped with tele-conferencing and video-conferencing facilities, wifi, a projector, a screen and a television. They also have outdoor spaces that amount to a total of 3,251 sqm, and includes the poolside area.
Wifi rates: ₹400 for one hour, ₹1,000 for one day, ₹4,000 for a week and ₹10,000 for a month — plus taxes.
Best time to visit: The monsoons from June to September bring out colours of the valley’s rich flora. The winters (November to January) as well, envelop the Western Ghats in beautiful weather.
Special MICE rate: Subject to itinerary. The MICE traffic is high here. It is common for Hilton Shillim Estate Retreat & Spa to receive two to three corporate groups each week. They have an in-house team who work with the corporate organiser to plan an activity-packed weekend as per the objectives and interests of the MICE group. These include group yoga, group meditation, group trekking, pottery sessions, cycling, wellness consultation, communication and relationship building activities, as well as activities themed around leadership, trust, cooperation, and innovative problem solving.
THE KHYBER HIMALAYAN RESORT & SPA, GULMARG
Nearest business city: Srinagar
Reaching Gulmarg: A two-hour drive from Srinagar. When it snows, the drive is longer.
Meeting room: They have two meeting rooms with maximum capacities of 200 and 100 people. These rooms can even be combined to accommodate 320 people. The rooms are equipped with a projector, a screen, audio-video facility and wifi.
Wifi rates: Starts at ₹500 for 30 minutes and allows connectivity for up to two devices.
Best time to visit: December to April brings in snow, April to May sees vibrant blossoms, and June to September enjoys a toasty summer.
Special MICE rate: A special all-inclusive package comprises of meals, conference facilities, and sightseeing. The Khyber arranges trips to the Affarwat Peak at 14,000 ft, on the highest ski lift in the world, which is walking distance from the property. For those afraid of heights, there is group trekking, mountain biking, horse riding and rock climbing. The hotel can arrange jeep excursions in spring and summer; and snowboarding, sledding, skiing and horse-drawn sleigh rides in winter. Golfers can tee off at India’s highest golf course at 9,000 feet. Indoor activities involve the use of their home theatre and an amphitheatre. They have an in-house team which works closely with organisers of MICE events.
AMANVANA SPA RESORT, COORG
Nearest business city: Bangalore and Mysore
Reaching Coorg: A two-hour drive from Mysore, which is a 45-minute flight from Bangalore.
Meeting room: One boardroom for 14 people and one conference room for 60 people. Both are equipped with an audio-video facility, a projector, and a screen. Their lawns are available for events as well.
Wifi rates: It is available only in the lobby and restaurants, and is free.
Best time to visit: Coorg is most popular during the monsoons, from June to September. The monsoon months are said to be the off-season, as most activities in the city are closed, but they receive heavy tourist traffic. The next best time to visit is during winter, their peak season, when the footfall increases.
Special MICE rate: It depends on the group size and number of rooms. In spite of being a property that lacks wifi connectivity, Amanvana receives MICE groups twice a month. They organise an activity-filled day that begins with yoga, which is followed by a nature walk, coffee plantation tour, one-of-a- kind eight island river trek (not during the monsoons), and sightseeing around Coorg. Their team chalks out an itinerary with the hours left over from time spent in the conference rooms.
METROPOLISES
GRAND HYATT MUMBAI
Reaching Mumbai: Fly into Terminal 1A or Terminal 2 of Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.
Meeting room: They have a Grand Ballroom of 1075 sqm, Grand Salon of 196 sqm, two boardrooms of 84 sqm and 72 sqm, and a Mahogany room of 98 sqm. These are equipped with teleconferencing and audio-visual facilities, and wifi. Equipment such as projectors, screens, and televisions are available on request. For their outdoor venues, the 2,300 sqm garden is large enough for 600 people.
Wifi rates: Charges for 24 hours is ₹880 plus taxes in conference and board rooms.
Best time to visit: People generally avoid Mumbai during the monsoons (June-September) as commuting within the city can be tedious. The tropical climates cools up to 18 degrees centigrade on an average during winters (November-January), and in the hotter months temperatures rise to an easy 40 degrees (February-May and October).
Special MICE rate: For a booking of more than 10 rooms, Grand Hyatt offers special rates. Wifi is free in all guest rooms. Grand Hyatt has a dedicated events planning team for MICE. Their sprawling lawns are often used for sporting events and outdoor group activities. The concierge is adept at planning on-the-premises art tours and off-the-premises team outings.
NOVOTEL HYDERABAD CONVENTION CENTRE AND HYDERABAD INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE (HICC)
Reaching Hyderabad: Fly into Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.
Meeting room: It has 37 breakout rooms including specialised meeting rooms, speaker preparatory rooms, boardrooms, and a VIP lounge — all of which are equipped with an 18 feet x 16 feet screen capacity, audio-video facilities and wifi. The 6,480 sqm HICC hall is versatile such that it can be divided into six smaller sections, and can accommodate from 5,000 to a private meeting of 15. They also have an outdoor lawn area of 2,390 sqm.
Wifi rates: Wifi is available up to speeds of 15mbps, but is free only up to 256 kbps.
Best time to visit: Hyderabad’s temperatures vary from 15 degrees centigrade in the winters to 35 degrees centigrade in the summer. Overall, the city’s climate is pleasant.
Special MICE rate: Customised packages depend on conference requirements. HICC is India’s most popular venue for MICE, and is even compared to global standards. They have a dedicated team to tailor MICE requirements. The concierge can be contacted for city tours.
PEERLESS SAROVAR PORTICO, KOLKATA
Reaching Kolkata: Fly into Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.
Meeting room: Audio-video facility, wifi, a projector, and a screen are available in all their 10 meeting and board rooms. These include two conference rooms for 14 and 12 people, two Summit rooms for eight and 10 people, Jasmine room for a maximum of 40 people in an informal setup, a boardroom for 15,Victoria room for a floating crowd of 40, a Chowringhee room for 25 and two banquet halls for 250 and 80 people respectively. They can also setup for an outdoor conference. Wifi rates: Wifi is charged as per usage — ₹200 for 500MB, ₹400 for 1GB, ₹650 for 2GB, ₹3,000 for 5GB, and ₹4,000 for 8GB, plus tax.
Best time to visit: Kolkata has a tropical climate with high humidity levels. December-February are the only months when humidity levels fall to tolerable levels.
Special MICE rate: They can customise a package for MICE groups and tweak costs based on group size. Peerless Sarovar Portico can organise activities for MICE groups as per their desired theme. For meals, they can create a specially themed menu. Cruises on the Ganges are organised at no extra cost. They even plan outdoor events should the need arise.
THE WESTIN PUNE KOREGAON PARK
Reaching Pune: Fly into Pune’s airport or drive down 149km from Mumbai (2.5 hours).
Meeting room: Their meeting rooms — Renew, Recharge, Refresh and Revel — can accommodate from 25 to 700 people. The 720 sqm ballroom can also hold up to 700 people. For smaller groups, their business centre, as well as private dining rooms in their restaurants are offered. All of these are equipped with audio-visual and video-conferencing facilities, motorised projectors, screens, and wifi. Their 3,251 sqm lawn is spacious enough for 3,000 people.
Wifi rates: Apart from the banquet floor that charges ₹1,000 plus taxes for wifi, the rates vary for other meeting rooms on the property, depending on usage.
Best time to visit: Pune is 560 metres above sea level. Their summers (February-May) are hot and arid, but the nights are pleasant. Thunder showers are common during monsoons (June-September). Winter months from November to January are the best. The temperature stays within a pleasant 23 degrees centigrade.
Special MICE rate: Packages for MICE groups are worked out to match the requirement, size and duration. On an average, The Westin Pune receives two to three enquiries for MICE per week. Their event planning team chalks out a tour of the city, suggests team-building activities, and creates a menu designed to match the MICE theme. It is advisable to book their lawns well in advance, for they are in high demand. Alternatively, they introduce event management companies, who specialise in MICE, to corporate groups for more elaborate MICE sessions.
