Germany is one of the most important source markets for meetings & incentives traffic world-wide (together with the German-speaking markets of Austria and Switzerland, it is No. 3 world-wide after the US and the UK) and the third-largest incoming market for Britain. A recent study carried out by Germany-based Travel Marketing Factory TMF (a specialist agency for tourism, conference & incentive marketing and data research) in co-operation with IMEX revealed positive trends for the German outbound conference and incentive market. 

89% of agents and 94% of corporate planners interviewed report a stable or positive development of their meetings & incentive business for 2005. A considerable proportion (35-40%) of all events take place abroad, most of them in Europe rather than in long-haul destinations. 60% of the agents expect a further increase of conferences and incentives abroad in the next 2-3 years. 

While the number of events abroad is likely to increase, budgets are an issue both for incentive travel and for conferences/meetings, and controlling tends to be stricter than in previous years. To make a stronger "business case", incentive trips now often include a meeting element or some sort of business-related activity, conferences tend to become shorter and more intense with several parallel/ breakout sessions to make the best use of the available time. In view of these developments, value for money is an important criterion for selecting a destination. There are, however, other factors which are considered more important; notably ease of access, high standard of facilities, high quality of service and professionalism. 

In general, German buyers are looking for 

• extraordinary programmes despite limited budget
• innovative proposals
• prompt answers within 2-3 working days
• professional partners    

According to a recent research by German magazine CIM, preferred sources of information for German meeting & event planners are exhibitions/ roadshows/ workshops, specialist press and the internet. However, when it comes to making a final decision for a destination, "personal experience" of some sort is also key: many of the interviewees in the TMF study base their decision on fam trips or recommendations from colleagues or use a "success-prove" destination with which they are familiar from previous events.

Other general findings:

• Intermediaries/agents are often used to organise events abroad, particularly if they are large-scale or if the programme is complex 
• Lead times are becoming shorter: 12 months for corporates, 3-4 months for agents (the difference is due to the fact that agencies usually come into play when the planning process within the corporation has reached a certain stage)
• Spa and golf elements are often incorporated into programmes
• Quality is important, but luxury is not the subject of the moment – original and authentic experiences are considered more interesting and appropriate    

Britain is seen as an interesting destination for future events by 84% of the agents and 77% of the corporate planners interviewed. Among the aspects which render Britain attractive as a conference and incentive destination, the most frequently quoted were accessibility, high quality of service and professionalism. Where Britain was not considered eligible, the most mentioned reason was the high price level / unfavourable exchange rate.

What does this mean for Britain?

The UK holds a strong interest for German MICE buyers. The most popular destinations are London and Scotland, while awareness of some other areas of the country is not yet wide-spread. German buyers are always on the lookout for new / unique programmes and fresh ideas and are using a variety of sources to find this information. VisitBritain is offering a number of activities that offer UK suppliers the opportunity to target this important market. If you are interested in the marketing opportunities for Germany, please contact Shivah Jahangir-Tafreshi in London (020 8563 3091) or Karin Thones in Berlin (0049 30 3157 1915).

Activities open to UK suppliers for targeting the German market in 2005/6

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