Booking flights and hotel rooms for between 10 and 900 people, organising a treasure hunt or survival event in a location you have never visited, finding the perfect conference venue, catering for vegetarians and gluten-intolerants ... organising a MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) trip is not for the faint-hearted.
So, where do you start? According to Hong Kong Association of Travel Agents chairwoman Lily Agonoy, first establish a budget (this will decide how elaborate your events can be) and make sure that staff are available. Then ask a MICE travel expert for two or three proposals.
Ms Agonoy, also deputy general manager of Farrington American Express Travel Services, said that although some multinational companies claimed they could organise MICE trips at a lower cost than specialised travel agents, this was not usually possible.
'Agents have the market intelligence,' she said. 'They know how much a market is worth at a particular time of the year. When multinationals think they have got a good deal, agents will negotiate an even better rate.' Agents also had vast databases of information and networks of suppliers.
Plan for a budget of HK$3,000 to HK$5,000 per person for a MICE trip to China and HK$8,000 for a trip to Southeast Asia. If you plan to go long haul, be prepared to shell out US$2,000 to US$3,000 for every delegate. Consider the infrastructure at your destination. If it only offers small hotels, your staff could end up scattered over 10 or more hotels. Are there venues that are big enough for your meetings and events?
Once you have employed agents, leave the logistics to them. 'The organiser has to take care of flight and hotel bookings, registration, meet-and-assist, visas, transport at the destination, programmes and tours at the destination and incentives events,' Ms Agonoy said.
A MICE trip is all about investment in human resources, but how much does a company have to pay?