Mid-Atlantic meeting point

According to the experts, the MICE market is growing. For those not in the industry, MICE stands for Meeting and Incentives, and the field is a lucrative one, especially in Iceland where the combination of a unique natural environment and the latest business facilities is making it a popular location for international events. “Iceland is a great destination because it’s something outside of the box,” says Gunnar Rafn Birgisson, managing director of Atlantik, a Reykjavík-based company which specialises in the incentive travel market.

Think of Iceland and many people picture a dark, cold, isolated island in the North Atlantic. The reality is somewhat different. Take a look at the selection of hotels and restaurants and you’ll get an idea of the range of options in the capital city, which surprisingly has only a population of around 200,000 in the greater urban area. Reykjavík also has some of the most advanced facilities for business travellers in the world.

Of course it is still the nature which makes this a popular destination for incentive groups. “We have the classic things, like specially equipped 4x4s for driving on glaciers,” explains Birgisson. “But we also offer team-building exercises and combine these with soft adventure activities like rafting, whale watching, hiking and snowmobiling.”

There are some challenges, though. Thanks to unfavourable exchange rates for visitors, the costs of excursions and accommodation in an already expensive country are going up. “I always tell people to look at the final number,” says Anna Valdimarsdóttir, project manager with the Iceland Convention and Incentive Bureau. “In London the food and wine may be cheaper, but the accommodation is more expensive. And the activities we offer are one of a kind. You can’t put a price on that.”

The major development for this industry in the coming years is the 12 billion Krona construction of a new concert hall and conference centre in the harbour of Reykjavík, scheduled to open in 2009. The conference centre will have a hall with seating for 1,800 people, and the country’s first five-star hotel will open next door. “It is a complete breakthrough for the city and for the MICE market in Iceland,” says Valdimarsdóttir.

At less than three hours from the UK, Reykjavík looks set to grow in popularity. As Birgisson says: “Iceland is like nothing else—and we’re right next door.”