Accor eyes MICE market

Accor eyes MICE market
By admin


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Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

Accor eyes MICE market

Accor eyes MICE market
By admin


Accor reported solid performance figures in the first half of the year with Accor Pacific chief operating officer Simon McGrath confident that the MICE market is “coming back”.

The hotel chain posted a € 212 million profit (A$260m) in the first half of 2012, up 10.1% on the same time last year. Revenue also jumped 3.6% to €2.7bn (A$3.3bn) following “record expansion” and steadily rising room rates.

Speaking with The Nibbler this week, McGrath explained that the conference market was central to the results.

“We have a number of brands that sit very well in the MICE market – the Pullman brand, the Novotel brand, Mercure and Sofitel, they all sit very strong,” McGrath said.

“We are seeing the conference market start to rebound quite well in the second half of this year and we expect that to continue… the MICE market is coming back,” he added.

Noting that location was critical to the success of MICE venues, McGrath remained confident Accor would see continued success as its aggressive expansion strategy continues.

“The issue for the MICE market is making sure you have the right spread of properties in the right area and that you can deliver the right product with it,” he said. “Sixty of our hotels focus heavily on MICE. It’s one of Australia’s largest offerings,” McGrath added.

Accor expanded during the first half of the year with the opening of 141 hotels, totalling 20,700 rooms, of which almost 60% were in the Asia Pacific.

Almost 110,000 additional rooms are due to open before 2016.

The five star Pullman brand will expand in Australia from two hotels to 10 with Accor’s recently acquired Mirvac properties to be rebadged as part of the Pullman portfolio.

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

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