Welcome to our weekly wrap-up of MICE News, which covers meetings, incentives, conferences, and events across Australia and around the world. If you are in the MICE industry, this is what you need to know as our writers stay on top of the latest developments.
If you have any MICE news, please send it to kate@travelmonitor.com.au
IHG Hotels & Resorts launches ‘Evolve Your Event’ to reward and inspire events across East Asia & Pacific
IHG Hotels & Resorts has launched its first regional MICE campaign for the year, ‘Evolve Your Event,’ rewarding planners with its richest incentives to date. The aptly named campaign is designed to evolve ordinary events into the extraordinary, offering triple rewards points, deeper discounts and bonus elite night credits for events hosted at participating IHG hotels across East Asia & Pacific.
The offer enhances value for planners with deeper discounts and bonus loyalty rewards, meaning planners can move closer to their next reward tier. The 3X bonus points offer will see planners earn nine (9) IHG One Rewards points per USD$1, an enhancement from the standard three (3) points per USD$1. As a practical example, if an IHG Business Rewards member confirms an event with a qualifying spend of USD$20,000 during the offer period, then the member will earn 120,000 points plus 10 Bonus Elite Night Credits, instantly qualifying the planner for Diamond Elite status. Diamond Elite members enjoy enhanced perks such as 100% bonus points on future stays, automatic rollover of status to the following year and free hot breakfast as a choice of amenity.
To find out more and book, visit: www.ihg.com/your-event. Terms & Conditions and participating hotels can be found here.
Guy Sebastian and L.A.B to open Darwin Festival
Darwin Festival (7–24 August) has announced that singer, songwriter, producer and one of Australia’s most beloved artists, Guy Sebastian will kick off this year’s 18-night celebration with a special performance on Friday 8 August 2025, at the festival’s new outdoor venue, the picturesque Fort Hill Parklands at Darwin Waterfront Precinct.
Presented in partnership with NT-based SRO Events, the opening weekend concert series continues on Saturday 9 August 2025 with the Darwin debut of powerhouse New Zealand act L.A.B known for its genre-blending mix of reggae, electronic, blues, and funk. Supporting L.A.B is the high-energy Andrew Gurruwiwi Band, delivering its signature Yolŋu funk sound from the beaches of Birrtjimi and Yirrkala in Northeast Arnhem Land and local favourite Juran. On opening night, Gabriella Cilmi and the Alice Springs duo The Wanted Gems will warm up the stage for Sebastian.
Tickets are now available for both Fort Hill Parklands performances at darwinfestival.org.au.Darwin Festival’s full program of cabaret, theatre, comedy, dance, visual arts, outdoor concerts under the stars and fun family events will be announced on Tuesday 3 June. Audiences are invited to sign up as a Friend of the Festival (darwinfestival.org.au/friends) for early ticket access to the full program.
Magic Night Under the Stars at Frost and Fire in Forbes
Get into the toasty winter spirit at ‘Frost and Fire’ in Forbes on Saturday 21 June as this year’s event will be bigger and brighter than ever. Once again two huge effigy bonfires will light up the stunning ski dam location to live music from the event’s biggest line-up of bands. Also new, local bars and hotels are getting into the chilly spirit and offering signature ‘Frost and Fire Cocktails’, ideal for a pre or post show drink.
The perfect event for a winter getaway, Frost and Fire is held from 4-10pm and is Forbes’ biggest cultural event with live music, fire dancers, toasty fire buckets, hearty local foods and boutique brews. Now in its 6th year, the event celebrates the Winter Solstice under starry skies.
For more information and to buy tickets go to www.amazingforbesnsw.com/frost-and-fire/. Tickets cost $30 and under 18s are free.
Wellington to host ICCA Business Workshop in 2026
Wellington, New Zealand will host the ICCA Business Workshop – International Destination Marketing Sector, 12-14 February 2026. The event enables valuable relationship-building with high-level association executives, as well as peer-to-peer knowledge sharing with other convention bureaus.
ICCA Business Workshops offer an informal and dedicated platform for associations and meeting suppliers to interact, with attendance capped at 30 persons (15 ICCA members and 15 accompanying association executives). For more information and criteria regarding the workshop, please visit: ICCA Business Workshop – International Destination Marketing Sector 2026
Largest incentive to ever be held in Australia
Amway China Leadership Seminar wrapped up in Melbourne at the end of last month, with the event hosting almost 16,000 delegates, making it the largest incentive to ever be held in Australia. Amway China’s top sellers arrived from Mainland China, in waves of 2500 to 3000 people, each experiencing 5 days and 4 nights of business seminars, tours, and a gala dinner extravaganza curated by Encore Event Technologies at the Melbourne Showgrounds. The incentive generated $100 million in economic impact for the State.
For Encore, the planning and delivery of the events spread over a 12-month period, from pitch in May 2024, to briefing in August, with six months to design and deliver full creative until delivery for the April 2025 events. Between 1 to 30 April 2025, Encore delivered more than 11,000 hours of labour to curate a mammoth production, ranging from engineering to entertainment and choreography, staging, lighting, audio-visual and pyrotechnics. They drew on their in-house heavyweight creatives, production and technology experts to deliver a brand-defining set of ‘moments that matter’ for a truly personalised experience.
