MICE Events in Greece with an eye on the future
MICE events are one of the fastest-growing segments in the travel industry. More and more professionals are choosing to go the extra mile and provide perks and bonuses for their human capital, and invariably, a vast number decide on Greece. Greece is going through a renaissance of sorts, with its economy poised for a record year of investments and the highest economic indicators across the Eurozone, outperforming traditional powerhouses like Germany, Qatar, the USA and China. You may think this is an outlier but this trend is upwardly trending, with most conservative figures showing a healthy increase in GDP output and direct foreign investment. This has resulted in a veritable orgy of construction works across the capital and its most robust island destinations. Read on and find out some of the main reasons that Greece is the ultimate MICE destination
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!
If you’re planning a MICE event, Greece makes sense for a variety of reasons. Greece sits at the crossroads of 3 continents, which means that getting to and from Greece from the Middle East, Africa and Europe is never more than 3 hours away. In addition, Greece has a wide array of prices, services and locations, which makes it a prime candidate to host events.
HUMAN CAPITAL
The human capital in Greece is a factor that always gets singled out for praise. Young, motivated and armed to the teeth with skills-both soft and hard-the professionals in Greece all speak at least English, with Spanish and French at an all-time high, so communication and ease of conveying thoughts and concepts are as easy as the ABC.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Public road works and highways that better connect cities are almost finished, while the Thessaloniki metro network is due to be handed to the general public within 2023. Thessaloniki, the food capital of Greece is the springboard from which to explore the great Macedonian outdoors and all its awesome natural delights and man-made antiquities.
Hotels are popping up like mushrooms after a thunderstorm. Everything from boutique hotels to large 5-star resorts is being planned and built. The wider Athens area is seeing an unprecedented boom, with the Athens 14km riviera going the most dramatic development on account of the Helenikon project (Europe’s largest urban development) which will see an area of 400 hectares (for comparison Hyde Park is a mere 250) turned into an all-encompassing megaplex of commercial and private use. Just up the road, the Kallithea beachfront is getting a makeover, with better accessibility (along with a metro station at the adjacent Stavros Niarchos Cultural Foundation).
THINGS TO DO
The Athens Acropolis rally, for instance, is back on the menu, after a few years of absence. The Athens classic marathon is a must for every self-respecting runner in the world and is hosted every November, while the 4,000-year-old Herodion Atticus theatre at the foot of the Acropolis hosts some of the most awe-inspiring concerts, in one of the world’s most ancient and hallowed ground.
And as of this year, the Aegean islands are getting direct inter-island connectivity, with the first small aircraft carrier service (with small Cessna planes, carrying up to 20 people), that will see routes between Santorini, Mykonos, Paros, Naxos, Syros, Rhodes and Crete, cutting down on times and helping with a host of issues. Plans to extend routes are imminent, while new initiatives are sure to follow.
MICE Events in Greece with an eye on the future
Choosing Greece for your MICE event pretty much assures you the best quality service and the highest value, as your buck will go a long way, in what is Europe’s cheapest destination.
