Around 125 eventprofs braved the January weather to get a first look at the funky new nhow London hotel last Wednesday (15 January) for the first micebook educational and networking event of the decade.

Buyers from agencies including BCD Meetings & Events, Penguins, Pure Events, Worldspan, Top Banana, CR Worldwide, MCI UK and cievents, networked with micebook partners including Just the Letter B, DBF Events, Sandals Resorts, The DMC Advantage, AbleMaxx, Dorchester Collection and Great Hotels of the World (GHOTW).

The event kicked off with a micebook training session led by founder Chetan Shah, giving buyers the opportunity to learn more about the online hub and how it can help them find inspiration for pitches, search and find relevant suppliers, and create destination boards for upcoming pitches.

This was followed by a content session focused on emerging destinations, with short presentations and a panel featuring Worldspan managing director Sophie Morris, Purple Dog Solutions director Chris Clarke, Top Banana director of incentives Elliott Grant, and Henriette Speed, director at Just the Letter B.

Sophie Morris shared highlights of a recent trip to Rwanda, showcasing what the country has to offer incentive groups – including gorilla trekking, which she described as a “life-affirming” experience.

Elliott Grant presented on Tel Aviv and Jerusalem – sharing how he convinced a client to book Israel for an incentive, and a sample programme for the destination, while Chris Clarke focused on the challenges of how he delivered a car launch for Lexus off the beaten track in Oman.

Henriette Speed, who represents DMCs operating in a number of emerging destinations, shared some insights into selling them into clients. “Focus on the building excitement around the experience rather than selling the destination. It’s really important to have a brand ambassador on your pitch team who has been to the destination – it’s very difficult to sell an experience you have not had yourself,” she advised.

“Personal anecdotal information is so powerful – even having your own photos rather than stock photography can have so much more impact. If you haven’t been able to get to the destination, consider taking a DMC rep or someone from the tourist board along to your pitch.”

Following the panel sessions, some of our micebook partners showcased their new or latest product offerings through short video trailers and presentations.

Our audience got the lowdown from: nhow London, London & Partners, Nobu Portman, GHOTW, Events Jersey, nhow Amsterdam, Nobu Barcelona Hotel and Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau.

In the evening, guests got to enjoy food, drinks and networking at the nhow launch party, held in the hotels fabulously quirky lobby and bar area, featuring a Big Ben sculpture, and take part in show rounds of the rest of the property.

A number of immersive experiences around the theme of colour were also available throughout the evening including a colour personality quiz, organised by Wildgoose in partnership with Nobu Hotel Barcelona.

Guests could also get a photo of their iris, thanks to Eyecon Art and Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau, or receive a consultation from House of Colour’s Fiona Ingham on what colours best suit their complexion, which was sponsored by Events Jersey.

Check out our event page for all photos and the official event video.