By: Thierry Beaurepère | Voyages & Strategie (France)

2/14/2023

Business tourism is one of the priorities of the event, which will take place this year in the Texas city, from May 20 to 24. MICE agencies are invited to register before the end of March.

After three years penalized by the health crisis, the American tourism fair IPW is preparing for a 54th “normal” edition. This year, he is packing his bags in Texas, in San Antonio more precisely, from May 20 to 24. And to encourage French MICE agencies to take part, the organizers have pulled out all the stops. On the initiative of Dominique Plaissetty, the boss of Micefinder, its organizers - headed by Malcom Smith, general manager of the IPW and senior vice-president of the United States Travel Association - came to Paris on February 2 to meet French business tourism professionals and present to them the assets of the show and of the destination. The IPW is an exclusively BtoB event which connects 1,200 American service providers (states, regions, cities, carriers, hoteliers, DMCs, etc.) with several thousand buyers (tour operators, agencies, etc.) from all over the world, through a schedule of scheduled appointments via an interactive platform (up to 42 possible). These interviews, lasting fifteen minutes each, allow discussion, finding new ideas for accommodation or activities to offer as part of a seminar or incentive, and possibly contracting.

This year, to convince MICE agencies to go back to the United States, the IPW came with a gift: a big discount or even free registration. Offer includes five hotel nights from Saturday, May 20 through Wednesday, May 24 at the Marriott San Antonio Riverwalk Hotel, lounge access (with a minimum of 30 appointments), transfers, lunches and parties, always spectacular. This year, the opening party will take place at the Villita, an arts and recreation venue in downtown San Antonio, and the closing party at the Alamo Historic Site. To this must also be added the cocktail reserved for the French delegation organized by the United States Tourist Office (Visit USA Committee) and the thematic excursions offered on the sidelines of the event, on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 May, to discover the city, the surrounding nature, the world of cowboys or the local gastronomy. The return flight to reach San Antonio remains the responsibility of the participants. The IPW will take place at a very busy time in France, between the weekends of Ascension and Pentecost. The organizers therefore advise not to delay to book a flight…       
Beyond professional exchanges, the IPW (which changes city every year) is also an opportunity to discover new American regions beyond the eternal New York/California/Florida triptych, and thus to be able to make different proposals . San Antonio is the seventh American city with 1.4 million inhabitants. Here, a few small skyscrapers rise in Downtown, but the metropolis surprises first with its network of canals, which earned it its nickname of "Little Venice of Texas", and with its trendy atmosphere that mixes American and Mexican influences. , even in gastronomy. Founded at the end of the 17th century, it is also a historic landmark with Fort Alamo, the scene of epic battles when Texas belonged to Mexico and during which Davy Crockett died in 1836. Finally, it is known in France for its Spurs basketball team, where Tony Parker played. More broadly, the show is also an opportunity to explore Texas, represented in France by Unique Consulting since September. A pre-tour is planned for the French MICE delegation to discover the charms of the state, the second largest in the United States. Dominique Plaissetty plays the "intermediary" between interested MICE agencies and the organizers of the show. Registration before the end of March. the second largest in the United States. Dominique Plaissetty plays the "intermediary" between interested MICE agencies and the organizers of the show. Registration before the end of March. the second largest in the United States. Dominique Plaissetty plays the "intermediary" between interested MICE agencies and the organizers of the show. Registration before the end of March.
Info. : dpl@micefinder.com

Source: Voyages & Strategie (France)