Spring and autumn tend to be busy periods for MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) bookings, with corporate outings planned before and after the summer holidays, and in popular winter sun destinations. 

Our MICE corporate and private jet charter bookings are buoyant and the team is noticing emerging locations as clients look for offbeat, yet easily accessible, destinations that offer the perfect blend of rich history, cultural attractions, adventure and unique team-building experiences. 

Sustainability continues to be an important consideration for event planners and is evident in every phase of the event and conference planning process. Smart is noticing a surge in clients looking for eco-conscious venues and considering the varying ways in which environmental impacts can be minimised. 

We handle all our MICE enquiries from our global hub near London Gatwick Airport, and the Smart Team has been busy making charter bookings for large corporate events, incentive trips for top performing staff, and more intimate, bespoke senior management retreats. Our MICE charters don’t just depart from the UK, we get MICE bookings from all over the world. Our extensive relationships with the operators means we can handle any MICE enquiry quickly, no matter how late the request comes in.  

Here’s The Smart Guide to Europe’s Undiscovered Mice Destinations this year:

1. Ljubljana, Slovenia

Ljubljana is a charming, cosmopolitan city, perfectly tailored towards corporate travellers. Ample green spaces fuse with a lively urban environment to create a high-quality MICE destination. Proud of its  strong commitment to sustainable development, Ljubljana has a reputation for being one of the cleanest cities in the world. With over 3,500 centrally located hotel rooms and a plethora of conference facilities, including one in a historic castle, DMCs and PCOs are on hand to take care of all the organisation. The city centre is just over 20 km from Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport, which is fully equipped to receive both corporate and private jet charters.

Incentive programs in Ljubljana include gourmet food and wine tastings, balance challenge workshops designed to encourage calm in stressful situations, The Key Escape Room Key Ljubljana curated on Leonardo da Vinci and Sherlock Holmes, hikes through waterfalls and along lakes in the Slovene Mountains, and many biking and kayaking tours.

For further information, visit https://www.visitljubljana.com/en/meetings/ 

2. Warsaw, Poland

Poland’s capital city is thriving and fascinating, with a quaint Old Town – with UNESCO World Heritage status –  just waiting to welcome MICE travellers. Perhaps surprisingly, the city is well established to host both small and large scale conferences at properties such as The Radisson Blu Sobieski Hotel in Warsaw’s business district, which boasts 18 meeting rooms, the largest of which, the Grand Ballroom, can accommodate 600 guests. The Hilton Warsaw Hotel & Convention Centre offers the largest event facilities in the heart of Warsaw. Fully equipped and versatile spaces can be adapted for any type of corporate event. Warsaw Chopin Airport is located approximately 10 km (6.21 mi) from the city centre.

Meetings and incentive programs include immersive, themed city games for groups, visits to the splendid 17th century Royal Castle (home to a collection of Rembrandt paintings), river cruises, golf excursions, Polish cooking classes, and tank driving. 

For further information, visit https://www.poland.travel/en/ 

3. Prague, Czech Republic 

Prague is known as The Pearl of Europe, The City of Hundred Spires, and one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Romantic, successful, modern and ancient all at once, the city is friendly and welcoming for all visitors. With ample hotel rooms and three conference centres, there is no shortage of locations for large or small MICE events. Modern technology and design meet green innovation at the Cubex Centre Prague, the award-winning, multi-purpose convention centre. Home to two FBOs (fixed-base operators), Prague Vaclav Havel Airport provides 24 hour operations for private jet flights to and from Prague.

Corporate groups can unwind on one of the many beer trails, challenge themselves on a bobsleigh track, work together tackling river rafting routes, or enjoy a day trip to join an off-road safari through the Ore Mountains. Sustainable incentive activities include working on farms, bee-keeping, and helping to clean the Vltava River by kayak.

For further information, visit www.visitczechia.com

4. Budapest, Hungary

In Hungary’s capital city, visitors will be wowed by the abundance of art nouveau architecture, quirky old bars and thermal bath houses replenished by mineral-rich hot springs, some over 100 years old. Aside from the rich heritage, the city has numerous conference hotels as well as two congress venues, the Budapest Congress Center and Hungexpo Budapest Congress and Exhibition Centre. Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport is just eight miles from the city centre.

Incentive group activities include Dragon Boat Racing and river cruises on the mighty Danube, MonsteRoller electric scooter tours, arts and crafts workshops including glassblowing, treasure hunts, a chocolate truffle workshop, and cooking courses in the Grand Market Hall. 

For more information, visit https://hungary.com/ 

5. Brussels, Belgium 

Recently voted Europe’s most sustainable city for its environmental policy, sustainability is an important consideration for each event held in Brussels too. Easy access by plane is supported by effective tram and metro transportation, if required in this walkable city. This metropolitan and sophisticated city is home to over 183 nationalities, with translators and interpreters in all 27 EU languages. The streets are bursting with over 2,000 colourful restaurants and bustling traditional markets. Brussels-National Airport is just six miles north of the city centre.

For incentive groups, visitors can enjoy six-hole team golf in the city centre, a lively tour on-board the Brussels Beer Bus (a 1940s war ambulance), break into small groups and become brewmasters, Belgian chocolate making workshops, virtual reality gaming experiences and escape rooms, e-scavenger hunts, waffle making classes, and creating personalised comic strips in the city famous for bringing the world Tintin and the Smurfs.

For more information, visit https://www.visit.brussels/ 

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Call or email us today – sales@smart-aviation.co.uk / + 44 1293 551244