A Whole Lot More Than Tourism

With 48 editions in 34 cities from 18 countries, GSAR Marketing, a global sale, marketing and communication company specialized in the representation of international companies belonging to the tourism industry in general, legitimizes its actions and continues to be at the forefront of its field as it has happened over the past 20 years.

Its objective is to promote and operate sales seminars, product presentations, workshops and events globally. And with the usual quality work it always does, now from September 18 to 21, the 22nd edition of MITM Americas will be held in Havana. 

The oldest international MICE fair (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) in the Americas and the Caribbean, specialized in scheduling B2B (Business-to-business) appointments and organizing high-end networking programs, this event secures contact among all participants. This is explained to Caribbean News Digital by Charo Trabado, General Manager of GSAR Marketing.

You have managed to make 22 MITM Americas fairs. What is the secret? What tells them apart?

We have been transgressors, pioneers in this type of event; not only with 22 editions of MITM Americas under our belts, but also in the other 20 MITM Euromed events and those of CULTOURFAIR. MITM Americas has helped over the past 20 years to the incursion, development and positioning of many countries in the MICE sector.

For the second year in a row, this fair is held in a Caribbean country. Does the region have the potential for the MICE sector?

Of course it does without a doubt. Although its foray into this market had been developed at the level of private companies with participation in fairs and certain incentive businesses, congresses and conventions, indeed the countries of the region were not getting all the heed they deserved. Now, thanks to us, they have realized that they have great potential.

And I say thanks to MITM based on reality. In the Dominican Republic, until we arrived, the government had never bothered to organize a tourism meeting or fair. However, after the success of last year's edition, they have become aware of the potential that MICE has as a destination. MITM Americas contributed to the positioning and demonstrated the development potential of this country.

With Cuba I cannot say it’s a case similar to that of the Dominican Republic, since the Cubans, already in 2004 and after having participated in four editions of MITM Americas, realized how important the event was for the development of Cuba in this sector of international tourism. In the same year 2004, MITM Americas was held in Varadero for the first time, with great success and more than satisfactory outcomes. 

It helped Cuba to show itself to the whole world, proving that it was a country that could carry out great events, conventions, congresses and, of course, incentive trips. There was a second edition in 2009, in Havana, which was fabulous and came out great. Above all, because the country was already better prepared, it boasted more developed infrastructures and because the knowhow of the professionals had grown tremendously.

One of the most important aspects of the fair is the selection of hosted buyers, which is something you do personally. What criteria are followed in this regard?

This is our strongest element. We are the pioneers in this concept of fully B2B fairs, or face to face. We have remained faithful to our criteria of selection of appointments and even though other events copy quite a lot from us, they never do it like us because it is in the selection where we really put more efforts into. 

Apart from filling out the form, which is not our exclusive practice, we verify every piece of information that is given to us, something that nobody does today. Under this criterion, for example, applications from over 600 hosted buyers were received, of which a maximum of 100 was approved, the cream of the top. 

This is because we stay true to our slogan: quality-oriented tradeshows. We do not seek numbers or figures, nor be the largest event. Based on the kind of event we plan, we know that real success can be achieved by getting 100 top buyers.

Premium quality over quantity, isn’t it?

Yes. That is the only way to make a B2B fair. We never have more exhibitors than buyers, and that’s how you can see a real B2B fair going on.

It is a commitment on both sides, both for the destination and the fair itself. What has MITM seen in Havana to accept the Cuban capital as the event’s host city?

Recently, news came out from Mr. Escarrer making sure that Cuba would be the centerpiece of tourism in general, but there is no doubt that in MICE tourism the island nation has a brutal potential. It is a market sector that Cuba has been interested in for many years and now it is even more prepared. 

Estimates have it that by 2030 Cuba will have 103,000 rooms, which will make it even more capable of receiving this type of event. For all those reasons, we have returned to Havana. The venue is the emblematic Meliá Cohiba, which was already a sponsor of the 2009 edition and now we can count on all the facilities it has to offer.

MITM is not just B2B, it's not just tourism. It is also culture, it is a way to expand and show those values which can be beneficial for incentives, even for congresses. What part of the Cuban culture right now is a potential to welcome this type of segment?

Cuba has always been famous for its music and that is still a very, very strong point in this aspect. Another one is its gastronomy, which is becoming more fashionable every day and has been a surprise for those of us who have been traveling to the island for years. It was a sleeping giant that all of sudden has exploded.

This year Havana is the Iberian-American Capital of Cocktail...

Right, Cuba is fashionable! This year, in addition to the 22 MITM Americas, the island nation is the focus of many other projects, including the fact that Havana is the Iberian-American Capital of Cocktail.

In all the promotion that we are doing about MITM, we highlight the Cuban culture, its music, art, and traditional gastronomy worldwide. But we also underscore the genuine flavor of the Cuban people, its character, its way of welcoming visitors. All this makes a difference when selecting a destination for the organization of a congress, a convention or an incentive trip. 

When a company makes a trip of this type for its employees or customers, it does not just look for a meeting (that can be done at home). It also seeks to create a unique experience that strengthens the company’s brand and in which its participants feel part of a family. That is why it is so important to handpick the destination for any MICE event.

Havana is a magical city in which you can perform any event with a guarantee of total success, complementing hard work and networking with a beach destination in a luxury resort. In any destination, such as Varadero or Cayo Santamaria, there are beaches that rank among the very best in the world.

What is the basis of MITM Americas?

Networking is the underpinning in MICE travel, so I refer to what I said earlier: when we talk about fairs with a multitude of participants, networking is quite banal and inconsistent because there’s no way you can come up with effective networking when you have 5,000, 7,000 or 100,000 people to work with. What MITM Americas achieves is a parallel between the seller and the buyer, with a maximum of 100 exhibitors and a maximum of 100 buyers. That applies to each and every event we hold.

MITM not only supports the success of a destination in the MICE sector, but also helps to recognize the potential of that destination to tap into it and make sure all these services are available. Is that much true?

Of course. In all the cities and countries where MITM Americas has been present, as well as in any of the other fairs we organize, there has been a before and after. A good case in point is Mexico, the host of the inaugural MITM fair (Guadalajara) back in January 2000.

At that time, the Tourism Board of Mexico (CPTM) had not even established its department of MICE tourism. As a matter of fact, it didn’t found it until three years later, when a second edition of MITM Americas was held in 2002. Now its department of MICE tourism is one of the most important in that country. 

This gives you an idea of ??the significance of MITM Americas in the promotion and spread of tourist destinations in the countries, of its significance in helping a destination, both in the international promotion we carry out –valued at more than one million euros- and in its efforts to promote awareness among tourism professionals so that they can create interest in this market niche, which it is the most transcendental of all tourism sectors and the one that generates the most business.