abstract: This study develops a Creative MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions/conferences and Exhibitions) Tourism Destination Branding Model (CMDBM), and argues for co-creation and synergies between MICE and heritage resources in a popular business destination. MICE tourism can be enhanced through co-created offerings by adding innovative value to MICE tourism experiences. The proposed CMDBM framework aims to help determine how a destination can develop a co-created MICE brand through collaboration with key stakeholders to better meet potential MICE travelers’ other touristic interests and cultural values. The research project was undertaken in collaboration with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, and several heritage institutions in New Orleans. The study adopts both qualitative and quantitative research designs to explore the destination brand strategy. The qualitative data were acquired through interviews with relevant stakeholders to analyze the use of destination branding strategies and understand existing and potential synergies with heritage institutions. The quantitative portion measures MICE attendees’ perceptions of the co-created value of enhancing MICE destinations with cultural heritage appeal. NRPA Conference attendees’ responses provide a practical understanding for stakeholders. This research provides both practical and theoretical insights for the tourism industry for destination communities, and has salient conceptual and theoretical implications for the academy. The study confirms that MICE tourism, collaborating with cultural heritage assets, can enrich MICE travelers’ travel experiences. The destination brand strategy was identified with supportive cultural heritage resources and an appropriate destination brand framework of MICE tourism was proposed. As confirmed by MICE attendees’ evaluations from the case study, it extends the literature on destination brand, destination brand awareness, destination brand experience, destination brand personality, and destination brand equity. The empirical exploration of MICE destination branding has been handicapped in existing literature by a lack of conceptual marketing perspectives. This work will lend credence to the important aspect of business destination marketing and stresses building synergy and adding value to MICE tourism experiences. As destination marketing programs become competitive, especially in the context of equitable distribution of monetary benefits across different stakeholders, creating synergies become crucial in the destination. A co-created brand strategy can help make destinations more competitive. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Community Resources and Development 2019

This thesis deals with the topic of congress tourism, which is perceived as a substantially attractive form of tourism in many destinations. The practical part focuses on the annual congress organized by ICCA - a significant international conference association, that Prague will host in 2017. The aim of this work is to characterize the sector of convention industry with emphasis on the segment of congresses and conferences organized by associations and other non-profit organizations, and subsequently to evaluate the steps the entities participating in preparation and execution of the ICCA prestigious congress have taken so far.

The aim of the thesis named Decision criteria for the allocation of conferences and congresses in Prague is to analyse all the factors, which influence the choice of a particular congress or conference destination. The priority is to evaluate the congress tourism potential of the city of Prague and to suggest options for the innovation in order to increase the popularity of the destination. The thesis analyses the characteristics of the whole decision process of allocation a congress or a conference. Moreover, the activity of congress or conference organizers and destination organizations is described as well. The thesis is divided into four chapters. In the first and the second one, the substantial concepts of congress tourism, its organization and subjects are defined and characterized. The second target of this thesis is focused on the analysis of the decision criteria for the choice of the congress destination, the potential of Prague including SWOT analysis and the consequent summarization of impacts and possible innovations for Prague. The given interviews and materials from professionals in this field are the main sources for this thesis. In the end of the thesis, the overall situation in the congress tourism in Prague is evaluated and some suggestions for innovations for congresses or conference organization are proposed.