The spatial agglomeration of the MICE industry

MICE is one of the most profitable sectors of the tourism industry, with an effective impact on local economies. However, the investigation of its spatial agglomeration has not been fully explored. In this study, we use information on the venues' characteristics and territorial distribution to identify convention firms' agglomeration in Emilia-Romagna (Italy), through a constrained clustering algorithm. This approach enables the inclusion of both non-geographical aspects, measured by the Krugman sectoral index, and geographical information. Findings show the existence of developed and developing convention agglomerations, with different MICE offers. Using convention demand data, we improve the cluster's profiles and propose some managerial strategies.