As cities become increasingly competitive in attracting large-scale international conferences, exhibitions, and events, expanding partnership networks has become a key factor in the development of MICE tourism. As part of the Da Nang International Tourism Festival 2026 (DITF 2026), networking activities and planned cooperation agreements have opened up opportunities to promote meetings and events tourism, with the aim of bringing more international groups to Da Nang in 2027 and the years ahead.
FROM DESTINATION ADVANTAGES TO A STRATEGY FOR ATTRACTING INTERNATIONAL EVENTS
In recent years, Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism has played an increasingly important role in the tourism development strategies of many destinations.
Unlike conventional leisure holidays, MICE programmes typically bring together large numbers of participants within a specific period, generating demand for a wide range of services, including air travel, accommodation, conference facilities, dining, transportation, sightseeing, and experiential activities.
For Da Nang, its tourism infrastructure, extensive network of beachfront hotels and resorts, conference facilities, and connectivity to cultural and heritage destinations across Central Vietnam have provided a strong foundation for developing this tourism segment.
However, possessing modern facilities and tourism resources is only a necessary condition. To attract international conferences, exhibitions, and corporate events, a destination must also establish an extensive partnership network, reach the right event organizers, and demonstrate its ability to meet complex operational requirements.
This is also one of the notable areas of cooperation highlighted at the Da Nang International Tourism Festival 2026 (DITF 2026), held from October 16 to 19, 2026, at Ariyana Convention Centre Danang.
Organized by the Da Nang Tourism Association in collaboration with HORECFEX Vietnam, DITF 2026 serves as an international tourism business networking event, enabling domestic enterprises to connect with travel partners, service distributors, and organizations operating in the tourism, meetings, and events sectors.
Under the theme “Connecting Partners, Creating Future,” the festival aims to foster cooperation opportunities that go beyond product introductions, with the potential to develop into actual business programmes and visitor flows in the future.
MICE PROMOTION MUST GO BEYOND SHOWCASING EVENT VENUES
One of the defining characteristics of the international MICE market is that destination selection decisions are typically made following extensive research and evaluation of multiple options.
A company planning a conference for 500 delegates, for example, considers far more than the capacity of a conference hall. It must also assess accommodation availability, air connectivity, transportation arrangements, catering services, technical equipment, budgets, and activities for participants before or after the event.
For large groups, ensuring consistent service quality throughout the entire programme is just as important as the destination’s scenery or pricing.
Therefore, MICE promotion is not simply about marketing a hotel or convention centre. It must demonstrate the event-hosting capabilities of the destination as a whole.
This requires coordination among accommodation providers, convention centres, airlines, travel companies, transportation operators, and technical and event management service providers.
In particular, Destination Management Companies (DMCs) play an important role in connecting the needs of international partners with local service providers.
A conference programme can only become genuinely competitive when the parties involved are able to present a comprehensive and feasible event proposal in terms of scheduling, costs, and operational capabilities.
This is also why Da Nang needs to continue strengthening relationships with conference promotion organizations, international event management companies, and partner networks capable of recommending and bringing large-scale events to the city.
MICE PROMOTION MOUs: CONNECTING NETWORKS TO EXPAND MARKET OPPORTUNITIES
In developing international markets, Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) can serve as instruments for establishing shared directions of cooperation among organizations and businesses operating in the tourism sector.
For the MICE industry, the value of a promotional agreement lies not only in expanding partnerships but also in its potential to connect Da Nang with networks that have demand for conferences, events, and incentive travel programmes across Asia and other international markets.
Through these partnerships, participating parties can jointly promote the destination, exchange market intelligence, showcase event-hosting capabilities, engage potential clients, and explore the development of suitable MICE programmes.
Importantly, international partners can also serve as intermediaries in placing Da Nang on the shortlist of destinations considered by companies and organizations when selecting conference locations.
This represents a crucial step because, in the MICE sector, business opportunities often emerge well in advance, while organizers are still developing plans, selecting countries, and assessing potential venues.
If a destination is absent from the initial search and recommendation networks, it may miss out on opportunities to compete, even when it possesses excellent facilities.
For this reason, MICE promotion agreements should focus on establishing long-term channels for market access rather than being limited to isolated promotional activities.
A Memorandum of Understanding becomes meaningful when it helps bring Da Nang closer to the decision-makers responsible for selecting destinations for future international conferences and events.
FROM COOPERATION AGREEMENTS TO ACTUAL MICE GROUPS
In the MICE market, converting a cooperation opportunity into an event contract typically involves several stages.
After establishing contact with a potential partner, businesses need to identify specific requirements regarding group size, proposed dates, programme format, and budget. Based on this information, the relevant service providers work together to prepare a comprehensive event proposal covering accommodation, conference venues, transportation, catering, and supporting services.
If the initial proposal meets the client’s requirements, the partner may proceed with a site inspection to assess the facilities and operational capabilities firsthand.
This is a decisive stage for many international programmes, as venue capacity specifications and promotional images alone cannot fully demonstrate the ability to deliver a complex event.
During the inspection, partners can assess transportation convenience, accommodation standards, conference equipment, service quality, and the ability of different providers to coordinate effectively.
Following discussions, proposal adjustments, and agreement on commercial terms, the cooperation opportunity may progress to contract signing and the actual implementation of the programme.
This demonstrates that the effectiveness of MICE promotion cannot be measured solely by the number of meetings held or MOUs signed.
Outcomes such as requests for event proposals, scheduled site inspections, contracts under negotiation, and confirmed groups provide more meaningful indicators of how successfully promotional activities are being converted into business value.
In particular, as international conferences and events often require lengthy preparation periods, the connections established at DITF 2026 could provide a foundation for programmes scheduled for 2027 and subsequent years.
MICE TOURISM GENERATES ECONOMIC VALUE ACROSS THE ENTIRE SERVICE ECOSYSTEM
One of the significant advantages of MICE tourism is its ability to generate revenue across multiple sectors through a single programme.
An international conference group may require hundreds of hotel rooms, multiple meeting sessions, gala dinners, team-building activities, and sightseeing excursions throughout its stay.
In addition to revenue generated from conference facilities and accommodation, such programmes create demand for transportation companies, restaurants, audiovisual equipment suppliers, performance organizers, tourist attractions, and local experience providers.
Furthermore, when delegates choose to extend their stays after a conference, beach holidays, golf tourism, wellness experiences, and visits to the heritage destinations of Hoi An and Hue can contribute to increasing the economic value generated by each group.
These wider benefits demonstrate that MICE development is not solely the concern of major hotels or convention centres.
Small and medium-sized enterprises also have opportunities to participate in the supply chain, from catering and transportation services to experiential activities and the provision of distinctive local products. For Da Nang, this provides a basis for developing MICE tourism through stronger business linkages, allowing more enterprises to benefit from the city’s ability to attract large-scale international events.
DA NANG AIMS FOR MORE IN-DEPTH MICE DEVELOPMENT IN 2027
In 2026, Da Nang introduced a programme to promote and attract MICE visitors under the theme “Da Nang – Elevating MICE Tourism Experiences,” with an emphasis on enhancing service quality, strengthening business partnerships, and developing appropriate support policies for domestic and international groups.
This direction demonstrates that MICE development is not solely focused on increasing the number of events but also on improving programme quality, enhancing delegate experiences, and generating long-term value for the destination.
Against this backdrop, international networking activities at DITF 2026 can provide an important additional link in the city’s market development strategy by connecting partners seeking event destinations directly with Da Nang’s service capabilities.
With its network of hotels, resorts, convention centres, and supporting service providers, the city is well positioned to develop MICE products that combine conferences and events with leisure experiences and cultural exploration, accommodating programmes of different sizes and organizational requirements.
However, to translate these advantages into sustainable competitiveness, expanding international partnerships must be followed by concrete promotional plans, effective coordination mechanisms among businesses, and the ability to respond promptly to market demands.
Cooperation agreements can therefore provide a foundation for Da Nang to access additional conference and event organizer networks, develop new products, and strengthen its ability to attract international MICE programmes in 2027.
Under the theme “Connecting Partners, Creating Future,” DITF 2026 contributes to a meaningful new approach to MICE tourism promotion: one that goes beyond showcasing Da Nang’s existing strengths to building sufficiently strong partnerships capable of transforming the destination’s potential into actual programmes, events, and visitor flows in the years ahead.
DANANG TOURISM PROMOTION CENTER
