Personal experience and game mechanics: MGMC announced the leading trends in the MICE industry

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Personalization and gamification — strategic tools of the MICE industry — have become the new standard for organizing business events. Experts believe that in 2026, these trends must be taken into account when creating MICE events. At the December Meet Global MICE Congress in Moscow, a separate session was dedicated to personalization and gamification mechanisms, where speakers discussed the trend changes in industry standards, including the example of the Russian capital, where the international congress was held.

No year goes by without changes — fast-paced Moscow sets the trend for technology.

It is the capital of Russia that demonstrates to the industry how it is possible to scale the mechanisms of personalization and gamification at the level of a metropolis. Modern infrastructure and a developed technological ecosystem, readiness for innovation and regular introduction of new features and services into the life of the city, combined with a historical background and a strong cultural code — all this makes Moscow an undisputed leader of the MICE market, the MGMC participants noted.

«Meet Global MICE Congress became not just a large-scale platform for sharing experience, but a clear example of the implementation of trends of personalization and gamification in the industry. For example, we prepared different welcome sets for Hosted Buyers from different countries, paying attention to their preferences, and also took into account the time of the congress – and included hats, scarves, mittens in the sets, so that the winter cold would not prevent guests from enjoying walks around Moscow. We demonstrated a spectacular example of gamification by using the domestic robot Ardi in the program: he participated in a panel discussion alongside regular speakers, communicated with guests in their languages, and answered questions about the use of robots in the MICE industry," says Maya Anurova, Deputy General Director for Business Tourism Development at the Moscow Urban Forum.

The Russian capital has developed a strong digital infrastructure that now allows for the integration of personalization and gamification technologies into almost any event, according to Christopher Kannesan, Vice President of Business Development at Searix (Singapore), who spoke at the MGMC. According to his observations, Moscow's strength as a MICE destination lies in its ability to combine cultural and entertainment venues with business infrastructure, urban routes, and digital services. This combination creates a unique business tourism experience. "Moscow is capable of not only hosting international congresses, but also creating personalized experiences for delegates," said Christopher Kannesan.

Team-building and an interesting program are no longer enough: gamification saves us from overload.

Experts believe that the era of a single "program for everyone" in MICE is over. The everyday digital experience, such as personalized news, music, and social media feeds, has created a demand for personalized services in other areas, including business tourism.

"If in the past it was possible to simply send everyone a universal program with timing, today success is built on details: unique postcards-messages in the rooms, chats for discussing issues, questionnaires on wishes for food and activities, and a lot of things that go beyond," confirms Maria Gurova, co-founder of MICE Capital. Information overload, high speed of communications, strict deadlines and constant tension have significantly changed the atmosphere of MICE events. "Even at great events, participants are distracted, watching both the program and working on their tasks at the same time," explains Maria Gurova. "The second problem is a decrease in personal interactions, as people have become less likely to communicate in person."

Gamification saves participants from overload and stress, and events from decreased efficiency, MICE experts have found. "Games bring back a sense of creativity and ease. It may seem like a frivolous format: toys, quests, and buttons, but they reveal the person, improve communication within the team, create a better work environment, and ultimately help achieve strategic business goals," explains the effect of gamification, Maria Gurova.

Simple team-building in MICE has been replaced by full-fledged complex scenarios with large-scale preparation before the event. This is necessary for engagement, so that all costs become a strategic investment in the team and corporate culture, and not just a trip. The gamification element is added to the program structure even before the actual meeting, in order to engage participants in advance, immerse them in the atmosphere of the upcoming event and link it to the company's strategy.

Gamification at exhibitions: attracts attention, reduces seriousness

Emotions remain in memory more reliably than information stands or advertising booklets, according to Maxim Yakhontov, founder and CEO of Fidzhitekh. According to him, gamification is an effective way to create an emotional connection between the audience and a brand. Without personalization and gamification, it is impossible to tell about a hundred products of a large company's ecosystem, as Yakhontov explains using the example of Sberbank's exhibition pavilion. "Creating special installations allowed us to explain the bank's products in simple terms, adding game mechanics. The result was a striking project that would not have been possible without new technologies," says Yakhontov. The wow-effect was achieved through a simple detail: personalization of communication. Each visitor to the booth could enter their name during a simple quest, and the artificial intelligence would pronounce it aloud. This encouraged guests to complete the quest again and attracted new visitors to the booth, explains the CEO of Fidzhitekh.

Technologies help not only businesses, but also organizers of MICE events. They are used to measure engagement, analyze traffic and visitor behavior, and improve the quality of preparation and holding of exhibitions, conferences, and other business events.

Personalization and gamification mechanisms have become the new foundation of the business tourism industry, as they allow businesses to meet the main expectations of modern audiences, according to MGMC experts. They provide seamless logistics, taking into account the individual needs of guests, from culture, traditions, food, and language to scheduling and leisure preferences, as well as more meaningful use of time at events, with a maximum of activities relevant to the participants' professional goals.

Meet Global MICE Congress was held from December 17 to 18 at the Congress Center of the Center for International Trade. The largest MICE industry event in Russia brought together more than 2,500 industry representatives, relevant agencies, associations, corporate customers, and business event organizers from Russian regions and 36 foreign countries. About 70% of the congress audience consisted of senior executives and other decision-makers, allowing for the conclusion of partnership agreements during the event. Following the congress, Moscow signed 10 agreements with Russian regions on mutual increase of tourist flows and joint projects for the development of business tourism.