MICE planners should hold events toward the end of the week and on weekends to avoid soaring room rates in Western Australia, according to Mantra.
Mantra regional sales and marketing manager WA Scott Alderson warned that rates above $1000 per night were “creeping up inside 14 days prior to arrival” by travellers who “have to come to do business in Perth”.
While long lead times in the MICE sector mean the industry “could remain unaffected by last minute rates,” Alderson admits this does not hold true when events cover Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
These are the peak nights for corporate travellers in Perth and regional Western Australian hotels with demand rising on the back of the state’s mining boom, he said.
“Perth could have its cake and eat it if corporate travellers fill mid week and MICE businesses fill the end of the week and weekends,” Alderson said.
Mantra has seen an increase in mining business events in its Perth hotels and is also benefitting from the overflow of business meetings from the city’s office buildings during the week.
“Perth is statistically quieter over weekends, and this could benefit MICE in access to flights, accommodation and the world class pre and post famil options,” Alderson said.
Mantra does not rule out reducing room rates for business events and says that each event is judged on its merits.
“It is not a case of reducing rates as much as a case of making sure Mantra knows what matters to the client and has availability at the right times,” Alderson added.
