FCM Meetings & Events (FCM M&E) has launched FCM Venue Finder, powered by Hubli, which provides a booking solution for meetings and group hotel lodging within the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) industry. The tool, according to the announcement, includes over 200,000 spaces around the world with fast and easy online booking, as well as sustainability solutions with contracting and cost controls.

The news follows the recent announcement detailing FCM M&E’s global expansion that saw Simone Seiler moving into the role of global general manager “to oversee lofty ambitions for an industry sector that is set to boom in 2024.”

Events, event travel and meetings, according to FCM M&E, are leading the business travel bounceback globally, with recent research showing that the MICE market size, in terms of revenue, is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.6% from 2022 to 2030.

Seiler said the company believes the meetings, events, conferences and event travel markets “are ripe for disruption worldwide — this is an important step in ensuring we have best-in-class technology to deliver for a flourishing sector of the travel market.”

It’s clear, said Seiler, that the demand for in-person connection continues to increase, with recent data showing conferences and events being one of the top two reasons for travel among both small-to-medium-size enterprise (SME) owners and decision-makers.

“We’re experiencing and anticipating a steady annual growth rate of demand at 12% year on year for in-person meetings, which means we have some exciting opportunities coming our way,” said Seiler.

Ciarán Delaney, founder of Hubli, said the company “is excited to partner with FCM M&E to move from manual to online meeting and group bookings and look forward to helping their clients bring people together to meet in person in the most cost-effective and sustainable way possible.”