CATERING IN THE MICE-SERVICE SYSTEM OF HOTEL ENTERPRISES: THEORETICAL ASPECT

Abstract

The article is devoted to the theoretical substantiation of the role and place of catering in the structure of the MICE service of hotel enterprises. An analysis of methodological approaches to the interpretation of key definitions «MICE-industry», «MICE-service», «catering» was carried out. Today, there are all prerequisites to believe that the MICE industry should be considered as an interdisciplinary field that integrates elements of tourism, management, marketing, communication and the field of hospitality. Its value is confirmed by statistical indicators of market growth with $772.96 billion. US in 2025 to $1,557.17 billion. USA to 2032 (estimated) with an annual average growth rate (CAGR) of 10.52% over 2025‒2032. MICE service is considered as a set of services for the organization and maintenance of business events based on accommodation facilities, including conference infrastructure, catering, technical support and personnel service. The results of Google Trends graphs for the query «MICE service» show that from the end of 2024 ‒ to the beginning of 2025, a sharp outbreak of interest in MICE services is characteristic. In the regional aspect, the highest popularity index is characteristic of the USA, Singapore and the Philippines, which indicates the active development of MICE in the Asia-Pacific region. Catering should be interpreted as a full-fledged type of entrepreneurial activity in the field of restaurant business, focused on outbound service. Today, a market for catering services has formed in the world, which analysts estimate to be $168.5 billion. USA (as of the end of 2025). This article attempts to systematize the principles of scientific understanding to determine the role of catering in the MICE service system and the hotel industry. In terms of the MICE service, catering functions as an independent functional module. It was determined that the place of catering in the MICE service system should be considered in three interconnected planes: economic, marketing and image. The main functions of catering in the MICE service system are outlined and revealed. The author's development of the systematization of organizational models of catering service in hotel enterprises is proposed, which creates a methodological basis for their further comparison and analysis. The practices of organizing catering service in the context of MICE service are compared according to the regional principle. Practical cases of implementation of catering service models in the largest international hotel chains in the world and areas of integration, as well as limiting factors of catering service in the MICE service system are presented.