Meeting Incentive Experts

What Meeting Incentive Experts does

Meeting Incentive Experts (MIE), founded in 2003, is a privately held, US-owned Destination Management Company (DMC) that plans and executes corporate meetings and incentive programs for Fortune 500 and large enterprise clients. The company operates from a Chicago headquarters at 61 W 15th Street and runs on-the-ground operations in five Mexican destinations — Los Cabos, Cancun, Riviera Maya, Puerto Vallarta, and Punta de Mita — plus Chicago itself, giving it a six-destination footprint. Its core offering is full-service program execution: destination logistics, VIP ground transportation, venue and resort selection, theme events, restaurants and entertainment, excursions, team building, CSR programming, and dedicated on-site staffing across each program.

MIE is a pure services business with no proprietary technology products. Its tech surface is limited to an online web registration platform that handles attendee sign-up, excursion selection, and USD credit-card payment. The company monetizes via professional service fees, supplier markups, and commissions on preferred-partner arrangements, with custom quote-based pricing per RFP. It sells exclusively direct to enterprise through its website RFP funnel, industry association networks (SITE, MPI, IRF, FICP), trade shows, and the personal networks of CEO Adam Lawhorne (30+ years industry tenure, former SITE Chicago Chapter President, Mexico Tourism Board director) and President Amanda Nemeth.

The customer base is concentrated in US-headquartered enterprises running incentive travel, President's Club, sales kickoff, and association meeting programs in Mexico, with several multi-decade relationships (Gordon Food Service, BlueJay Solutions). The competitive position rests on dual-country operations (US contracts/banking with native Mexican execution), bilingual staff, tenured destination managers, and embedded industry-association and government-tourism relationships rather than on scale or technology.

Name

Meeting Incentive Experts

Legal name

Meeting Incentive Experts, Inc.

Website

https://miexperts.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Management Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Incentive Travel Design & Rewards Programs (THAHADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Full-Service Destination Management (Ground Handling & Onsite Operations) (THAHADAA), Luxury & High-End Incentives (Private Jets, Yachts, Ultra-Luxury Stays) (THAHADAK), Corporate Hospitality & VIP Services (Hosting, Protocol, Concierge) (THAHADAG), Experiential & Cultural Programming (Tours, Activities, CSR/Voluntourism) (THAHADAF)

Keywords

• Destination management services
• Corporate event planning
• Incentive travel programs
• Corporate meeting planning
• Event logistics coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Destination Management Services: Full-service DMC fees for corporate meeting and incentive programs in Mexico and Chicago destinations. Services include program planning, VIP transportation, venue selection, activities coordination, team building, CSR programs, and on-site execution. Revenue is generated through professional service fees, markups on supplier costs, and commissions from preferred partnerships.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Meeting Incentive Experts is a full-service Destination Management Company (DMC) that plans and executes corporate meeting and incentive programs across six destinations: Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, Punta de Mita, Cancun, Riviera Maya, and Chicago. Services include program planning, VIP transportation, venue and activity coordination, team-building events, CSR programs, customized excursions, exclusive entertainment, and on-site execution with bilingual staff. Revenue is earned through professional service fees, supplier-cost markups, and commissions from preferred destination partnerships under bespoke, quote-based engagements.

Product overview

Meeting Incentive Experts (MIE) is a full-service Destination Management Company (DMC) offering comprehensive corporate meeting and incentive program services. The core offering consists of DMC services across six destinations: Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, Punta de Mita, Cancun, Riviera Maya, and Chicago. The portfolio includes service modules such as VIP Transportation Services, Online Web Registration Platform, Creative Team Building Programs, Social Responsibility Programs (CSR), Customized Excursions, Exclusive Entertainment Experiences, and a Request for Proposal (RFP) submission system. The company operates with offices in both the USA (Chicago headquarters) and Mexico to provide seamless planning and on-site execution for corporate meetings and incentive programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Destination Management Company (DMC) Services Full-service DMC offering end-to-end corporate meeting and incentive program planning, including program design, logistics coordination, VIP transportation, bilingual staff support, and seamless on-site execution across multiple destinations. Targeted at Fortune 500 companies and large corporations running executive meetings, sales/President's Club incentive programs, team-building events, and CSR activities.
• Los Cabos DMC Destination management services in Los Cabos, Mexico, providing corporate meeting and incentive program planning with VIP transportation, activities, team building, golf, private events, entertainment, restaurants, resorts, air lift, and CSR programs for enterprise groups.
• Puerto Vallarta DMC Destination management services in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, providing corporate meeting and incentive programs with activities, team building, golf, private events, restaurants, resorts, and VIP transportation for enterprise groups.
• Punta de Mita DMC Destination management services in Punta de Mita, Mexico, offering luxury resort experiences, golf, snorkeling, scuba diving, whale watching, and VIP retreats along Riviera Nayarit for corporate incentive and meeting groups.
• Cancun DMC Destination management services in Cancun, Mexico, offering corporate event planning, world-class resorts, Mayan cultural experiences, championship golf, and luxury accommodations along the Caribbean Sea for enterprise meetings and incentive trips.
• Riviera Maya DMC Destination management services along the 120-kilometer Riviera Maya coastline, providing corporate events, incentive programs, cenote experiences, Mayan archaeological site visits, and luxury experiences along the Mexican Caribbean for enterprise groups.
• Chicago DMC Destination management services in Chicago, providing corporate meeting and incentive program planning with private events, restaurants, hotels, activities, team building, VIP transportation, and sports events at McCormick Place Convention Center for enterprise groups.
• VIP Transportation Services Luxury VIP ground transportation for corporate meeting and incentive programs, including a fleet of premium vehicles, private airport transfers, and coordinated group transportation services across MIE's destinations.
• Online Web Registration Platform Customized online registration platform enabling attendee sign-up for corporate meeting and incentive programs, with tailored options for excursions and airport transportation bookings and direct secure credit card payment in USD.
• Creative Team Building Programs Engaging team-building programs including Interactive Cooking, Piñata Creation, Bike Building, Boat Assembly, Beach Olympics, Sand Sculptures, Road Rallies, and Scavenger Hunts designed for corporate training and development offsites.
• Social Responsibility Programs (CSR) Corporate social responsibility integration through community engagement, environmental sustainability, and philanthropy, including school donations, playground development, backpack programs, and volunteer efforts coordinated with local community leaders.
• Customized Excursions Tailored excursion experiences including farm-to-table dining, gourmet cooking classes, hiking, marine-life encounters, off-road rallies, luxury yacht charters, cultural city tours, and exclusive off-site experiences for corporate groups.
• Exclusive Entertainment Experiences World-class performers and musicians for corporate meeting and incentive programs, providing customizable entertainment options tailored to specific audiences and brand messaging.

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mexico Tourism BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMIE CEO Adam Lawhorne is an active member of the Mexico Tourism Board of Directors, providing strategic input and maintaining strong government relationships for tourism and destination promotion.
• SITE (Society of Incentive & Travel Executives)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerMIE is an active member of SITE; CEO Adam Lawhorne served as SITE Chicago Chapter President for 2 years; company participates in SITE Classic CSR events and industry initiatives
• MPI (Meeting Professionals International)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry association membership providing networking, education, and credibility for DMC services
• IRF (Incentive Research Foundation)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry association membership supporting research and best practices in incentive travel
• FICP (Financial Independence Capital Partners / Incentive Association)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry association membership for incentive and recognition professionals
• International Customs BrokersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMIE has strategic partnerships with international customs brokers to facilitate shipping logistics for materials to Mexico for corporate programs, ensuring timely delivery through customs

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ConferenceDirect: ConferenceDirect is a large, established meeting-solutions company that sits between meeting planners and properties, with destination services capability. It is a broader incumbent in the same MICE/incentive ecosystem that MIE serves.
• Maritz Global Events: Maritz is a large incumbent corporate events and incentive travel provider with a much wider portfolio (program design, full meeting planning, attendee management) than MIE. It is comparable as it competes in the same enterprise incentive RFP pool but at a different scale.

Direct peers

• Hosts Global: Hosts Global is a DMC consortium providing destination management services for meetings and incentive programs worldwide. It is a direct peer that aggregates the type of local DMC capability MIE provides directly in Mexico.
• Ovation Global DMC: Ovation is a destination management company serving corporate incentive and meeting programs globally with on-the-ground operations similar to MIE's Mexico footprint. It is a direct competitor on multi-destination incentive RFPs.
• AlliedPRA: AlliedPRA (formerly part of Allied Europe, now in the PRA family) is a DMC serving U.S. and international corporate incentive and meeting clients. It is comparable to MIE in scope, customer base, and corporate-event orientation.
• ACCESS Destination Services: ACCESS is an established DMC operator with on-site destination management for corporate meetings and incentives across multiple countries. It competes with MIE for international incentive program contracts.
• Onyx DMC Mexico: Onyx is a Mexico-focused DMC offering corporate meeting and incentive services across Cancun, Riviera Maya, Los Cabos, and Puerto Vallarta. It directly competes with MIE for the same Mexico incentive programs and similar Fortune 500 client base.
• PRA (Destination Management): PRA is one of the largest global DMC operators offering corporate meeting and incentive program services across multiple destinations. MIE competes with PRA's Mexico and Chicago desks for the same Fortune 500 incentive RFPs.

Emerging players

• TERRALINA DMC: TERRALINA is a Mexico-focused DMC servicing corporate incentive programs in destinations such as Cabo, Cancun, and Puerto Vallarta. It is comparable in target customer and destination set but smaller in scale and brand.
• Welcome DMC Mexico: Welcome DMC is a regional Mexico-based DMC offering corporate incentive and meeting services with a destination set overlapping MIE's. It is comparable as a direct competitor at the smaller end of the market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/chicagoexperts
• Facebookfacebook.com/Meeting-Incentive-Experts-112711342916
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/meeting-incentive-experts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Meeting Incentive Experts