Venue and Concept

What Venue and Concept does

Venue & Concept Tourism is a boutique Destination Management Company (DMC) founded in 2013, headquartered in Dubai (UAE) with a regional office in Makati City (Philippines). The company specializes in bespoke luxury travel experiences and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) services across UAE and Philippines destinations. Its core offerings include end-to-end bespoke travel experiences, MICE management (venue selection, delegate housing, transportation, event execution), FIT and leisure group services, ground handling (visa processing, private jet and yacht coordination), and lifestyle management / corporate travel solutions. There is no proprietary technology platform; the service is delivered through on-ground operations teams and personal relationships. The company is founder-owned, led by Miguel Payla (Founder & Managing Director; 22 years of hospitality experience, including 12 years in MICE sales with Shangri-La, Accor, Dusit, and Fairmont), Jorge Fonseca (Managing Partner, Administration & Ground Operations), and Alfonso Martínez (Philippines Partner).

The business model is professional services revenue generated as an intermediary between premium travelers (UHNWIs, royal families, FITs) and luxury hotels, venues, and local service providers. Pricing is bespoke and tailored to each client; no published tiers exist. The go-to-market is sales-led with two primary channels: direct B2C/B2B engagement with corporate clients and UHNWIs, and B2B2C partnerships with travel agencies and tour operators (Horizontal Travel, Sociedad Geografica, Bru & Bru, NUBA, Wide Travel, Oasis Travel, Exclusif Voyages). Named enterprise clients include Zurich Insurance Group, Visa, Shell, HSBC, BMW, Nissan, L'Oreal Paris, Sanofi, Wyeth, and Standard Chartered, all for MICE group handling, plus Four Seasons Hotels for accommodation partnership. The company has no disclosed funding, no headcount data, no app, no API, no certifications, and no M&A activity. Marketing is conducted through a content marketing blog, newsletter, and Instagram/Facebook social channels.

Name

Venue and Concept

Legal name

Venue & Concept Tourism

Website

https://venueandconcept.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Venue & Concept is a boutique Destination Management Company founded in 2013, operating in UAE and Philippines to deliver bespoke luxury travel experiences and MICE services for UHNWIs, corporate clients, and travel agency partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Management Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Service Destination Management (Ground Handling & Onsite Operations) (THAHADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Destination & Itinerary Management (DMC-Led Experiences, Excursions, VIP Access) (THAHANAE), 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
• Luxury travel experiences
• MICE event management
• Bespoke itinerary planning
• Premium concierge services

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubai

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Destination Management Services: Revenue generated through arranging and coordinating luxury travel experiences including accommodations, tours, transportation, dining reservations, and exclusive experiences. The company acts as an intermediary between premium travelers and luxury hotels, venues, and service providers in UAE and Philippines.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Venue & Concept is a boutique destination management company (DMC) that designs, sells, and operates bespoke luxury travel experiences, MICE programs (meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions), FIT and leisure group itineraries, ground-handling services, lifestyle management for UHNWIs, and corporate travel solutions across the UAE and the Philippines. Revenue is earned through service fees on customized programs delivered by an in-house team of multilingual travel and event professionals in Dubai and Makati City.

Product overview

Venue and Concept is a boutique Destination Management Company (DMC) established in 2013, specializing in bespoke luxury travel experiences. The company operates as a unified service offering rather than a modular platform, providing end-to-end travel curation across two primary destinations: the UAE (Dubai and Abu Dhabi) and the Philippines. The core offering comprises Bespoke Travel Experiences supplemented by specialized MICE Services (meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions, and events), FIT & Leisure Groups services, Ground Handling Services, and Lifestyle Management Services. The company also features destination-specific experiences and curated accommodation recommendations across multiple Philippine islands (Boracay, Cebu, Bohol, Palawan/El Nido/Coron, Siargao, Manila) and UAE locations (Dubai Marina, Burj Khalifa area, Jumeirah, Deira & Bur Dubai, Abu Dhabi).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bespoke Travel Experiences Fully personalized luxury travel experiences designed and operated by Venue & Concept for individual clients, families, and royal-family guests in the UAE and the Philippines.
• Luxury Travel in UAE Bespoke itineraries featuring private city tours, desert safaris, yacht charters, fine dining, and VIP access to events in Dubai and Abu Dhabi for premium individual travelers.
• Philippines Travel Experiences Curated luxury travel programs across the Philippines covering beaches, private islands, cultural sites, and premium hotel properties, delivered by the firm's Makati City-based operations team.
• MICE Services Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions management for enterprise clients, including venue selection, delegate housing, transportation, off-site programming, and end-to-end event execution in UAE destinations.
• Incentive Travel Programme Customized incentive travel programs for corporate groups that combine destination activities, luxury accommodations, and personalized guest experiences as part of MICE delivery.
• Congress and Exhibition Delegations Dedicated handling of congress and exhibition delegations in the UAE, including accommodation, transportation, off-site venues, and full logistical coordination for delegates.
• Event Management Event concept, design, and execution services including welcome cocktails, gala dinners, awards nights, entertainment selection, and production coordination for corporate and private clients.
• FIT & Leisure Groups Flexible Independent Traveler (FIT) and leisure-group services with venue sourcing, logistics coordination, and tailored tour programs for individual travelers and small groups visiting the UAE and the Philippines.
• Ground Handling Services Operational ground services including airport transfers, accommodation, transportation, restaurant bookings, activities, and on-the-ground logistics for inbound operators and travel-agency partners in the UAE.
• Lifestyle Management Services Personal lifestyle and concierge services for UHNWIs and royal-family guests, providing curated experiences, exclusive access, and ongoing personal assistance during stays in the UAE and the Philippines.
• Corporate Travel Solutions End-to-end corporate travel programs for executive retreats, board meetings, and incentive-style corporate trips, covering accommodation, venue selection, transportation, and program design in the UAE.

Named customers18 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Four Seasons Hotels and ResortscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue and Concept has designed tour itineraries for Four Seasons Resort Dubai during their opening, demonstrating capability to handle premium hospitality partnerships and provide exclusive experiences for luxury hotel guests.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Desert Adventures Tourism: Established DMC in Dubai providing inbound tourism, MICE, and ground handling services in the UAE. Operates in the same destination and customer base as Venue & Concept, with overlapping FIT and corporate groups focus.
• Arabian Adventures: UAE-headquartered DMC operated under The Emirates Group, offering tours, desert safaris, and inbound travel services across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Directly comparable as a UAE-based destination management competitor serving FIT and group clients.
• Rajah Travel Corporation: Philippines-headquartered DMC and tour operator serving inbound MICE and luxury FIT demand. Directly comparable for the Philippines destination offering and corporate incentive group handling.
• Khaki Tours & DMC: Middle East-based DMC offering inbound services across UAE, Oman, and broader GCC for FIT, groups, and MICE. Comparable in destination coverage (UAE plus nearby markets) and customer segment (European agency partners and corporate clients).
• Tour East DMC: Long-standing DMC network covering the Middle East, including UAE-based operations delivering MICE and FIT programs. Comparable for destination management services in UAE targeting corporate incentive groups and luxury travelers.

Regional players

• Asian Trails: Asia-focused DMC covering Southeast Asian destinations including the Philippines with inbound tour, MICE, and ground handling services. Regionally comparable for the Philippines leg of Venue & Concept's operations, with overlapping B2B agency partnerships.

Broad incumbents

• Pacific World DMC: Global DMC and MICE specialist covering the Middle East and Asia, including UAE operations. Comparable as a larger incumbent competitor in the incentive travel and events services category Venue & Concept serves.
• Kuoni Tumlare Destination Management: Global DMC division of Kuoni Tumlare providing MICE, leisure, and inbound services across Asia, Middle East, and beyond. A larger incumbent with broader geographic reach and corporate incentive capabilities directly overlapping with Venue & Concept's MICE offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/VenueAndConcept
• Instagraminstagram.com/venueandconcept
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/venue-and-concept

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Venue and Concept