Actual and Expected Competencies in the Meetings Industry Sector during the Post-COVID-19 Era: The Case Studies Poland, Ireland, and Hungary

Abstract

The main purpose of the article is to identify the key competencies of the management staff and employees of meetings industry enterprises during the COVID-19 pandemic, which made it possible to secure the functioning of these entities during the crisis. The results of this survey, conducted in 2020 and 2021 among employees of this industry in three countries—Poland, Ireland, and Hungary, are the basis for a discussion on the competency profiles and competency gaps of employees in the meetings industry. Further research in this area of MICE competencies and the preparation of recommendation packages are necessary in order to prepare the industries for future possible crises based on the knowledge gained during the COVID-19 pandemic.

1. Introduction

The crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented negative impact on the operation of the entire tourism industry. The World Tourist Organization has published data showing the percentage decrease in the number of international tourist arrivals by region in January–April 2020 compared to the same period of 2019. Europe in this regard recorded a decline of 44% [1]. The recession also affected a special part of this market—the so-called business tourism, in the literature identified with the meetings industry [2]. Before the outbreak of the pandemic, this was a thriving sector, and its economic importance was steadily growing [3]. Between 2010 and 2019, there was a 26% increase in the number of international meetings [4]. Statistics for 2019 kept by the International Congress and Convention Association, the largest organization of the global meetings industry community—included 13,254 meetings, the highest annual number recorded in its statistics, with an increase of 317 compared to the previous, also record year [5].

In 2020, a pandemic will shake up the meetings industry, dramatically changing the industry’s market situation. An international study indicated that of the 5000 sampled meetings scheduled for 2020, more than 1600 were postponed and nearly 650 were cancelled. The remainder were held in hybrid form or moved to the network entirely [6]. In Poland, companies in this industry saw an average 73% drop in revenue and a 63% drop in employment in 2020 [7]. The search for ways to rebuild this industry has become an urgent necessity, primarily because of the economic rationale. After all, many cities are building their economic and tourism potential based precisely on the meetings industry [8]. The number of international conferences is an important indicator of economic competitiveness, used in recognized global city rankings, such as the Global City Index, Global City Competitiveness Index, and Cities of Opportunity. Hence, for many urban agglomerations, the meetings industry is becoming an economic development industry, finding an important place in strategic documents [9].

The purpose of the analysis was to identify the professional competencies of meeting industry employees, considering the experience of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the expectations representative of the sector in this regard. To achieve this goal, an empirical survey was conducted among managers and employees of the meetings industry. The results can serve as a starting point for building competency profiles for specific positions and functions in meeting industry companies. This will make it possible to identify competency gaps, which is now an urgent need in the context of the effects of the pandemic. The problem of the lack of specific sets of competencies in the broader tourism sector was caused by the exodus of employees to other industries and their unwillingness to return after the pandemic stabilized. During the crisis, the industry seemed uncertain and did not give a sense of security and stability of employment, despite the efforts of employers to maintain employment during the pandemic using various adaptation strategies or public support [10,11].

Taking into account the situation arising during the pandemic and the analysis of current trends in the meetings industry, the aim of the study was to answer the following research questions:

• Is the meetings industry aware of competency gaps?
• Is it necessary to strengthen the key competences?
• Is the expected evolution of competences in line with the development trends of the meetings industry?

Considering the situation created during the pandemic period and the analysis of current trends in the meetings industry, it was hypothesized that the core competencies of the industry’s employees fit into these trends. The trends projected by the industry are primarily: the rise of new digital technologies and the associated online restructuring, flexible participation, personalization of offerings, security in the broadest sense, and a focus on the customer experience to meet their unique needs [12,13,14]. At the same time, these trends set the directions for developing employee competencies in companies’ HR policies in the post-COVID period.

The term “meetings industry” has replaced such terms as: “business tourism” and “MICE” (an acronym for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions, which used to be widely used but are now increasingly rare in the literature [15]. According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the term “meetings industry” refers to the organization, promotion, sale, and provision of services to associations, government and corporate meetings, incentive travel, seminars, conventions and conferences, business events, technical visits, exhibitions, and trade fairs [13]. Thus, the meetings industry is a multifaceted and fragmented industry with many stakeholders, and its management has an organizational structure—often of a public-private nature—called a Convention Bureau. In the meetings industry, there are most often four categories of institutions that play an important role in the preparation or organization of events. These are: Professional Convention Organizers (PCOs), Incentive Travel Organizers, Destination Management Companies (DMCs), and Trade Show and Exhibition Organizers [14]. Representatives of the above institutions were surveyed, the results of which are presented in this article.

2. Literature Review

In the literature, the term “competence” is ambiguous, which is related to the interdisciplinary nature of the issue [16] and results in the lack of a single, universal definition [17]. It takes on many different meanings depending on the context in which it is used. Competencies were first defined as a set of demonstrable qualities and skills that enhance job performance [18]. They were associated with specific characteristics of individuals’ actions, such as motivation or self-perception [19]. They were also described as knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics associated with a high level of job performance on a given job [20]. Dubois and Rothwell defined competence as a person’s characteristics that he or she uses appropriately and consistently to achieve expected results [21]. Levy-Leboyer defined them somewhat more broadly: as the integrated use of abilities and personality traits, as well as acquired knowledge and skills in order to bring about the successful execution of the established mission [22]. The broadest formulation was proposed by Ludwiczyński, describing it as education and skills, attitudes, behaviours, psychophysical characteristics, decision-making powers, and a sense of responsibility objectively needed on the job in order to effectively solve tasks [23].

Among the definitions presented, three streams can be discerned: competence from the point of view of employee performance, competence as an expected standard of work, and competence as attributes of an individual [18]. The authors of this publication relied on the definition of Boyatzis, which combines all three currents and according to which competence is the potential that exists in a person, leading to such behaviour that contributes to meeting the requirements of the job within the parameters of the organization’s environment, which in turn produces the desired results [24].

Similar problems arise in identifying the components of competence and their classification. The cited definitions do not agree on both. The most cited elements of competence include knowledge, skills, attitudes, motivation, personality traits, psycho-physical characteristics, and personal culture. However, some of these are controversial as to their validity [18]. Filipowicz and Garvolinskaya argue that competence should not include intelligence, personality, or temperament, as they are relatively fixed, while competence is a category that can be developed [25,26]. There are also doubts about motivation as an element of competence—according to some researchers, it is not a component of competence, but a factor that determines its manifestation in behaviour [18,27]. For the purposes of this study, a commonly used model was adopted, according to which the components of competence are knowledge (understood as: I know what), skills (I know how, I can), and attitudes (I am ready, I want to use my knowledge) [27].

Regarding the classification of competencies, there are many distinctions in the literature, depending on organizational perspectives. For example, there are distinctions between hard and soft competencies, individual and organizational competencies, general and specialized competencies, [28] or baseline (cognitive, social, personal) and executive (industry, company, managerial) competencies relating to the skills of people with managerial responsibility in a business organization [29]. Of particular note are social competencies, which have many components, but there is no consensus on which are the most important. There are various structures of social competencies in the literature—the most common are formed by communication skills, assertive skills, self-expression, and empowerment of others [30]. The subject of separate classifications are managerial competencies. The most cited is the classic model of Katz. He distinguishes three groups of managerial competencies: technical (professional, specialized), social (interpersonal) and conceptual (strategic), the role of which is closely related to the level of management. The former dominates at the lowest level, where front-line managers oversee processes from a technical aspect. Strategic competencies are the domain of senior managers, who are responsible for setting goals and building the organization’s strategy. Social competences, understood as an individual’s ability to interact effectively with others, are required at every level of management. In this model, the importance of individual competencies changes depending on the level of management [31]. In the literature, it is common to divide competencies into key competencies—common to all employees of an organization, functional competencies—related to work in a specific position, and hierarchical competencies—depending on the function an employee performs in the organization [32,33,34,35]. The research, the results of which are presented in this article, was mainly based on the above classification and the Katz model.

The discussion on the need to identify key competencies has been going on in Europe since the 1990s, linked to the process of globalization and the transition to a knowledge-based economy model. Various sets of common competencies that European high school graduates should possess in order to effectively undertake further education were created, as well as key competencies in adult continuing education in order to update and improve them [33]. Finally, in 2006 the European Parliament recommended eight key competencies that should be developed in lifelong learning [34].

Various explanations of the term can be found in the literature on core competencies in organizations. According to Hamel and Prahalad, they are the sum of individual competencies of employees and organizational competencies, in close connection with the adopted corporate strategy, and at the same time difficult to duplicate, which in effect builds the competitive advantage of the company. According to them, they are formed in the process of organizational learning, and their consolidation is enabled by technological innovation [35]. An extension of this definition can be found in the view of Boguslauskas and Kvedaraviciene, for whom core competencies are those that represent an innovative combination of knowledge, special abilities, niche technologies, information, and unique operational methods, as a result of which a product that represents measurable value for the customer is delivered on conditions consistent with the customer’s preferences and expectations [36].

Thus, key competencies are those competencies that distinguish a given company, influence the creation of new products expected by customers and better organization of the company’s business activities, and consequently affect the value of the company [37]. Based on this understanding of key competencies, different lists of them are created, depending on the industry, job position, or management level, among others. According to such a perception of key competencies, a study was conducted, the results of which are presented in this study.

Competences in the MICE sector is an area which, although significant and important for the development of this industry, is insufficiently researched and scientifically represented. Research conducted in the field of competences applies to the entire tourism and hotel industry; there are none that would concern industry-relevant competences.

Friedman points out that there is a competency model for the entire hotel, tourism, and event industry, including competencies in relation to the position and organizational levels in a given industry. The described model includes five categories of competences: personal effectiveness, academic, workplace, industry-wide technical, and industrial sector technical competences. Depending on the level, these competencies include interpersonal skills, honesty, flexibility, creative thinking, problem-solving and decision-making skills, or marketing and sales [38]. In a broad range of competences in the tourism and hotel industry, two groups of competences can be distinguished—hard and soft skills. Hard skills are understood as technical skills, also requiring physical activity, and soft skills are related to human behaviour, and approach to people and work [39]. Weber emphasizes the importance of soft skills in the hotel industry, especially for managers, especially performance management (primarily work) and leadership [40]. Soft skills of managers determine their success in the organization, and technical skills can be developed during work [41].

Alejziak conducted a study on the qualifications and competences of tourism workers. Competences important from the point of view of a tourist enterprise are the use of foreign languages, knowledge of computer programs, the use of various means of information, communication via the Internet, industry knowledge (in the field of tourism, recreation), knowledge in the field of marketing/management, professional experience. Other competences useful in tourism, reported by the surveyed employers, were knowledge/skills in the field of customer service, knowledge of sales techniques, geographical knowledge, availability, physical fitness, knowledge of reservation systems, preparation for public speaking, logical and analytical thinking, culinary skills, knowledge of PR, knowledge of regulations, and ability to keep records [42].

In the hotel industry, research has indicated that the most important competencies from the perspective of professionals are interpersonal relations/communication competencies, followed by operational knowledge, leadership, human resource management, and financial analysis skills [43]. In the hotel industry, competence deficiencies of employees in this sector are also identified, which are defined as a lack of theoretical knowledge and knowledge of the product structure, knowledge of tools used in the management and marketing of services, the ability to serve guests impeccably, knowledge of foreign languages, social competences, and managerial skills [44].

The Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council has created a set of standards that provide a comprehensive description of all the competencies required in the MICE industry. The standards are divided into twelve main categories, including administration, financial management, human resources, risk management, and strategic planning [45]. The study by Liu, Seevers, and Lin analysed the competencies that increase employability in the MICE sector. As a result of the conducted analysis, they state that among the five most important competencies, the following are distinguished: interpersonal communication skills, innovative skills, organizing and coordinating skills, market promotion skills, and planning skills [46].

The study conducted by Formádi and Raffai identified the skills, abilities, and competencies required in the daily activities of event managers, which were: the ability to solve problems and conflicts, team spirit and the ability to work with different people, good communication skills, self-management skills such as punctuality, time management and flexibility, creativity, networking, and human capital, decision-making skills, IT skills, and adaptability [47].

The literature review shows that further research is needed on the competencies of the MICE industry, which, although it is part of tourism, has other needs in terms of employee competencies.

3. Methods and Materials

The empirical research diagnosing the competences of the meetings industry has been carried out since 1 December 2020, to 28 February 2021. Four groups of meeting industry companies in Poland, Ireland, and Hungary were covered, i.e., Professional Congress Organizer (PCO), Incentives travel organizers (Incentives travel), and Destination Management Companies (DMC), including event agencies, and trade fair and exhibition organizers. Hotel venues were excluded from the research sample, considering them to be the location of the event.

The research was conducted using the Computer-Assisted Web Interview (CAWI) technique, in which the respondents were asked to complete the questionnaire in electronic form. The survey was addressed to the management staff and employees of the MICE sector. The research tool was self-developed questionnaires, competences, and qualifications in the MICE sector—for employees of the MICE industry and for employers, as a consequence of theoretical research and based on current knowledge in the field of scientific research methodology. The questionnaire consisted of single-choice questions, e.g., in the metric questions, questions with the answer on the 5-point Linkert scale, e.g., What is, in your opinion, the actual level of the team’s personality traits? and questions with an indication of the answer, e.g., In your opinion, what is useful or necessary knowledge in the field of MICE? Please mark the selected answers—not very useful, useful, very useful.

Among the management staff, i.e., directors, managers, and employees in managerial positions, hereinafter also referred to as the management staff, thirty-one surveys were conducted in Poland and Hungary, and thirty in Ireland. On the other hand, among employees, twenty-three surveys were carried out each in Poland and Ireland, and twenty-seven surveys were obtained in Hungary. The total number also included forty-one completed in-depth interview sheets. In total, 207 questionnaires were obtained in the course of the study. The group of potential respondents was limited due to the size of the assumed sample, i.e., MICE enterprises, in the three surveyed countries. The number of officially certified PCOs in the countries covered by the study is limited, and for example in Poland, there are only nineteen companies [17]; therefore, when obtaining the questionnaires, it was important to reach the widest possible group of respondents in order to guarantee the representativeness of the sample.

The survey questions were in the form of a closed cafeteria, and the structure of the questions was based on a 5-point Likert scale. The results were divided into two groups: management (PCO) opinions (Appendix A) and employee opinions (Appendix B). Statistical analysis was performed using the Chi2 test and the Mann–Whitney U. The results in all tables are significant for the whole (α < 5%).

The structure of the surveyed entities in each country in terms of the type of business and the period of operation in the market is shown in

Table 1. Structure of companies represented by managers.

Country	Type of Company				In Total
	DMC—PCO	Organizer of Incentive Trips	Event Agency	Organizer of Fairs and Exhibitions
Poland	14 (45%)	7 (23%)	8 (26%)	2 (6%)	31 (100%)
Hungary	10 (32%)	6 (19%)	8 (26%)	7 (23%)	31 (100%)
Ireland	14 (47%)	5 (17%)	7 (23%)	4 (13%)	30 (100%)
In total	38 (41%)	18 (20%)	23 (25%)	13 (14%)	92 (100%)

and

Table 2. Structure of companies represented by employees.

Country	Type of Company				In Total
	DMC—PCO	Organizer of Incentive Trips	Event Agency	Organizer of Fairs and Exhibitions
Poland	11 (44%)	3 (13%)	7 (30%)	3 (13%)	23 (100%)
Hungary	5 (18%)	7 (26%)	5 (19%)	10 (37%)	27 (100%)
Ireland	8 (33%)	5 (21%)	6 (25%)	5 (21%)	24 (100%)
In total	23 (30%)	15 (20%)	18 (25%)	18 (25%)	74 (100%)

.

4. Results

4.1. Assessing the Usefulness of Knowledge in the Meetings Industry

Respondents from both research groups were asked to rank the areas of knowledge as the most useful in the operation of the meetings industry enterprise. The results presented here concern the areas indicated by the majority of respondents. Managers found knowledge in the field of management, negotiations, sociology, and psychology of business and social attitudes to be the most useful (

Table 3. Assessing the usefulness of knowledge as perceived by employers.

Useful or Necessary Knowledge in the MICE Sector	z	p
Management ↑	2.691	0.4%
Sociology ↓	4.331	0.0%
Negotiations ↑	2.691	0.4%
Psychology of business and social attitudes↓	1.813	3.5%
Technical knowledge↓	2.235	1.3%
Knowledge of Office software ↓	1.882	3.0%
Knowledge of remote work software↓	3.583	0.0%
Volunteering and sponsorship↓	4.760	0.0%
Audit of the conference facility↓	2.222	1.3%
Sustainable development, corporate social responsibility ↓	2.814	0.2%

Source: Own study.

). The indicated areas of knowledge useful during COVID-19 are closely related to the crisis of the sector caused by the pandemic.

According to employees, areas have also been identified that can be linked to the collapse of the sector. The most useful knowledge indicated by this group was technical knowledge, knowledge of the Office software, sociology, or volunteering (

Table 4. Assessing the usefulness of knowledge as perceived by employees.

Useful or Necessary Knowledge in the MICE Sector	z	p
Sociology ↓	3.188	0.1%
Technical knowledge ↓	2.013	2.2%
Knowledge of Office software ↓	1.686	4.6%
Volunteering and sponsorship ↓	3.515	0.0%
Audit of the conference facility ↓	2.198	1.4%
Foreign languages ↑	2.036	2.1%
Sustainable development, corporate social responsibility ↓	1.938	2.6%

Source: Own study.

). This means that both groups are aware of the need to have and expand knowledge and competences in those areas that are important in a crisis situation and affect the ability to manage activities in a crisis situation. The areas of knowledge usefulness in both digital areas overlap, although the percentage distribution of indications within a given area is different. Employees indicated seven areas of knowledge most useful in the functioning of the company. All of them coincide with those indicated by the managers (Table 3). Divergent indications concern management, negotiations, business psychology, and social attitudes, which were indicated only by the management.

4.2. Key Competencies

The survey concerned the indication of competencies that are essential for all personnel, regardless of their function and position in the professional hierarchy. For the purposes of the study, a base list of competences was created, also used in the question about social competences, and the respondents were asked to make an individual choice from the presented database. The results presented below include competencies given by the majority of respondents. Hard competencies related to technical skills of organizing, coordinating, and supervising events are missing from the list, as both groups believe they are appropriate only for operational staff. In contrast, competencies such as influencing and international familiarity were assigned exclusively to management.

In the group of company executives, ethics, and ethics in dealing with clients were rated the highest. In a situation of a pandemic, which re-evaluated the patterns previously developed in the industry, ethics became the overriding value and a tool for building trust in uncertain conditions. Other competencies highly rated by managers (

Table 5. Key competencies as perceived by managers.

Key Competencies	p	chi
Work ethics	0.00%	24,239
Ethics in dealing with the client	0.88%	6853
Interpersonal communication	4.65%	3962
Emotional bond with the company	0.12%	10,535
Professional integration	2.78%	4838
Organization of own work	0.02%	13,431
Willingness to learn	0.02%	13,431
Building relationships with clients	0.06%	11,877
International sophistication	0.00%	23,771
Influence	0.06%	11,725
Building local partnerships	0.00%	21,793
Focus on event participants	2.94%	4744
Organizing parties/events	0.06%	11,725
Overseeing events	0.00%	37,425
Coordinating events	0.00%	25,834

Source: Own study.

) were interpersonal communication, emotional bond with the company, professional integration, and organization of own work. Among the employees, professional integration was rated the highest (

Table 6. Key competencies as perceived by employees.

Key Competencies	p	chi
Professional integration	0.41%	8219
International sophistication	0.07%	11,424
Influence	0.35%	8519
Overseeing events	0.07%	11,424
Coordinating events	0.16%	9918

Source: Own study.

) as a key competence shared by the entire staff. Due to the convergent indications, it can therefore be concluded that professional integration and interpersonal communication are particularly important for both groups, the lack of which was strongly felt during the pandemic when the processes of isolation and limiting interpersonal contacts took place.

4.3. Expected Social Competencies towards the Team of Employees

In the next part of the survey, respondents were asked to select from the base list of competencies those competencies that are the expected social competencies of a team of employees. Based on the opinions of both groups, two sets of competencies were distinguished. The distinction of social competences results from the theoretical basis, due to the indication that they are required at every level of management, e.g., in the area of customer relations or team management. Managers rated the highest: ethics in contacts with clients and at work, international sophistication, and exerting influence (

Table 7. Expected social competencies according to the opinion of managers.

Expected Social Competences of the Team of Employees	z	p
work ethics↑	1.870	3.1%
ethics in dealing with customers↑	2.295	1.1%
international sophistication↓	2.912	0.2%
exerting influence↓	3.778	0.0%
work in information noise↓	2.676	0.4%
cross-skilling↓	2.250	1.2%
building local partnerships ↓	2.058	2.0%

Source: Own study.

). Employees indicated the usefulness in particular of emotional bond with the company, ability to adapt to changing conditions, and exerting influence (

Table 8. Expected social competencies according to employees’ opinions.

Own Social Competences at the Expected Level	z	p
emotional bond with the company↓	2.371	0.9%
ability to adapt to changing conditions ↓	1.750	4.0%
exerting influence ↓	2.397	0.8%

Source: Own study.

). In both groups of respondents, the convergent result is the social competence to exert influence.

4.4. Planned Long-Term Activities

The survey targeted executives, who indicated the company’s planned long-term activities to recover from the pandemic crisis, as shown in

Table 9. Long-term actions planned for the company’s recovery from the pandemic crisis in the opinion of employers.

The Company’s Long-Term Activities	p	chi
Searching for financial support, including EU funds	0.02%	16,677
Switching to another activity in whole or in part	0.00%	22,818
Expanding the portfolio of services	0.12%	13,510
Mergers, acquisitions	1.29%	8706

Source: Own study.

(significant results for the whole α < 5%). Emphasis was placed primarily on obtaining financing from external sources, including EU funds, which is justified due to the deep crisis caused by the pandemic. Other important areas were switching to a different activity, expanding the portfolio of services, and mergers and acquisitions.

4.5. Areas of Human Resources Improvement in the Meetings Industry

The summary below (

Table 10. Areas of staff improvement in the meetings industry in the opinion of employees.

Areas of Improvement	p	chi
Efficiency in obtaining external sources of financing	0.00%	22,924
Skills in handling new technologies	1.05%	9122
Flexibility of professional competences	3.34%	6801
Independence in carrying out tasks	0.05%	15,050
Efficiency in conditions of imbalance (financial, human resources, medical, market)	0.00%	23,085
Building relationships, image and “stay with us” ethics	1.17%	8893
Staff training is not required	0.00%	43,125

Source: Own study.

and

Table 11. Areas of staff improvement in the meetings industry in the opinion of employers.

Areas of Improvement	p	chi
Sanitation procedures	4.25%	6317
Efficiency in obtaining external sources of financing	0.00%	40,431
Increasing skills in the use of new technologies	0.00%	21,858
Independence in carrying out tasks	0.00%	23,465
Efficiency in conditions of imbalance (financial, human resources, medical, market)	0.00%	29,124
Building relationships, image and “stay with us” ethics	0.13%	13,228
Sustainable development, corporate social responsibility	0.10%	13,770
Staff training is not required	0.00%	80,285

Source: Own study.

) covers the areas of further improvement of staff identified by employers and employees (significant results for the whole α < 5%). Both groups indicated the efficiency in obtaining external sources of financing and the ability to use new technologies as important. In the case of employers, sanitary procedures were also highly indicated, which may be related to the experience of the pandemic. Both groups see the need to improve independence in the implementation of tasks and effectiveness in conditions of imbalance.

4.6. Individual Interviews

In-depth interviews were conducted in accordance with the questionnaire attached to this article (Appendix C). The implementation of in-depth interviews was aimed at:

-

Obtaining precise information from enterprise managers;

-

Broadening the perspective of the whole research;

-

Creating a basis for discussion on the results of quantitative research.

Interviews were conducted among managers from Poland, Hungary, and Ireland. The period of conducting the research in the form of in-depth interviews was conducted during the period of restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

In-depth interviews were conducted by the authors of the article or a person properly prepared and familiar with the context of the conducted research. Interviews were conducted in a face-to-face, telephone, or online form (using communication platforms, including Google Teams) by the researcher or designated person with the respondent. The interview was structured and had a script (attached to the article), and the answers to the researcher’s questions were marked by him/her on the document with the script. The interviews had goals that the researcher wanted to achieve.

In individual interviews, in the form of free statements of managers, they unanimously stated that the competences of employees have an impact on the operation of the company, also in a crisis, and that improving the competences of the team is a chance to rebuild the company and its operations. At the same time, they pointed to the most important competence challenges of the meetings industry during the pandemic, which required an urgent solution.

Among the competencies listed, some concerned the strategic management of the company and competencies important in crisis management, i.e., strategic planning, crisis management, change management, the ability to adapt to changing conditions, an attitude of openness to change, searching for new solutions, and flexible operation. During the pandemic, the competencies scored were those related to remote activity and digital space, i.e., technical knowledge in the field of online and hybrid events, digital competencies, knowledge in the field of online marketing. Additional competencies listed included: ethics in working with clients, knowledge of the possibility of co-financing activities from EU funds, stress management, improving qualifications and readiness to learn, language skills, and broadly understood soft skills.

The responses indicated that professional development is always important, and the time of the pandemic should have been used to expand competences. There is also a need for continuous improvement of employees’ qualifications and a broad exchange of knowledge regarding the MICE sector. In this case, further research, and development of further studies for the MICE sector, as well as industry meetings, can play an important role.

5. Discussion

The obtained results indicate the competences of the management staff and employees of MICE enterprises during the COVID-19 pandemic and indicate the desired competences that should be developed in the context of preparing for crisis situations in the future.

In terms of knowledge, both managers and employees pointed to those areas that are essential for managing a company under unstable conditions related to the impact of an unpredictable external factor, such as the pandemic. These areas were, in particular, change management, risk management, and negotiation skills. Employees additionally stressed the importance of operational knowledge, including foreign language skills. This confirms the view that in an organization operating in a changing environment, a profound change in the way it manages and interacts with its environment is necessary [48].

A comparison of the results of the surveys of management and operational staff, concerning the indication of competencies necessary for all employees—regardless of the scope of the company’s activities, position in the professional hierarchy, and tasks performed—made it possible to distinguish a set containing nineteen competencies common to both groups. These are (in order according to the averaged results, starting with the highest indications): work ethic, professional integration, organization of own work, ethics in dealing with customers, emotional bond with the company, interpersonal communication, willingness to learn, building relationships with co-workers, ability to cooperate with the environment, relations with superiors, ability to adapt to changing conditions, proper self-presentation, written communication, improving qualifications, building relationships with customers, dealing with conflict situations, availability, solving problems and conflicts, crossing skills.

The above competencies, as a rule, are expected to contribute to building a unified and orderly organizational culture of the company and influence its competitiveness, also in conditions of various turbulent environments. A key group of competencies for the industry, necessary for the smooth functioning of the organization, are social competencies. This proves that the most important capital of an organization in the meetings industry is human capital, and the development of human resources is one of the essential elements of the company’s functioning and development strategy [49]. This is especially important during the pandemic economic downturn.

It is also worth noting a special competence outside the group of social competencies, which is cross-skilling. Many of the problems of the meetings industry are too complex to be solved by a single competency area. The multifaceted nature of the industry requires transdisciplinary solutions, so the ability to weld and leverage experience from multiple disciplines is especially needed, especially given the challenges of the post-pandemic era.

The forecast in terms of desired competencies in the post-COVID period was based on the results of surveys on expected social competencies, long-term activities planned by the company, areas of personnel improvement in the near future, and indications of areas in need of urgent solution.

In terms of expected social competencies, a comparison of the two perspectives—management and operations—highlighted two common competencies that ranked high: readiness to learn and professional integration. The former is closely related to the need to build competitive advantage by preparing staff to create innovations and design and implement company development plans. In turn, emphasizing the importance of professional integration is a natural consequence of home office work and the lack of typical professional interpersonal contacts. Both groups also appreciated the importance of interpersonal communication, which is an essential element of effective work and good teamwork, as well as building lasting relationships with the external environment [50]. It is worth adding that the right number of communication channels and organizational culture are important here, as well as the availability and knowledge of forms and tools for information exchange.

The period of the pandemic, putting the meetings industry in an extremely difficult situation, with a very late prospect of recovery [17], made it necessary to search for new forms of activity and plan comprehensive measures to recover from the crisis. The study on the directions of future activities was carried out during the culmination of the COVID-19 pandemic and the deep crisis of the industry. Hence, such tasks as seeking funding from external sources, reducing employment, and reorganizing or restructuring the company were indicated. Re-examination may indicate to what extent these activities will continue in the post-COVID period. Nonetheless, expanding the scope of services topped the list, and key places were occupied by improving employee competence, remotely/virtually conducted operations, increasing digitization/automation, and new forms of business management. The above-mentioned areas of activity set the directions for competence development in the post-COVID period.

These directions were also confirmed by the indicated areas of future professional development. The statement on management improvement points to two main themes: efficiency in obtaining external funding sources and effectiveness under imbalanced conditions. In the case of staff improvement, these are: self-reliance in the execution of tasks and increased ability to handle new technologies. The above results are also confirmed by individual interviews with managers, who additionally indicate strategic planning, crisis management, change management, stress management, and flexible operation, as well as technical competence to use modern technologies in the implementation of virtual meetings.

In individual interviews, the respondents emphasized the importance of digital competences related to the company’s operations and the organization of virtual events, but also knowledge in the field of online marketing during the pandemic. As can be seen, the pandemic has also become a catalyst for accelerating the transformation of the meetings industry. In particular, we can point to the focus on remotely/virtually conducted business and the associated increase in digitization/automation, including the use of artificial intelligence. This trend is closely linked to digital competencies, an area that combines social competencies with technical skills [51]. The literature identifies five areas of digital competence: information, communication, content-creation, security, and problem-solving [2].

Thus, the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic is both the formation of new competencies, such as advanced digital competencies and cross-skilling, and the growth in importance of competencies already defined but considered less important to date, such as crisis management, change management, and knowledge management. At the same time, it should be emphasized that all the groups of competencies identified in the survey results are part of the industry’s projected trends [12,13,14], which can be broadly divided into three areas:

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The rise of new technologies and a flexible approach to organizing events—digital restructuring, hybrid and virtual events, a variety of participation options (physical—face to face, virtual, and hybrid);

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Individual approach to the customer—personalization of the offer, focus on creating an authentic experience for the participant, attention to their involvement, emphasis on emotions, innovation in building an offer of events;

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Security (sanitary, digital, related to geopolitical uncertainty), the importance of data in real-time decision making and event management, and green responsibility.

Identifying and developing key competencies in the meetings industry has a significant impact on the recovery of the sector and its effective functioning in the post-pandemic period. Of great importance in this regard is the building and updating of competency profiles for individual positions, or so-called competency mapping [52]. It brings measurable benefits to organizations, including in the recruitment and selection process, identifying strengths and weaknesses in employees’ skills, identifying competency gaps to close them, creating employee development plans, developing training programs or, finally, identifying overlapping job roles. Competency management is therefore a key tool that can determine competitive advantage.

It is important to focus greater research interest on the competences of the MICE sector in the future. Further research is needed in this area because the competences of employees indirectly affect the development of this sector. An important aspect also seems to be further analysis of the situation of the industry in the MICE pandemic, the conclusions of which may support the sector in responding to similar crisis situations in the future.

Among the limitations of the study, it is worth mentioning the limited research group due to the small number of companies operating in the given areas in three countries to which the authors had direct access. In the future, it is worth expanding the research group and reaching out to other companies operating in the MICE industry. It is also worth noting that MICE is still not a well-researched sector, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and its long-term effects on the industry. Our study is just the beginning of a discussion that has highlighted the basic implications for the industry, especially in the context of competencies. Due to the importance of the MICE industry in the tourism sector, not only competence studies such as ours are important, but all others that help to better understand this industry. All these issues should be addressed in subsequent studies.