I recently spent a week in the Dominican Republic as a hosted buyer for SDQ MICE, and the experience gave me a different perspective on what it means to experience a destination as an event professional.

MICE stands for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions. Simply put, it is the part of the travel and hospitality industry focused on bringing people together for business events and group experiences.

I don't speak Spanish, and I was attending an event centered within Latin American culture. That was part of what made the experience unique, yet sometimes challenging. There is something different about learning about a destination while actually being immersed in its culture, meeting the people who work in its hospitality industry, experiencing its hotels and venues, and seeing firsthand how they host events.

As a U.S. event professional, it also made me think about how much opportunity there is for us to experience more of Latin America firsthand.

My trip started in Santo Domingo, where I stayed at Hotel El Embajador and spent two days participating in SDQ MICE.

I had approximately 23 appointments with hotels, resorts, DMCs, airlines, transportation companies and destination suppliers representing Santo Domingo, Punta Cana, Santiago and other areas of the Dominican Republic.

My appointments were conducted in English, but not every part of the event was. Our opening keynote, for example, was presented in Spanish.

While I couldn't understand everything being said, I could experience the room, the presentation style and the energy of an event designed within the local culture rather than specifically for an American audience and I appreciated that.

What I enjoyed about SDQ MICE was that experiencing the Dominican Republic wasn't separate from the business portion of the program. It was built into it.

We walked through Santo Domingo's Colonial Zone, learned about its history, visited churches and gardens, and attended a reception at Casas del XVI.

Another evening took us to a rooftop reception at Embassy Suites by Hilton Santo Domingo with food stations, passed appetizers, entertainment and fireworks overlooking the city.

We also had lunch at JW Marriott Santo Domingo, experienced local hospitality throughout the week and met directly with many of the people responsible for bringing meetings and groups into the country.

The cultural experiences weren't simply activities added to an itinerary. They provided context for the destination we were there to learn about.

After SDQ MICE, I continued to Punta Cana for a group post-FAM and a stay at W Punta Cana. The two-hour scenic ride from Santo Domingo to Punta Cana showed me the beauty of the country outside of beachfront resorts.

Santo Domingo gave me a city experience filled with history, culture, rooftop venues and local experiences. Punta Cana offered a completely different setting with resorts, beaches, wellness experiences and all-inclusive options.

At the W, I was able to experience the resort as a guest while also looking at it through the eyes of an event professional. It opened in 2025 as an adults-only, all-inclusive upscale property. I toured the property, experienced its restaurants and meeting areas, participated in hydrotherapy, spent time at the pools and enjoyed our exclusive receptions.

I extended my trip for one additional resort stay and site inspection at the Lopesan Caoba Lagoon before heading home, giving me another opportunity to experience a different resort in Punta Cana.

You can review a hotel online. You can look at flight schedules, meeting-space charts and photos. You can send an RFP, but those things don't completely tell you what it feels like to bring a group into a destination. Being there allowed me to better understand the hospitality, transportation, food, venues, culture and people behind the experience.

It also allowed me to build relationships directly with local suppliers and DMCs who know their destination and understand how programs operate there. For U.S. event professionals, there is an opportunity to become more familiar with destinations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, particularly by experiencing them firsthand.

For me, international events shouldn't simply take a U.S. event format and move it to another country. If we're going to bring a group to the Dominican Republic, there should be opportunities to experience the Dominican Republic. That can happen through the food, entertainment, history, local venues and excursions. It can also be as simple as building enough time into the program for attendees to actually experience where they are.

I came home with new supplier, DMC and destination relationships, several hotel and resort experiences, and a much better understanding of what the Dominican Republic can offer groups. The biggest value wasn't the number of appointments or properties I toured; it was experiencing the destination within its own culture.

And it's also why choosing a destination is about more than finding the right hotel. The destination, culture and experiences surrounding an event can all play a role in how attendees engage, connect and remember their time together.

For companies considering the Dominican Republic, Latin America or the Caribbean for an upcoming client event, corporate retreat or incentive program, Velvetstyle Event Marketing can help determine how the destination and attendee experience support your larger business objectives, then build the strategy around them.

A few of the hotels and resorts I experienced during my time in the Dominican Republic:

Tiffany English | Founder & Event Strategist, Velvetstyle Event Marketing

Tiffany English is the founder and event strategist behind Velvetstyle Event Marketing, producing events since 2010. She works with companies to develop client events, corporate retreats, incentive programs and multi-city programs designed to strengthen relationships, build trust and support long-term business growth.

Her hotel style leans boutique and lifestyle, she loves a great rooftop or pool, and she can rarely resist an invitation for a site visit.

Velvetstyle Event Marketing helps companies create events that strengthen client relationships, build trust and support long-term business growth.

Schedule a brief Event Consultation to discuss your upcoming event, your objectives and how Velvetstyle may support your needs.

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