International Journal of Entrepreneurship Volume 25, Special Issue 4, 2021 1 1939-4675-25-S4-70 EFFICIENCY AS COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN MICE EVENTS OF MEDIUM SIZE HOTELS IN THAILAND Panutporn Ruangchoengchum, Khon Kaen University Numpung Sripui, Khon Kaen University ABSTRACT Many meeting, incentive, convention, and exhibit (MICE) events organized in medium size hotels generate substantial income in Thailand. Among the classified groups, medium size hotels represent the major group, but they cannot operate the business really well to support MICE events. This study aims to explore the efficiency of medium size hotels in operations management to organize MICE events. This study applies the mixed methods of questionnaire and in-depth interview to gain crucial information from participants who have worked in medium size hotels. The collected data are analyzed with Data Envelopment Analysis program. Results show that medium size hotels need to prepare operational cost, offer more conference rooms, hire more staff, provide more parking areas, create certain facilities, lend conference accessories, and arrange airport transferring vehicles. To improve efficiency as competitive advantage in MICE events of the medium size hotels in terms of operations management, lean management is suggested. The results of this research can be useful to medium size hotels in Thailand and other countries with similar business culture and beneficial to entrepreneurs in the business service sector. Keywords: Hotels, Efficiency Improvement, Data Envelopment Analysis, MICE, Operations Management INTRODUCTION Significance of Meeting, Incentive, Convention, and Exhibit Events Hotel business for MICE has provided enormous income to several organizations in many countries, including Thailand. The income from the MICE industry, a major branch of tourism in Thailand, is approximated to be higher than 10%of the tourism earning in 2018 (before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in December 2019) and the figure is increasing every year in Thailand (Martin, 2019). Among tourism strategies, MICE plays an important role in increasing the gross income in Thailand. Therefore, enhancing the efficiency in term of operations management of involved businesses and stakeholders is a major task considered by the government and relevant organizations (Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau or TCEB, 2018). In an effort to promote MICE events, TCEB was established in 2002, performing as a public organization to promote and develop business events in Thailand. Since 2004, TCEB has worked toward establishing Thailand as Asia’s premier business events destination by providing flexible, service-oriented support to meeting-goers, incentive winners, convention attendees, and exhibition participants (TCEB, 2018).TCEB considers some provinces established as business hubs scattered over the country to support MICE events. Indeed, MICE events are typically held in hotel conference rooms or at convention centers (TCEB, 2018). However, after the COVID-19 pandemic, the scale of potential destruction of the MICE events in the hotel sector is alarming (Rwigema & Celestin, 2020). Manasakis, Apostolakis & Datseris (2012) found that local hotel business has the most potential for efficiency improvement