Awe&Some Cascais: Pioneering a sustainable and multi-hub approach to MICE

# tags: MICE , Portugal , Destinations , Sustainability , Cascais

Cascais, Portugal, long admired for its scenic coastline and vibrant cultural life, is now staking its claim as a multi-hub destination for international business events and incentive travel.

Bernardo Corrêa de Barros, President of Visit Cascais, explains how innovative strategies such as Awe&Some Cascais and Cascais for Tomorrow are redefining the destination’s appeal in the competitive Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) sector.

Reinventing the MICE Experience

“The Awe&Some Cascais platform is as revolutionary as it is innovative,” says Corrêa de Barros. “It was created to simplify bookings, generate leads, and attract medium-to large-scale MICE events. Inspired by international models such as Las Vegas, it embraces a multivenue approach that promotes mobility and strategic partnerships among local stakeholders. This solves a challenge common to many Portuguese cities: the lack of a single venue capable of hosting very large events.”

By highlighting the diversity and complementarity of venues, Awe&Some Cascais offers a new way to conceptualize and organize events, strengthening Cascais’ positioning as a reference destination for business and incentive travel, and enhancing its competitiveness internationally.

The heart of the destination: hubs

At the core of this approach are the hubs, which integrate all of Cascais’ tourism partners and provide a broad spectrum of options for events, tailored to the specific needs of organizers and participant numbers. Corrêa de Barros explains: “By integrating technology, local partners, and the destination’s tourism offerings, Awe&Some Cascais makes the entire planning process more intuitive and efficient. Organizers benefit from a personalized experience, which simplifies decision-making and logistics, reinforcing the value of Cascais as a destination.”

Distinct identity and strategic advantages

Although Cascais enjoys proximity to Lisbon, its distinct identity provides unique competitive advantages for large international events. “The success of a complex, large-scale event is closely linked to how the destination hosts and integrates the experience. Cascais stands out with a diverse offering of hotels, auditoriums, and conference spaces, all equipped with top-tier infrastructure and located within close proximity. Our hospitality sector is fully prepared to deliver comfort, efficiency, and quality in every detail,” Bernardo Corrêa de Barros highlights.

Sustainability at the core

Sustainability has become an essential requirement in the meetings industry. Cascais has embraced this challenge through Cascais for Tomorrow, a unique tool developed in partnership with Breeze and Cascais Ambiente. “The Impact Calculator allows organizers and participants to measure and offset emissions generated by their events, supporting local sustainability projects such as reforestation and biodiversity conservation. This ensures that every event contributes in a concrete and measurable way to responsible tourism,” he explains.

Carbon pricing and corporate responsibility

Cascais has also implemented a carbon pricing model that differentiates between corporate clients and individual travelers. “This enables us to adapt calculations and compensation to the scale and context of each experience, making the approach fair, accessible, and effective. Our goal is to increase environmental responsibility among all participants, and the reception from partners has been extremely positive,” says the president of Visit Cascais.

Since June, Cascais has been implementing these sustainability tools with local partners. “While the development phase of the Impact Calculator is complete, we are now seeing the first concrete implementations on the ground. We anticipate that 2026 will mark a year of strong consolidation and tangible positive contributions to the territory,” he notes.

Looking ahead: strategic growth and global reach

Cascais continues to invest in innovation and international visibility. “Over the past two years, we have expanded Awe&Some Cascais and launched Cascais for Tomorrow. Our aim is to strengthen international partnerships, extend the Cascais brand, and demonstrate that events here are authentic, innovative, and meticulously crafted. We have also amplified our digital campaign, targeting key markets such as Portugal, the UK, France, and Germany,” Corrêa de Barros concludes.

With these initiatives, Cascais is reinventing the MICE experience: a destination where multi-hub efficiency, sustainability, and authentic local experiences converge to create a model that sets new international standards.