As a result of the1,320 International buyers attending EIBTM 2012 who confirmed a direct interest in placing business in Africa.
EIBTM, the leading global event for the meetings and events industry, has announced the launch of a dedicated Africa Pavilion at the 2013 edition of the event. The pavilion has been introduced following an increased demand from international buyers seeking to place outbound MICE business with African suppliers.
The Africa Pavilion will provide an area on the show floor for suppliers to showcase their products to over 15,000 meetings industry professionals including 4,200 high level hosted buyers who are expected to attend the event. Suppliers exhibiting in the pavilion will also be provided with a pre-scheduled diary of appointments with hosted buyers who have expressed interest in placing business in Africa.
Rob Davidson, Senior Lecturer and Event Management at Greenwich University, commented in the EIBTM 2012 Trends Watch Report: "In the past ten years, six of the world’s fastest‐growing economies have been in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to The Economist. Angola, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Chad, Mozambique, and Rwanda all showed annual growth rates of around 8% or more in that period. Moreover, according to the IMF, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Congo, Ghana, Zambia and Nigeria are all expected to be among the world’s 10 fastest-growing economies in the years leading up to 2015, with annual growth rates of between 6.8% and 8.1%."
Graeme Barnett, Senior Exhibition Director of EIBTM (Reed Travel Exhibitions), commented: "We are delighted to be introducing the Africa Pavilion to EIBTM for the first time this year. The decision has been made due to the increased demand for African exhibitors that we have witnessed from our hosted buyers in recent years, with many specifying an interest in Africa as a destination for meetings and incentive trips."
"We also have a number of additional business and networking opportunities available at this year’s EIBTM which will further facilitate the business links between Africa and the rest of the world. Exhibitors will also receive additional support in terms of marketing and exposure, increasing value and return on investment," concluded Barnett.
EIBTM 2013 will take place from 19-21 November, a week earlier than in previous years. The EIBTM Forum will take place the day before the exhibition on 18 November.
Companies interested in exhibiting at EIBTM 2013 should contact their account manager or the sales team at eibtm@reedexpo.co.uk or on +44 (0) 20 8910 7711. Organisations who wish to exhibit as part of their destination should also contact the EIBTM sales team who will be able to put them in touch with the appropriate convention bureau or national tourism organisation.
Future dates
Future dates confirmed for EIBTM include: EIBTM 2014 from 18-20 November; EIBTM 2015 from 17-19 November; and EIBTM 2016 from 29 November-1 December.
