Barcelona is all set to host ibtm world for the 12th year running at Fira Gran Via from 17-19 November.
In third week of November, the meeting and event industry’s top decision-makers and suppliers from all over the world will converge on Barcelona for three days of face-to-face meetings, networking and education. Each year, ibtm world (previously EIBTM) congregates a global community of 3,000 suppliers and 9,750 professional planners, who, thanks to the show’s cutting-edge Hosted Buyer Programme, get to know each other personally at over 78,000 pre-scheduled face-to-face meetings.
New destinations and CVBs at the upcoming edition of the show include the following: Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Bulgaria; Secretaria Nacional de Turismo de Paraguay; Commune di Napoli; Ministere de l’Economie Direction Generale du Tourisme, Luxemburg; Ibiza Convention Bureau; Prague City Tourism; India Tourism; Basque Country Tourist Board – Basque Tour; and Sri Lanka Convention Bureau. In addition Dorchester Collection, Europalco, GOAPP, Sandals and Beaches Resorts, Etud Event Technologies, TapCrowd by etouches and World Hotels are also new to the event.
Apart from sourcing business and discovering new suppliers, venues and destinations, another of the show’s chief attractions is its Knowledge Programme. This offers buyers, exhibitors and visitors what is probably one of the broadest choices of subjects, including current and future trends, and key issues that can, and will, affect the industry over the coming years.
At this year’s edition of the show, all education sessions will take place in the newly created ACS Knowledge Village, comprising four purpose built and themed theatres, a concept created in collaboration with ACS audio-visual solutions. The idea behind this is to provide visitors, hosted buyers and exhibitors with an easily accessible "learning hub" on the show floor.
This year’s ibtm world Knowledge Programme is set to motivate the industry with a series of sessions that have been lined up to challenge existing thought models and raise the bar when it comes to organizing and planning events and conferences around the globe. The programme will revolve around a number of core themes, including Connections Mean Everything, Putting Meeting Design into Practice, Tools for Planner Productivity, Industry Engagement, Inspiration from Outside, and Innovative Events and Leading Lights for Leading Events. Likewise, this year’s Spanish ibtm knowledge programme will be presented in partnership with leading industry bodies including ICCA Iberia, Site and MPI Spain.
Another of the highlights will be the presentation of the annual Trends Watch Report by Dr. Rob Davidson, which is a real barometer for the industry identifying the key indicators of the sector’s health, including attendance, budgets, exhibitors and revenues. Early indications of his presentation are that the growth trend is set to continue.
Ibtm world is, of course, as much about business as it is about networking. The official ibtm world Welcome Reception will take place onsite on Tuesday, 17 November, and its theme this year will be sports. This will be followed on Wednesday by the popular Networking Hour which gives exhibitors the opportunity to organize their own receptions and social activity at their stands and, in the evening, by the main event, ibtm world Club Night, once again hosted at Opium Mar.
For more information of exhibiting.
For more information on the Hosted Buyer Programme.
