Hosted buyers, visitors and exhibitors have united in their overwhelming support for The Meetings Show, which welcomed 4,413* meetings industry professionals, of which 2,876 were unique visitors, to Olympia, London between 7 and 9 July, 2015.
Attendees included 824 hosted buyers – a significant growth of 19%. These hosted buyers attended an incredible 12,140 pre-scheduled appointments – a 28% increase in face-to-face meetings compared to 2014.
Overall combined hosted and visitor buyers were up more than 6%; and both Day 1 and Day 2 saw an increase in total visitor numbers compared to previous years.
The Association Meetings Conference also saw a substantial 49% growth to 98 delegates.
"We are celebrating a significant success following this year’s The Meetings Show and we are delighted that so many buyers and exhibitors are publically confirming its place and importance at the heart of the meetings industry," comments Steve Knight, event director of The Meetings Show. "Industrial action during the week was certainly a challenge but we met it head on, put a wide ranging contingency plan in place and focused on minimising the impact. In fact, it is the nature of a hosted buyer led show to succeed in such challenging circumstances. All of our hosted buyers had individual transfers arranged by us that ensured their attendance and minimised inconvenience."
Buyers and exhibitors stepping forward to praise the success of The Meetings Show include:
Event Assembly’s Managing Director, Ashley Moore: "Over the last few years I had fallen out of love with UK trade shows but The Meetings Show has changed that. It is so refreshing to find such a well organised show here in the UK – in fact it has been such a great experience that I added an extra day to ensure I maximise all the opportunities and connections the event has made possible."
Nike European Headquarters’ Event Specialist, Annecarien Dijkhuis: "The Meetings Show provides the perfect opportunity for me to meet key suppliers, develop relationships and conduct business face to face with industry leaders from around the world. In particular its personal and flexible approach to hosted buyers means my time has been efficient and focused. I look forward to returning in 2016."
Perception Sales & Marketing’s Director, Cath Couzens: "With over 400 pre-scheduled appointments at this year’s The Meetings Show with quality buyers, we achieved 250K worth of enquiries by midmorning on the second day. We’ve seen a continued growth in both quality and footfall at the show and we are already enthusiastic about next year’s event in Olympia."
Accor Hotels’ Dana Lewis: "With more than 320 pre-booked appointments with buyers looking to place conference, incentive and training business there is no denying the success of The Meetings Show for Accor Hotels and our 10 partner hotels. The hosted buyer process worked superbly, the quality was superb, we have a huge number of leads and expect a significant return on investment."
Meet Birmingham’s Louise Gordon: "This has been an excellent show with fantastic quality buyers. We have seen key decision makers who have genuine business to place. Last year the show generated £3.5 million worth of enquiries and we hope to be topping that this year."
Organised by Centaur Live (a division of Centaur Media Plc), The Meetings Show is the premier event for the UK inbound and outbound meetings industry, taking place 14-16 June, 2016 at Olympia, London. Organised by meeting professionals for meeting professionals it is focused around a large exhibition, networking opportunities and professional education.
*All figures are currently unaudited.
