TAKING place from August 31 to September 2, CIBTM is the leading exhibition for the meetings, incentives and events industry in China. TTN spoke to JEFFREY XU, exhibition director about what’s in store.
How many exhibitors are you expecting at this year’s event?
Following last year’s record figures, an impressive list of international exhibitors – both first timers and those taking additional space – have signed up to attend CIBTM which is the only industry show officially backed by the national government in China – China National Tourism Administration and the Beijing Municipal Government.
Exhibitors who have already recognised the importance that CIBTM plays to the industry include first timer Silversea Cruises, having enjoyed successful results from other Reed shows, including GIBTM and EIBTM. Other international exhibitors are represented by Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, GHM Hotels, Government of Dubai, Hong Kong Tourism Board, Korea Tourism Organisation, M Events, Macau Government Tourist Office, Marriott International, Qatar National Convention Centre, Meet Taiwan, Philippine Tourism Office, Singapore Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (SACEOS), Sicilia Convention Bureau, Instituto Nacional de Promoción Turística, Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau, Toerisme Vlaanderen, Tourism Ireland and the Vienna Convention Bureau.
Where will they be from? Any from the Middle East? Any new countries/regions exhibiting?
Exhibitors come from all over the world and represent countries such as Singapore, the UK, Argentina, South Korea, Germany, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Qatar, Italy, Monaco, Thailand, Belgium and Austria.
Middle East destinations such as Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority and the Government of Dubai have also recognised the importance of CIBTM in highlighting one of the fastest developing regions for meetings and incentives.
Approximately how many visitors do you expect the show to attract?
We expect to welcome the same number of delegates as in past years. Last year CIBTM attracted record attendance of almost 5,000, which included more than 280 exhibitors from 28 countries, 3,238 trade visitors and 280 hosted buyers from 25 countries. We are confident this year we will see continued growth in the event as the Chinese government, private sector, local and regional authorities and international industry associations recognise the massive opportunities open to China’s expanding meetings sector.
And how many hosted buyers will be participating? How do these figures compare with the last show?
We are expecting to welcome 300 international hosted buyers form countries such as Australia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Macau, Singapore, Thailand, The Philippines, Vietnam, the UAE, France, Spain, Germany, the UK, Russia, Canada and the US. Last year, 93 per cent of hosted buyers intended to place specific business with exhibitors they met at CIBTM and 94 per cent were completely satisfied with their individual pre-scheduled appointments.
What, briefly, are the criteria for qualification as a hosted buyer?
The hosted-buyer programme is available for top industry buyers from associations, corporations and agencies responsible for international events and who organise, influence or make budgetary decisions for international business travel, meetings, incentive travel, international conventions, product launches, staff training or events.
The hosted-buyer programme ensures that exhibitors meet with those who organise, influence or make budgetary decisions for international business travel, meetings, incentive travel, international conventions, product launches, staff training or events.
Acceptance of buyers onto the programme is dependent on fulfilling strict qualifying criteria, including the number of events held annually, purchasing authority, annual budget, amount of business conducted.
What are the benefits of being a hosted-buyer?
The hosted-buyer programme offers a highly effective way for buyers, meeting planners and decision makers to maximise their time during the three days of business at CIBTM. Hosted buyers at CIBTM will receive the best business-to-business opportunities, best networking and the best professional education. Benefits include complimentary flights from selected airports, complimentary four or five-star accommodation at an official CIBTM hotel in Beijing, one-to-one diary of appointments with exhibitors, arranged prior to the event, invitations to evening receptions and exclusive networking functions, entrance to the private hosted-buyer lounge during the exhibition and complimentary access to the professional education programme.
What can visitors expect at this year’s event? Please tell us about the Meetings Week, what will it consist of and who is expected to take part?
For the first time, CIBTM will be running a dedicated China Meetings Week, running from August 30 to September 3, with CIBTM at its core, is one of the major driving forces behind the growth of the meetings industry throughout China. It is set to help China fully realise its potential to attract large-scale international corporate and association events.
China Meetings Week comprises:
• Site Conference – on Monday, August 30, 2010, a full day conference will take place tackling many of the key issues of the day affecting meetings and events professionals
• CIBTM professional education programme – featuring guest speakers from MPI, ICCA, Wild China, Mice China and Site. Day one, on August 31, will focus on association buyers and general industry trends; day two on corporate buyers focusing on return on investment and procurement and day three on agencies. The comprehensive programme will provide delegates with the latest in industry trends and developments, best practices for planning meetings and a daily technology session
• CEO Lunch – bringing together CEOs from governmental organisations and industry associations. This will be the first industry CEO gathering for the meetings industry in China.
In addition, an ICCA forum for young professionals is planned for the meetings week – an initiative aiming to bring together 20 young industry professionals from China for debates, discussions, lectures and group challenges.