WITH a four per cent increase in applications, EIBTM 2011 is looking to break records for its best year of business yet. This year the event expects to see over 3,800 Hosted Buyers with serious purchasing power to attend the show with a 48 per cent increase in accepted buyers from the UK compared to this time last year. Participating countries including Belgium, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and Russia have seen a significant increase in accepted Hosted Buyer applications and as a result EIBTM has been working closely with Barcelona Convention Bureau, Ultramar Event Management and BCD Meetings & Incentives to ensure that each Hosted Buyer accepted is guaranteed complementary flights as well as four-five-star accommodation.
TTN speaks to events director Graeme Barnett ahead of the show.
What can exhibitors and visitors expect to see this year’s edition of EIBTM?
We are continually looking for better ways of creating bigger and better business opportunities for everyone attending EIBTM. There are over 30 new and exciting features and initiatives taking place at this year’s EIBTM, creating lots of buzz for everyone attending. Here are just a few of them to give you a flavour of what to expect at this years EIBTM:
For 2011 we will be launching our first event App, enabling EIBTM participants to get full information about the event and plan their visit on their mobile device. During the show, there will be news and updates as well as reminders about key events taking place during the show.
We also currently have the following new exhibitors: Great Hotels of the World, Hungarian National Tourist Office, the Moscow Exhibition & Convention Agency, Finland CBV, Morocco, NH Hotels, and Cyprus Tourism Organisation, The Kingdom of Bahrain, Riga Tourism Development Bureau, Concorde Hotels & Resorts, Taj Hotels, the Balearic Islands and H10 Hotels.
The EIBTM Education Programme will take place this year in the new conference rooms of the Fira providing just one location for all delegates. On top of this there will be the Lecture Theatre on the Show Floor for the Technology Debates and the Spanish sessions.
We are also going to be hosting some of our acclaimed networking events in a number of great new locations which will bring the best of Barcelona to all those that attend. This year’s Hosted Buyer Icebreaker will take place at the ME Barcelona (Melia Hotels) situated in the centre of town, and designed by renowned French architect Dominique Perrault.
The EIBTM Welcome Reception will, for the very first time, take place outside of the Fira in the centre of the City in The Italian Pavilion alongside the famous Barcelona Magical Fountains of Montjuic and the illustrious EIBTM club night will take place in Barcelona’s top nightspot – Opium Mar, recently voted one of the “Finest Clubs in the World” and “the venue in the city for some of the globe’s top recording artists” – we are anticipating an amazing evening!
How much has the show grown? How much interest have you received from the Middle East this year?
EIBTM is independently audited by ABC so all numbers relating to the event are not qualified until post show. We don’t predict numbers other than to say that each year we bring together over 14,200 meetings industry professionals from across the globe, more than 8,300 meetings and event planners and buyers are expect this year and we can say that we will have more than 3,800 top level international decision makers guaranteed through the Hosted Buyer programme.
EIBTM is an international event with exhibitors from every corner of the globe. The Middle East needs to be part of it, if suppliers from the region are looking to achieve business from international meeting planners and buyers. An exit poll undertaken at GIBTM; the annual event for the industry, earlier this year showed that the region is optimistic for the future. 53 per cent of participants were also forecasting an increase in their meetings and events business for 2011. There was also a general consensus that the global economic situation has recovered slowly leading to increased competitiveness in the field.
Bahrain is a destination investing heavily in its meetings, incentive and exhibition sector. The sector contributed $184.6m to the country’s economy last year and is expected to contribute $223.6 by next year, despite the economic disruption caused by the unrest. The country’s Mice segment, whilst a substantial contributor to the local industry, has already made significant contribution the country’s GDP and will be a future driver of economic growth for Bahrain.
How did EIBTM 2010 fare, in terms of business conducted? And what are your expectations this year?
EIBTM 2010 was a great success with a 2.5 per cent increase in total visitor attendance from the previous year. We’re thrilled with the response we’ve had so far from the industry to attending 2011 - it’s is a clear reflection of how positively the industry views EIBTM and further endorsement of the importance of face to face communication. One thing we can be certain of is that EIBTM will connect meeting professionals from around the world in one of the leading destinations for business.
What is the key focus at EIBTM 2011?
Asides from world class business, education and networking opportunities, perhaps the most obvious innovation for 2011 will be the Future Events Experience. This Live area on the show floor, tipped to be the most visited new feature, will provide an insight into how future conferences and meetings will be run and how social technologies are going to re-shape attendees experiences. In partnership with SyncPartners, the ‘Future Events Experience’ will incorporate inspiring speaker presentations, a live demonstration area, technology showcase and networking opportunities for all.
It’s a real first for EIBTM and we think the industry will find it of great interest, as we know that the future of technology for this sector is growing exponentially. Add to that some 19 new technology companies exhibiting this year and it seems that our technology focus will be something quite special this year.
You announced changes to the Pre-Scheduled Appointment (PSA) system for Hosted Buyers this year. What can they expect to see?
The research we conducted following the success of EIBTM 2010 has shown that both buyers and suppliers wanted the organisers, Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE) to find ways of achieving even more opportunities to do business during the event. 65 per cent of Hosted Buyers did or will do between €50,000 ($69,300) and €1m ($1.38m) of business as a result of their attendance at EIBTM according to the research.
As a direct response to this we have increased the number of matched appointments from six to seven per day of attendance for all buyers. This will result in an approximate increase of 10 per cent more PSA’s for 2011 with some 60,000 meetings expected to take place over the three days of EIBTM.
This additional appointment will create a fuller diary, enabling the buyers to plan their time more efficiently as more of their choices will be matched by the system, and for exhibitors it will also mean more opportunities to do business during show time.
With so much interest on technology, what can hosted buyers and visitors look forward to at the technology education sessions this year?
Asides from the Future Events Experience, EIBTM will be running a number of Technology Education sessions. The famous Technology Hour will take place everyday in the Lecture Theatre on the show floor and topics will highlight what’s relevant and what impacts this industry today and tomorrow. From social media and mobile technology to iPads and tablets, there will be a range of debates and discussions.
This year we received record-breaking levels of entries this year for the EIBTM Technology Watch awards. The EIBTM Technology Watch is the most high profile and longest running technology recognition scheme for innovation in the meetings and events industry. The programme is dedicated to creating a platform for companies to demonstrate new and innovative technology solutions that make a real difference to the meeting and event planner’s business.
ITN International will present their winning product during EIBTM 2011 on November 30 at 1430 followed by a Networking Drinks Reception.
What, in your opinion, is the current state of the meetings & incentives sector? What are the trends that we can expect to see, in the year ahead?
At the heart of EIBTM is our annual trends report. During last year’s show, Rob Davidson who presents the annual EIBTM Global Industry Trends and Market Share Report said of the industry this year: “the vast majority of indicators for the meetings and events industry point to improved business conditions in 2011.”
MPI’s 2011 FutureWatch has reported that Technology has finally gone mainstream in the meeting industry. Meeting professionals are acknowledging opportunities such as online meetings as a positive, although they maintain that face-to-face meetings are better for forming long lasting relationships. It also suggested that meeting professionals will find that in presenting the value of their events to company leaders, board trustees and stockholders, they better understand their own roles within organizations and better prepare for the future of meetings and events.
EIBTM 2011 takes place from November 29 to December 1, 2011, in Barcelona, Spain.