EIBTM continues to leave its mark

EIBTM, the leading global event for the meetings and events industry, is expecting to significantly exceed the 17,300 appointments that took place at EIBTM 2013 within one of the busiest areas of the exhibition, The Global Village. The Global Village is the platform for those looking to build meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions business globally and is increasingly popular for international brands to meet with those seeking to secure global business contracts as well as expand their reach regionally.

In 2013, the EIBTM Global Village welcomed over 780 companies, 53 per cent of which were hotels, 42 per cent destination management companies and the remainder comprising cruise lines and airline alliances. Of the 65,000 meetings facilitated by EIBTM 2013 overall, over 17,300 appointments were pre-scheduled between exhibitors and hosted buyers in the Global Village.

TTN interviewed Graeme Barnett, senior exhibition director, Reed Travel Exhibitions, EIBTM, for other details from the November 18-20 event scheduled to take place in Barcelona, Spain, this year.

Can you tell us about the My Association, My Club initiative?

My Association | My Club (www.eibtm.com/myclub) is the new hosted buyer initiative for association meeting planners. Developed following consultation with a wide range of association meeting planners, we have unveiled a unique programme that allows more flexibility for every attending association buyer.  We are offering individuals the option to create their own agenda, including time to network with their peers and to choose the education sessions that suit their business and career needs from the Knowledge Programme available over the three days of the show. More information can be found on www.eibtm.com/myclub.

In addition to a personalised and flexible schedule, additional benefits will include a diary of appointments with a choice from over 3,000 international exhibitors, dedicated networking options, including the ICCA Personal Connections event and the dedicated Association Club Lounge where members can connect with contacts as well as enjoy refreshments and lunch.

Who are the speakers on this year’s educational programme?

This year we have several themes for the Knowledge Programme and they include:

MEETINGS DESIGN

Supported by some of the world’s leading academic research on the subject, presentations will be delivered by speakers from Holland, Belgium, Norway, Italy, Germany and Spain. 

Whilst the subject of meetings design is current, we are bringing the Fresh Conference to the stage at EIBTM with topics covering participant engagement and interaction, exploring meeting formats, meeting design, technology innovation and best practice. The emphasis will be on giving meeting planners ideas, inspiration and the tools to elevate their meetings and keep up with future trends.

TRENDS, RESEARCH AND INSIGHT

Our second theme involves “getting under the skin of the meetings industry from a research perspective”. This year EIBTM will bring together research that will give the industry an insight into trends as we head towards 2020. Rob Davidsons’s annual Trend Watch Report will once again be a highlight for 2014. This report really consolidates a year of global insights and looks at the impact of what this year has delivered on trends for the future and specifically 2015 and the exclusive EMEA launch of the American Express Meetings and Events Global Forecast 2015 will also be presented at the show. This leading research will certainly provide some great insights into the current state of play as well as the future of the meetings industry.

KNOWLEDGE SESSIONS FOR ALL

The Knowledge Programme will for the first time include education sessions designed to appeal to our exhibitors as well as our Hosted Buyers and Trade Visitors and ‘Neuromarketing for the Event Industry’ presented by Wenda Kielstra, CEO of Consumatics, is one of the sessions, where Wenda will share her experiences and show how neuromarketing and subconscious behaviour can apply in the events and hospitality industry. 

TECHNOLOGY HOURS

Developments in technology will also be highlighted with the daily Tech Hour presentations with a focus on the latest trends and technologies of the industry. We expect technology to continue to shape the industry in the future, and EIBTM intends to be the showcase for where it will take us all.

As the Knowledge Programme develops further details will be available on www.eibtm.com

What can exhibitors and hosted buyers expect at EIBTM 2014?

First of all, one of the big attractions of EIBTM and a reason to attend is that it takes place in one of Europe’s greatest cities, Barcelona, and for sure there is always something new to see and do in this exciting destination, so it’s worth planning ahead in case you want to arrive early or stay on for a few days after the show and make the most of the trip to Spain.

We have lots to tell our exhibitors and visitors from the Middle East about this year’s event. Currently hosted buyers accepted onto the programme will be making selections for the exhibitors they’d like to meet with and for the first time, exhibitors will also be able to self-select their own appointment preferences and request meetings with hosted buyers. 

We have also introduced a new feature within our diary system, allowing hosted buyers to add a short profile and additional details about themselves and their business including what business they are looking to place at EIBTM to enable exhibitors to better plan for their meetings and make them as relevant as possible.

Our hosted buyer community from the Middle East can also benefit from lots of new initiatives as well as from the wide variety of products and services for Buyers to see and experience, represented by some 3,000 truly global exhibitors. This year, the EIBTM Knowledge Programme has been themed to appeal to everyone attending the show and is presented by influential, dynamic and expert speakers offering attendees insights and advice that will enhance their education, career and business development.

In addition to the Knowledge Programme are a large number of networking and informational events taking place throughout the show, which both our exhibitors and hosted buyers can enjoy. Events such as our official welcome party, the EIBTM Club Night and Networking Hour are open to all to attend as well as a large number of dedicated networking events that are tailored for a range of EIBTM attendees, such as the ICCA Personal Connections event for association meeting planners and the invite-only Meetings Leadership Summit where industry leaders can connect, engage, share and enjoy a gala evening with an inspiring line-up of speakers and visionaries.

But it’s not all about business and we believe a crucial part of the time spent at EIBTM must be given to some social downtime and once again there will be events and receptions over the course of the three days of business when time can be spent with friends and colleagues.