IBTM World 2018, leading global event for the meetings, incentives, conferences and events, closed having broken records both for the number of pre-scheduled meetings and across its Hosted Buyer programme. Over 77,650 pre-scheduled business meetings took place over the three-day event, with exhibitors and event planners reporting extremely positively on both the quantity and quality of meetings taking place. This year exhibitors from 150 countries attended, including some major names taking stands for the first time. 54 per cent of Hosted Buyers were participating in the programme for the first time this year - up 20 per cent on 2017. 50 per cent of Hosted Buyers were completely new to the IBTM portfolio, an increase of 16 per cent year-on-year.
Commenting on her experience at this year’s event, Nelly Mukazayire, Chief Executive Officer, Rwanda Convention Bureau, commented: “IBTM World has been really successful. This is our fourth year here; we started four years ago with a booth of 9sqm and with two partners, but now we have 56sqm, with 10 partners. This year we’ve had brilliant meetings and appointments and have got several tangible leads for meetings, incentives, conventions and events in Rwanda.”
Kyle Gittens, Business Development Officer, Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc., said: “This is our first year at IBTM World and it has been an amazing success so far. We’ve had a series of great meetings over the last three days and some really good leads, so we’re looking forward to the business that is going to come as a result of IBTM World. I definitely recommend taking part in 2019.”
Hosted Buyers were equally positive: Grace Ng, Executive Director, of Powell Consultants, said: “IBTM World is a one stop shop – the place to do business with a great mix of exhibitors from across the globe. I can do here in three days what would usually take me three months.”
As well as welcoming back many long-standing exhibitors, new exhibitors this year included Tourism Promotions Board Philippines, Macau Trade and Investment Institute, Rosewood Hong Kong, Plus DMC, Regal Hotels International, San Francisco Travel Association, SIXT GmbH & Co, Global Passenger Network, Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc, Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism, Development Hong Kong Tourism, Alternative Athens, Tourism New Zealand, Standard Hotels and creative technology company Codemodeon.
IBTM World 2019 takes places from November 19-21, 2019 at Fira Gran Via in Barcelona.