World
Travel Market London 2016, the leading global event for the travel industry,
will be revamped as a three-day event following exhibitor and visitor feedback
and an unprecedented period of growth.
WTM
London 2016 will take place between Monday 7 to Wednesday 9 November with the
opening hours extended from 10am to 7pm for all three days, giving exhibitors
and visitors extra time to negotiate and agree business deals, while reducing
the ancillary costs of exhibiting.
Over
the past five years WTM London visitor numbers have grown by 20% to 32,528,
with buyer numbers from the WTM Buyers’ Club over the past three events
increasing by 16% to 9,124, meaning a three-day WTM will give exhibitors the
opportunity to see more people over a shorter time span.
Total
participant numbers for WTM London 2014 hit a record 51,500, with the event
generating a massive £2.5 billion in industry business deals.
The
new and improved WTM London 2016 will see more content moved on to the
exhibition floor further increasing networking opportunities between
exhibitors, buyers, visitors and media. The WTM International Press Centre
moves from the Platinum Suites on to the exhibition floor to increase the
networking opportunities between exhibitors and the almost 3,000 international
media in attendance.
Furthermore,
a new amphitheatre seating up to 300 delegates will join the Global Stage on
the exhibition floor, meaning the majority of the thought leadership sessions will be adjacent to the exhibition
pavilions and stands . Last year the Events Programme had an attendance of
17,036 including 8,829 unique delegates.
The
hugely popular UNWTO & WTM Ministers’ Summit will take place on Wednesday 9
November, with the WTM World Responsible Tourism Day – the largest day of
responsible tourism action in the world – taking place on Tuesday 8 November.
Moving
the UNWTO & WTM Ministers’ Summit to the Wednesday gives the ministers the opportunity
to attend the WTM Festivals that evening – the end of event celebrations across
the exhibition floor which will close the WTM London 2016. This will enhance
their networking opportunities with both the private and public sector.
WTM
London will continue to kick off will the phenomenally successful WTM Speed
Networking on the Monday, before the exhibition opens, alongside a further
event on the Wednesday. In total more than 1,436 exhibitor personnel meet with
303 of the industry’s most important buyers across the two speed networking
sessions at WTM London 2015. The final day of WTM will also host the WTM
Bloggers’ Speed Networking, which saw 70 bloggers have meetings with 236
exhibitors.
WTM
London 2016’s move to a three-day event follows post 2014 event research which
for the first time showed exhibitors and visitors would prefer a three day
World Travel Market London.
Post
WTM London event research always includes questions regarding the duration of
World Travel Market London. Previous research has always shown exhibitors have
been split between a three and four-day event.
However,
post WTM London 2014 research saw a swing towards WTM being a three day event.
The research also revealed exhibitors comprehensively prefer the event to be across
the days of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
WTM
London, Senior Director, Simon Press said: “World Travel Market London’s move
to a three day event will further cement its place as the leading global event
for the travel industry and the event where the travel industry conducts its
business.
“For
the first time exhibitor and visitor opinion has requested that WTM London is a
three day event. Reed Travel Exhibitions has listened to its audience and responded with an event that is exactly
what they have asked for, ensuring it remains relevant to the industry’s
business needs.”
“This
decision has been made during a period of record growth for the World Travel
Market London, with overall participant numbers at a record high of 51,500,
visitor numbers peaking at more than 32,000 and buyer numbers from the WTM
Buyers Club at more than 9,100. These record numbers sees the event facilitate
more than £2.5 billion in industry deals.
“WTM
London will continue to offer unrivalled networking and business opportunities.
From 2016 exhibitors will be able to meet an even greater number of industry
executives conducting even more business over a short space of time, while
reducing the ancillary cost of exhibiting.”
