ibtm america 2016, taking place from June 15-17 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee, is gearing up to deliver meaningful business opportunities to European meetings and events suppliers attending with a strong number of Hosted Buyers having specified a direct interest in placing business in the region.
Jaime McAuley, Event Director, ibtm america, commented, “Europe is always ranked as a popular destination for meetings and events amongst the mix of Agency, Corporate, and Association Hosted Buyers that attend ibtm america. This year, 81% of Hosted Buyers registered so far are looking to place business internationally, and among those buyers, more than half have indicated an interest in placing business in Europe.”
Among those registered Hosted Buyers, the most popular European destination is Spain, followed by Germany, UK & Ireland, France, Italy, Switzerland, Croatia, Belgium, Greece, and the Netherlands.
McAuley commented, “Europe’s advanced infrastructure, quality and range of services available to international planners, well-organised and convenient transportation services, rich culture and variety of historic attractions for international travelers, particularly those travelling from the US, are all factors that play into its popularity. Additionally, when it comes to planning international association meetings, European cities continue to dominate.”
Ground transportation management, attractions and entertainment, restaurant and catering services, and specialist interest tours are particularly popular among Hosted Buyers looking to place business within Europe.
Carola Sesena, Consul of Tourism Affairs (Embassy of Spain) and Director of the Tourist Office of Spain in Chicago, who will attend ibtm america 2016 as an exhibitor commented, “We’ve been attending ibtm america for many years. We have seen the event evolve over the years, and feel that it meets our business objectives because it gives our office, as well as other Spanish destinations coming together with us (suppliers from Spain) the chance to meet face-to-face with buyers, cultivate relationships and reconnect with previously-made contacts. We loved the new-and-improved format last year, incorporating the pods, because the pods make for a private, office-like atmosphere, and suppliers and buyers get the chance to have peaceful and meaningful business conversations.”
McAuley commented, “Being part of the biggest global organiser of trade shows for the meetings and events industry means we are able to tap into a worldwide database of buyers as our portfolio unites international and regional communities from five continents around the world. And, this year, our unique 100% mutual match process is set to create compatible business appointments between buyers and suppliers, eliminating non-relevant meetings and ensuring that attendees are only spending time with the business leads they identify.”
