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| InterContinental London O2 |
The Global European Marketplace (GEM) is moving to the InterContinental London O2 on November 4th, a relocation which will allow more tour operators and European tourism suppliers to attend than ever before.
GEM is ETOA - the European tourism association’s headline B2B workshop, offering efficient schedules of business meetings to those buying and selling Europe as a destination.
The huge 3,100sqm pillar-free ballroom offered by the InterContinental property - an un-paralleled space offered by a London hotel, will provide an environment in which stress-free and productive business meetings can take place.
2016 registrations of international and intra-European tour operators who are set to meet with tourism suppliers from across Europe are already up 10% compared to last year, ahead of a registration push after the summer holidays. Buyers include online activities hub and TripAdvisor brand Viator, small group specialists Rick Steves’ and the long haul Flight Centre, alongside other major worldwide intermediaries.
With over two months still to go the scope of registered suppliers already spans east to west from St Petersburg to Reykjavik and from Helsinki to Granada.
Robyn Stencil from Rick Steves' Europe said: "GEM is a great way to kick of WTM week and offers a great variety of networking, new contacts, and latest information on the world of European travel."
Trevor Bond from Leaf Hotels described GEM: “It is the one tourism event in the year that one cannot afford to miss.”
GEM’s move to the Greenwich Peninsula brings the focus of the international travel trade to East London in November with WTM London taking place just over the river at the ExCel exhibition centre the following Monday.
Viola Ncube – Director of Sales & Marketing / From InterContinental London – the O2 said: “We are thrilled to be the host venue for such a prestigious travel trade event. The buyer delegates attending GEM include such a large potential pool of new customers and being the venue for the workshop, we are in a great position to showcase our unique facilities including the Sky Bar to major inbound operators along with the scale, luxury and ease of access around London”
Barrie Kelly, CEO of Visit Greenwich said: “We are very excited that GEM is coming to Greenwich. Now that we have the luxury InterContinental London - The O2, we are able to attract events of this importance to our destination.”
Tom Jenkins, CEO of ETOA said: “We are delighted that the success of GEM is such that ETOA must now seek out new venues in order to accommodate the amount of business that is taking place within the network. The format of ETOA’s B2B workshops ensures an intense yet serendipitous way of making new business.”
About ETOA
ETOA is the leading trade association for tour operators and suppliers with business in European destinations. Over 800 members contribute more than €12bn of business within Europe and include tour and online operators, intermediaries and wholesalers; European tourist boards, hotels, attractions and other tourism suppliers. www.etoa.org
For more information about Global European Marketplace 2016, please go towww.etoa.org/gem
