The Business Travel Show is celebrating another record breaking year with a 4 per cent increase in visitor numbers. 7,730 visitors attended this year’s event, up from 7,424 in 2015. 267 companies exhibited in 2016, compared to 252 last year. This is a rise of 6 per cent and included 96 first timers. More than 70 per cent of exhibitors booked their stand for 2017 during this year’s event.
398 hosted buyers attended the event from all over Europe – an increase of 12 per cent on 2015. Together they took part in 3224 pre-arranged appointments at the show and a further 579 connections were made between buyers and suppliers for post-show meetings.
The Business Travel Show – Europe’s leading event for the corporate travel industry – took place at Olympia Grand in London last week. 2016 marked its 22nd anniversary and it will return to Olympia on 22-23 February 2017.
Exhibitors included American Airlines, American Express Global Business Travel, Egencia, Uber, Amadeus, easyJet, Etihad, Virgin Trains, Portman Travel, Priority Pass, Premier Inn, Capita, FCm Travel Solutions, Flybe, Gett, Hailo, HRG, Mastercard, Star Alliance, Avis, Eurostar and Booking.com. 2016 was also the first time all five of the leading car rental companies will attend the show together: Avis, Hertz, Enterprise Rent a Car, Sixt and Europcar.
Organisers introduced the new Launchpad – a spotlight on innovative start ups – and the Business Travel Show Disrupt Awards, which were won by DUFL, the travel app that stores, cleans, packs and ships business travellers’ clothes and accessories to a specified destination.
All of the show’s feature areas sold out including the Launchpad, International Hotel Village, Airline Pavilion, GTMC Pavilion, Responsible Travel Management Zone, ASAP Pavilion of Serviced Apartment Providers and Business Travel Technology Showcase.
David Chapple, Business Travel Show director, said: “We are thrilled with the success of this year’s Business Travel Show particularly given we were following in the footsteps of 2015 when visitor numbers soared by 16 per cent year on year. To achieve a subsequent increase in visitor and exhibitor numbers is outstanding and testament to the continued investment Centaur Live makes into this show year after year to ensure it remains the number one event for the business travel industry in Europe.”
“The event is phenomenal. Networking with peers has been great and sessions good too. It’s really useful to have arranged meeting slots and the suppliers were all prepared, so the meetings were exceptionally useful. It is my first time here and I would certainly return,” said buyer Natalia Pogodina, Lenta LLC.
First time exhibitor Daniel Layton, Veeve, says: “I'd like to thank Centaur Live for a brilliant Business Travel Show. Not only was it incredibly insightful to be part of a distinguished panel discussing the positive impact of the sharing economy, but it's proven a great platform to talk about our services and how they differ from other accommodation models within the corporate sector."
Regular exhibitor Jill Palmer, managing director, Click Travel says: "It's been another hugely successful show for us this year at the Business Travel Show. We've spoken to existing and potential customers, given a glimpse into the future of business travel technology in our Innovations Lab and overall had a really productive show. A big thank you to the whole BT Show team."
