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A PREVAILING INDUSTRY IBTM World Barcelona was the first in-person event from the IBTM portfolio to take place in two years. Meetings delivers insights.
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ased on the impressive engagement statistics coming out of IBTM World Barcelona, the show was a major success. Taking place between 30 November and 2 December 2021 in Barcelona, Spain, IBTM World closed with more than 7 000 attendees participating in 30 000 prescheduled one-on-one business meetings. The proof of the pudding was in the meetings satisfaction score, which averaged 4.7 out of 5 for the three-day event. According to a press release from the organisers of the event, feedback from delegates noted “the quality of their meetings and their optimism for the future”. With more than 1 200 exhibiting companies across 70 countries attending the show, IBTM World also welcomed new exhibitors that included Manchester City Football Club, the Sardinia Convention Bureau, and The Celtic Collection. IBTM World was also attended by 1 400 hosted buyers from 72 countries. With close to 50% being newcomers, there were plenty of networking opportunities, with fresh business prospects for exhibitors.
NEW AND DIFFERENT In an all-time first for IBTM World, the show’s Association Programme was supported by a key collaboration between regional organisations for association professionals. These were the African Society of Association Executives (AfSAE), American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), Asia-Pacific Federation of Association Organizations (APFAO), European Society of Association
Executives (ESAE), and International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA). The Association Programme was centred on three themes – exchange, inspire and solve – which, according to organisers, were designed to “spark fresh ideas, encourage peer-to-peer learning and sharing of best practice, and deliver tangible solutions to real issues facing the associations and events sector.” The main overarching theme during IBTM World was ‘New Business, New Tech, New World’, with four topical themes: trends and technology; gamification and engagement; the future of event planning; and career and personal development. These sessions were
Digitalisation has been accelerated enormously since the Covid outbreak. Lockdowns and social distancing forced end-consumers and producers to make use of online channels to keep their operations alive. On the one hand, this rapid transformation has had heterogeneous effects on different sectors. While the food and beverage industry’s online consumption increased by 34%, travel services declined by 44%. On the other hand, consumer awareness and user experience have increased their influence on online purchasing behaviour.” – Alba del Villar Olano, entrepreneur and keynote speaker at IBTM World
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