With just two weeks to go, EIBTM 2010 (www.eibtm.com), taking place from 30 November – 2 December in Barcelona, is set to deliver dozens of new initiatives to maximise business for both suppliers and buyers.
This year, there will be more than 35 new exhibitors, from destinations to hotel companies, venue services to conference organisers. In addition, eight companies that did not exhibit in 2009 are returning this year, and over 48 exhibitors have increased their stand size to accommodate more partners, wider product ranges and greater choice for the event’s Hosted Buyers and Trade Visitors.
Professional Education Initiatives
EIBTM’s cutting edge professional Education Programme comprises a comprehensive and diverse series of seminars, workshops and conferences, addressing the latest issues and meetings industry hot topics, which underlines the event’s commitment to raising industry standards and encouraging learning and development. All sessions in the EIBTM Education Programme are CMP accredited, increasing personal development and allowing delegates to earn CEU (Continuing Education Units) points.
This year, over 50 sessions are available, covering subjects such as Women in Business, Brand Development, Focus on China, Bringing your Meetings to America, and a special look at South Africa post the FIFA World Cup. As usual, there will be specific Association, Corporate and Agency programmes available to all Hosted Buyers.
A new 150 seat Lecture Theatre has been built on the show floor to enable visitors to “drop in” to the Technology Hour sessions, the Spanish Seminars, and also attend the presentation of the annual Industry Trends Report – the familiar annual research presentation by Rob Davidson that takes place on Day One (repeated on Day 3). This year, the report also includes a unique piece of up-to-date research undertaken with meeting planners, national and city CVB’s.
Sustainability Initiatives
Sustainability is top of the agenda and EIBTM is leading the way in the industry with its CSR programme and BS8901 accreditation. A new feature of the show, the Green Room, incorporates an entire day of seminars focusing on sustainability with nine dedicated sessions, taking place on Wednesday 1st December. There is also a stand made entirely of 100% recycled cardboard, a scheme to incentivise exhibitors, and the EIBTM Green Team will be available at the close of the show to help recycle unwanted items left behind by exhibitors. All donations will go to the Catalan Federation of Volunteers, to benefit 285 local charitable groups.
CEO Summit, new independent Chair
Created in 2005 to bring together C level industry leaders, the EIBTM CEO Summit will deliver a new format this year in order to become a global meetings industry thought leadership group. Designed to discuss major issues and challenges affecting the industry, the CEO Summit will now benefit from the appointment of industry professional, Jeremy Garbett, as the new independent Chair. This appointment is part of a re-engineering of the CEO Summit, which will look to widen its global membership and provide a valuable resource for not only the RTE portfolio of events, but also to harness issues and debate within the industry on a year-round basis. This year, three top international speakers will present topics covering the Global Economy, the Power of Live Events, and the Impact of Social Media.
Meetings and Events
Because of the stature of EIBTM, many companies and associations choose to hold their annual events around the show. This includes the first Project Meeting Architecture Board Meeting (EIBTM recently became a Gold Sponsor of Meeting Architecture 2011 Project), as well as the GMIC Board meeting, GNET Board Meeting, Congrex Client Forum and JMIC Board Meeting.
The EIBTM Stand Awards will be introduced for the first time, where a panel of judges and the Hosted Buyer community will judge exhibitor stands on eight categories, focussing on design, business, personnel, features, attractions, technology, sustainability, and the environment. The awards will take place on Wednesday 1st December.
Technology – new initiatives
Developments have been made around the Hosted Buyer appointments system, fundamental to the success of EIBTM, with a new online Rating Tool. The tool will allow exhibitors to rate the business potential of each pre-scheduled appointment online at www.eibtm.com as they happen.
Graeme Barnett, EIBTM Event Director comments: “The information will help us to gain a better understanding of how an exhibitor views value and quality (in terms of buyers and appointments). Equally, it will help to identify potential trends so that we can make changes and develop further ROI for exhibitors and buyers, ultimately creating an even more valuable EIBTM. This is an important and valuable tool in helping us make continuous refinements and deliver further value to our customers”.
EIBTM is extending its reach via TV and new online initiatives. The introduction of EIBTM TV will take the event to a multi-channel platform, expected to reach a community of 14,000 industry professionals in Barcelona. EIBTM TV will broadcast from a studio hub via a network of highly visible screens on the show floor throughout the event. EIBTM TV will capture keynote interviews with industry speakers, flagship educational sessions, and a news ticker service via the Show Daily team from Eventoplus, together with TV advertising intermixed throughout the daily schedule.
Extending EIBTM to a 365-day-a-year product once the show closes, EIBTM TV will go online at www.eibtm.com, providing the industry with a source of information throughout the year.
The new EIBTM online community, Connect@EIBTM will enable connections to be made even before the event for all pre-registered visitors, through a business led social networking site. A closed online community has also been created for the CEO delegation to connect.
Graeme Barnett, EIBTM Event Director, comments: “With over 100 events taking place during EIBTM week, including officially scheduled EIBTM events and others organised by EIBTM partners and associations, our aim is to provide inspiration and a platform to maximise the business potential for all show attendees. As the forum for industry events, EIBTM has a packed programme that also includes a range of networking events aimed at helping buyers and suppliers drive business and make the most of their time at the show.”
For further information about these new and inspiring highlights and other show features, please visit www.eibtm.com. Attendance to the event is free for all pre-registered attendees at www.eibtm.com/register.
