This year’s education programme at GIBTM is set to raise the bar with the announcement of eight confirmed sessions run by top speakers from around the globe. The sessions will take place over three days at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) from the 28th to 30th March.
GIBTM is the leading event in the Middle East for the rapidly developing Middle Eastern meetings, events, incentive and business travel market. The exhibition successfully attracts international and regional decision makers and influencers who hold regular meetings and events along with over 250 leading industry suppliers, for a combination of networking, business opportunities and professional education.
All education sessions at GIBTM are free to attend for Trade Visitors, Exhibitors, and individuals taking part in the GIBTM Hosted Buyer Programme. The sessions will be held in a dedicated seminar theatre on the show floor.
The Education programme kicks off with the launch of the 2011 Middle East Meetings Industry Research. Sally Greenhill from The Right Solution and Rob Nicolas of Meetme will be presenting the latest research conducted by GIBTM into the Middle Eastern MICE market. Last year’s analysis revealed interesting transitions in the market place and insight into how these changes could be utilised positively, how has the industry developed in the past 12 months?
The opening day of GIBTM also brings Rebecca Saunders of Sustainable Events to its visitors. Rebecca will be talking about the business case for Implementing Sustainability Initiatives in an interactive workshop which will provide an overview of practical sustainability initiatives that can be implemented to enhance organisational efficiency.
Day 2 of GIBTM begins with a session by Joyce Dogniez, Director of Development at Meeting Professionals International who will be examining the Business Value of Meetings and Events. Using research sources from Harvard Business Review, Oxford Economics, Forbes, MPI and other sources, Joyce will make the business case for the profitability of face-to-face gatherings through meetings, incentives and events.
In line with the ever evolving demand to understand and develop new communication and marketing strategies – John Quinn of Satellite Communications will present us with five crucial Social Media Tips which will enhance audience engagement. He will look at several applications available today that allow us to incorporate rich media into presentations.
Other events for the second day include what promises to be a lively Panel Debate focusing on ‘What is happening in the World of Meetings’ and a session on sustainability reporting, how to start monitoring and measuring the impact of an event.
The final day of GIBTM 2011 brings us Brian Ludwig, Vice President of Cvent. Brian will look at Strategic Meetings Management including the way in which purchasing policies for standardised meetings can save organizations between 10 and 20 percent in related costs.
Lloyd Kenyon, Exhibition Manager of GIBTM, comments “GIBTM has firmly established itself as the knowledge hub of the MICE industry in the region. Delivering best professional education is key to the event’s success, with the main aim to provide attendees with leading industry insight which will help them pioneer within their industry field, this year’s programme will do just that”.
Following the successful pilot last year at EIBTM in Barcelona, all educational seminars over the three days of the show were evaluated using MeetingMetrics’ online survey and reporting tools – a global agreement has been signed between GIBTM’s organisers, Reed Travel Exhibitions, and MeetingMetrics.
After each education session at GIBTM 2011, participant’s feedback will be collected and analysed. This is part of an ongoing commitment to ensure GIBTM is continually improving and evolving to meet industry requirements.
The full education programme can be viewed online at www.gibtm.com/education – seats are allocated on a first come first served basis.
