New technology to enhance relevance of appointments
All Hosted Buyers attending ibtm world 2016 (www.ibtmworld.com) will, for the first time, be able to take part in a matchmaking system that will provide tailored recommendations of suppliers that they could meet with, based on information provided about their business objectives at the time of registration.
This matchmaking service, a further enhancement to the already established appointment model, was trialled with Corporate Hosted Buyers for the 2015 edition and resulted in new meetings that had not been considered prior to receiving personalised recommendations.
Graeme Barnett, Senior Exhibition Director, ibtm world commented; “Similar to systems used in online retail, we are looking at the needs of our Hosted Buyers and exhibitors and seeing where we can deliver additional value. By providing in-depth information about the events they are looking to source for at ibtm world, we can then through the use of technology, review the exhibitors’ profiles and determine who is the most relevant match. A series of recommendations will then be sent, saving planners’ time and improving the chances of a productive meeting for both Hosted Buyers and exhibitors.”
Barnett added, “For those recommendations provided in 2015, exhibitors that matched the product and geographical profiles were three times more likely to be matched with an appointment with that buyer, which shows the enormous power of what we are able to offer. We believe this to be the first of its kind in trade shows in the world in this sector, so we are delighted to be rolling it out fully in Barcelona this year.”
Barnett concluded, “Post show research highlighted that 75% of buyers who took part in the pilot received recommendations on companies and products they had not originally considered. Additionally, over 80% of Corporate Hosted Buyers found the recommendations added value to their show experience and we are really excited to make this available to all Hosted Buyers in 2016.”
To find out more about the Hosted Buyer Programme or to find out more about exhibiting at ibtm world visit www.ibtmworld.com
