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Barcelona: global eventprofs’
comeback opportunity
A LOOK AHEAD AT WHAT IS
IN STORE AT IBTM WORLD 2020
ith MICE industry
tradeshows, alongside
numerous other major
conferences and
exhibitions, being forced to cancel or
postpone this year, international
eventprofs’ eyes are moving to what
could be the industry’s last stand for
2020, IBTM World. The Reed Travel
Exhibitions (RTE) show is still holding
out for its 1-3 December dates in
Barcelona, bolstered no doubt by the
recent announcement that venue Fira
Gran Via, Barcelona will be reopening
for events from September 2020.
Hosted buyer registration went live on
7 July and the organiser’s business
development team claims a strong
pipeline of event planners are ready to
participate this year.
IBTM World executive director
David Thompson tells CMW: “Given
that guidelines and restrictions are likely
to continue to change in the run up to
IBTM World, we are working on
different scenarios and are in the process
of finalising details. We always match
exhibitors with hosted buyers on a 1:1
ratio and we don’t anticipate this
changing. Based on current guidelines
our capacity in the hall is good, but
obviously we are looking at access points
and traffic flows to ensure safe passage
in, out and around halls. Fira de
Barcelona has announced the safety and
hygiene measures it has put in place and
we’ll be continuing to work with them
and BCB in the lead up to the event.
More information will be released in due
course.
“Obviously, current restrictions are
preventing much travel, but as we know,
this can change on an almost weekly
basis so we are confident that from
September onwards we will be able to
travel again. As a result, we are
constantly monitoring all our source
markets and may change the buyer mix
slightly as different markets open up.
“This year is unusual for all of us, but I
think the whole business events industry
is behind wanting to return to our ‘new’
normal. Meetings and events are a key
driver in the economic recovery in most
countries so what we see is encouraging
and we will be adapting throughout the
year to the constantly changing
circumstances.”
As well as mutually matched
one-to-one business meetings, a broad
education programme and the return of
last year’s IBTM Accelerate zone, RTE
is promising new features for 2020.
These includes the Inspire stage, which
will host skill-focused sessions targeted
to association, corporate and agency
event planners.
IBTM’s Event Business Accelerator
(EBA) programme, launched in 2019,
will again give those with an idea,
product or service related to the events
industry the opportunity to participate in
an intensive mentoring programme,
culminating in a live pitch for funding to
a panel of potential investors.
Applications close on 31 August with the
finalists announced mid-September.
Selected finalists will participate in an
intensive mentoring programme of
workshops, webinars and one-to-one
Above: David
Thompson, ED IBTM
sessions with a team of industry experts
as they develop and scale their ideas and
businesses ahead of the live pitch.
This year’s mentors are Richard John,
chief operating officer of Realise, a
specialist events services and training
agency; Giorgia Sanfiori, executive and
team coach; Viona Terleth, a MICE
business and personal development
expert; serial entrepreneur Majbritt
Sandberg and Ingrid Rip, a certified
event designer and trainer.
The panel includes David Preston,
CEO of Realise; Mark Riches, Advisor,
NED and SME Investor and Jason Allen
Scott, entrepreneur and keynote speaker.
IBTM also welcomes back MPI’s head of
meeting innovation, Lori Pugh Marcum,
instrumental in co-creating the EBA
programme.
Exceptional Experiences
alongside IBTM World
The first speakers have been
announced for Exceptional
Experiences, a new two-day
conference dedicated to experiential
marketing and brand experience. It
is supported by ILEA and will take
place, 2-3 December, alongside
IBTM World.
A speaker roster of 21 industry
experts that so far includes: Guy
Lomas, head of global experience
marketing, Philips; Cesar Alvarez,
VP brand experience, Luxury and
Lifestyle, Melia Hotels; Jeanette
Asteborg, marketing director,
Volkswagen Group; and Kenny
Hyslop, head of experiential
marketing from Pernod Ricard.
The first keynote speaker to be
confirmed is Timo Kiuru, global
creative director, The Unthinkable,
who will deliver a session on ‘why
experiential matters for marketers
– more than ever and what’s next’.
Timo has worked with brand,
including Samsung, McLaren,
Microsoft, Mini and Nokia.
ISSUE 107 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / 45