Global meetings show breaks all records

This year’s EIBTM was confirmed by Paul Kennedy, group exhibition director at Reed Travel Exhibitions Meetings and Incentive Events as the “biggest ever”.
 
He announced that unaudited figures showed that the event attracted a record number of hosted buyers – 3,711 up (12%) on the previous year. What’s more, 51,000 pre-scheduled meetings were organised over the three-day event – up over 11,000 on 2007, while total attendance is expected to top the 8,000 mark, up 6%, when officially confirmed.
 
“The record figures show not only how resilient the meetings market is in challenging times, but the reputation EIBTM has as the place to do business,” said Kennedy. “It certainly seemed that more actual business was being transacted on the show floor than ever before.”
 
Commenting on the impressive attendance by hosted buyers, he added: “We welcomed our largest ever gathering from as far afield as Australia, China, India, Thailand and the Americas, and from an exhibitor perspective, we are already receiving requests for space for next year.”
 
Exhibitor feedback was understandably strong.
 
“We had 290 pre-scheduled appointments in three days,” said Peter Bull of Saleslink Marketing Portugal. “We haven’t stopped. On Wednesday we had 14 signed specific group enquiries.”
 
Meanwhile, Tereza Zarogianni of Eventit Greece, said :“It’s been fantastic business – no recession here.”

EIBTM 2009 will take place again in Barcelona from 1-3 December 2009. For more information visit www.eibtm.com