SAVE | EMAIL | PRINT | MOST POPULAR |  RSS | | REPRINT
|
AIBTM Heads Discusses Forthcoming Incentive and Meetings Show’s Goals
October 08, 2009
By Leo Jakobson
Reed Travel Exhibitions announced last week that the inaugural Americas Incentive, Business Travel & Meetings (AIBTM) exhibition will be held on June 21-23, 2011, in Baltimore. The show will feature the hosted buyer format that has been so successful in Barcelona’s long-running EIBTM, as well as for its main competitor, Frankfurt’s IMEX-The Worldwide Exhibition for Incentive Travel, Meetings, and Events. AIBTM was pushed from its originally planned 2010 debut by the economic crisis.
Incentive asked Vanessa Cotton, chair of Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE) Meetings and Incentive Events, about the new show and its goals and why Baltimore? Excerpts of that interview follow.
Incentive: What are Reed Travel Exhibitions’ goals for AIBTM?
Vanessa Cotton: To establish an event that research shows is wanted in the U.S., that enables the incentives and meetings industry to come together for best business and networking opportunities and best professional education, and to establish AIBTM as the industry’s major annual event in the U.S.
Incentive: Which regions will the show cover?
Cotton: This is very much a tailor-made event targeted at the Americas—the eastern United States corridor, the rest of the U.S., Latin America, South America, Canada, and the Caribbean—as well as countries further afield. It is not just a replication of RTE’s other established shows. AIBTM has been created to suit the needs of the Americas market.
Incentive: Who will the show target as hosted buyers? Do you have a rough guideline of expected numbers?
Cotton: We are looking to attract meeting planners with a wide range of domestic and/or international basis. Those with high-value and/or international events will be accredited as VIP or hosted buyers, and we are expecting a total of 600 in this category—of which 100 will come from outside America. In addition, we expect a total of 2,000 trade visitors, which will be made up largely of U.S.-based meeting planners with domestic interstate business.
From an exhibitor perspective, we aim to attract 325 exhibitors including sharers, with a ratio of 50 percent domestic and 50 percent international. These suppliers will benefit from a total of 4,800 prescheduled appointments between exhibitors and buyers—a similar ratio to that at EIBTM, RTE’s flagship meetings and incentives show.
Incentive: Why is the time right for a hosted buyer show in the U.S. and why is this a desirable format?
Cotton: RTE has been at the forefront of the meetings industry for many years, having created and developed events in Barcelona (EITBM), Abu Dhabi (GIBTM), Beijing (CIBTM), and in Melbourne (AIME).
The hosted buyer program, with its prescheduled appointment system, has been a driving force in those shows' development exactly because it matches exhibitors and buyers together to do business—no unnecessary wasted time in setting up meetings as from the outset we bring together people who want to meet and do business.
It is a popular format, recognized by the international meetings industry. Importantly, it provides a format that delivers return on investment.
Incentive: Why did you choose Baltimore?
Cotton: It was essential to find a city that had a first-class venue with excellent on-site facilities, a variety of quality hotel stock, and a transport infrastructure which included airports that had extensive air routes to cater to the international audience arriving from all over Europe, Asia, Latin America, the Far East, and, of course, North America.
With a large volume of meeting planners located within easy reach of Baltimore, it seemed an ideal city to host AIBTM. Additionally, what impressed us most was the enthusiasm, desire, and ability shown by Visit Baltimore, the Baltimore Convention Center, destination management companies, and hotels. We have made a terrific choice in Baltimore, which will host what must be considered the biggest fam trip the city will ever see. AIBTM is well and truly in good hands.
Incentive: A show of this scale, particularly with hosted buyers, is a fairly substantial investment. Given the political and publicity problems incentives and meetings have had in the past year in the U.S., is your decision to go forward in 2011 a vote of confidence in the U.S. business travel industry?
Cotton: Absolutely. We have been well aware of the difficulties facing the business travel and meetings industry in the U.S. recently.
The inaugural AIBTM in 2011 will certainly boost confidence in the industry and show RTE’s commitment and determination to help further grow the meetings industry in the U.S.
|
SAVE | EMAIL | PRINT | MOST POPULAR | RSS |
|
|
| Back to Incentive Index |
|
 |
advertisement |
|
|
