IBTM ARABIA LINES UP IMPRESSIVE LIST OF BUYERS FOR 2016 EVENT

IBTM ARABIA LINES UP IMPRESSIVE LIST OF BUYERS FOR 2016 EVENT
The event for ‘serious high profile buyers and suppliers’ to connect

ibtm arabia (www.ibtmarabia.com), the leading event for the Arabian meetings, incentives, conferences and events industry has already seen a strong line up of regional and international buyers register to attend. The exclusive one-to-one event will take place at the 5-star Jumeirah at Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi (9–11 February).

Companies represented by buyers looking to attend the show include Peugeot & Citroen (Russia), Cognizant (UK), Conference Direct (USA), The International Association of Public Transport (Belgium), Tata Capital Financial Services Limited (India), Google (UK), Abbot (UAE), Society of Petroleum Engineers (UAE), Prisme International (UAE), Moelis & Company (UAE), Land Division at KCA Deutag (UAE), HSBC (UAE), OiLibya (UAE), International Live Events Association (UAE) and Nova IVI Fertility (UAE) as well as interest from a variety of other countries in the Middle East and beyond.

Shinu Pillai, Exhibition Manager, ibtm arabia commented: “This year is very much about building on the success of last year’s event. Following the 2015 event we received so much positive feedback. We’ve secured a number of returning exhibitors already, including Arsenal Football Club, Meliá Hotels International, Matrix Audio Visual & Entertainment, Rovos Rail Tours Ltd as well as newcomers Hill MICE Saudi Arabia and Golden Tours Egypt“.

“Part of the success of the new pod show format is the mutually matched, pre-scheduled appointments system. Added to this is the quality of buyers that we hand-pick to attend. Hosted Buyers are invited based on their purchasing authority, where they place MICE business and the volume of business placed.”

David Escolar Díez, Regional Director of Sales – Middle East, Meliá Hotels International, who exhibited at this year’s show and will be returning next year commented: “ibtm arabia 2015 was very well organised and provided us with a platform to meet good quality buyers which led to some business leads. We are looking forward to being back in 2016 to continue to develop our international brand awareness to build the Meliá Hotels International profile in the Middle East. We will also be updating our business prospects with news regarding the new opening status of our properties within the region – ME Dubai, INNSIDE JLT Dubai, Meliá Dubai Residences and ME Doha.”

Bilal Al Barmawi, Managing Director, Hill MICE, who will attend the show for the first time, commented; “We are looking forward to exhibiting at ibtm arabia this year as it will provide us with many opportunities to connect, network, explore and partner with global MICE leaders. ibtm arabia is the perfect platform to meet with the industry’s finest MICE buyers, build relationships and grow our business.”

For further information about exhibiting, please visit www.ibtmarabia.com. For any enquiries, please contact ibtmarabia@reedexpo.co.uk

Hosted Buyer applications will be going live from Monday 21st September. For further information, please visit www.ibtmarabia.com/Hosted-Buyers

For a video explaining the new pod show format please visit http://www.ibtmarabia.com/About-Us/

Top 10 Meeting Destination Istanbul at IBTM Arabia

Top 10 Meeting Destination Istanbul at IBTM Arabia

IBTM Arabia, St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi

10-12 February 2015 (stand F09) 

LONDON (11 February 2015) – The Istanbul Convention and Visitors Bureau (ICVB) is promoting Istanbul as a venue for meetings at IBTM Arabia (10-12 February) for the first time ever, being held in Abu Dhabi at the five-star St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort. 

IBTM Arabia, formerly GIBTM, is the leading international, exclusive event for the Arabian meetings, incentives, conferences and events industry. It is where meetings, events and incentives industry decision-makers meet for global business adventures. This year IBTM Arabia brings a fresh new format with quality meetings and an exclusive one-to-one ratio closed community experience for elite exhibitors and hosted buyers who do business in Arabia.

ICVB is representing Istanbul on its own stand with one-to-one meetings taking place over the three days in pre-booked sessions. Detailed information is being given to participants re meetings and incentives in Istanbul as well as promotional material and gifts being handed out. With its full itinerary of workshops, meetings and other activities during the fair, ICVB is promoting Istanbul to its fullest.

IBTM Arabia will be host to MICE buyers from 30 countries around the globe this year. Fifty per cent of the visitors originate from the Middle East, whilst Europe and Russia comprise 25% and both America and the Asia Pacific 10%, making it a truly global event.

As a historical meeting point between East and West and spanning two continents, today’s Istanbul is a top MICE destination offering unique and exciting venues. The city has the capacity to host every type of event, from bespoke incentives to meetings for up to 30,000 for corporate and leisure visitors alike. Combined with Istanbul’s historic venues, palaces, cisterns and the like, it offers meeting planners a variety of remarkable options to create truly outstanding events. Easily accessible from around the world, Istanbul is served by nearly 300 international airlines at its two airports and accommodation is both numerous and offers a selection across the spectrum. 

 

PREVIEW: GIBTM GEARS UP FOR SERIOUS BUSINESS IN ABU DHABI

GIBTM GEARS UP FOR SERIOUS BUSINESS IN ABU DHABI

New exhibitors, novel showcase features, major regional buyers, enhanced education programme, networking events and post-event fam’ trips – set the stage for GIBTM (www.gibtm.com) as the leading MICE exhibition in the Middle East.

The 2014 edition of The Gulf Incentives, Business, Travel and Meetings is shaping up to be the most successful yet, with robust exhibitor and buyer interest in the event giving rise to new exhibition features, innovative concept areas, up to 300 hosted buyers, over 2,000 trade visitors and an expanded educational programme.

Kicking off at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) from 24-26 March 2014, GIBTM has piqued the interest of a truly international audience, with a number of first-time exhibitors attending from Spain, the United States, Thailand, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Czech Republic, UAE, Korea, United Kingdom, Uganda, South Africa and Morocco.

Last year GIBTM tripled corporate meetings buyer attendance accounting for 35% of all hosted buyers attending the show, compared to 11% from the corporate sector in 2012.

The international pavilions have a new addition in the shape of the Africa Pavilion, which is being added in response to a surge in demand from exhibitors looking at targeting outbound business from the Middle East into the continent, with newcomers including Tips Tours and Rovos Rail Tours.

It joins the Asia Pavilion, with Korea and Thailand confirmed newcomers, as well as the European Pavilion, which this year will occupy a much larger area due to the addition of debutants such as L’way Express from the Czech Republic, Spain’s Iberostar Management, Serbia Convention Bureau, EPI Georgia, Arsenal Football Club and AYGUN TURIZM of Turkey.

GIBTM’s ‘Knowledge Programme’ has also been ramped up for 2014, with educational sessions conducted by some of the world’s leading meetings industry associations including MPI, ICCA and SITE, covering topics spanning industry trends, sustainability, issues impacting the corporate travel industry, and the challenges of staging international association meetings.

The seminar programme, sponsored by Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC), has interesting sessions this year including the MICE Buyers report, in this session, Rob Davidson of the University of Greenwich in London will present the results of the Middle Eastern Meeting Planners’ Site Selection Survey – brand new research which demonstrates the factors that are most important to Middle Eastern meeting planners when they are deciding where to locate their events.

Another research study being presented by Sunil Malhotra, Director, Aviation Sector – Middle East & North Africa, Ernst and Young, is ‘The Habits of Middle East Business Travellers’. To view the full programme visit http://www.gibtm.com/knowledge

The GIBTM 20×20 Challenge, powered by PechaKucha is back for a second year running due to popular demand.

“The upswing in interest from a much wider audience of exhibitors than ever before has led the GIBTM team to introduce a number of exciting new initiatives at the 2014 show, enabling the event to reflect the demands and trends shaping the local and global meetings markets,” said Lois Hall, Exhibition Director, GIBTM.

“These new features include sourceme Pavilion in partnership with Nicholas Publishing International (NPI), which will showcase the leading event service suppliers from the Gulf region’s only annual events directory; the Technology & Services Zone, dedicated to the industry’s most technologically-advanced products and event planning services; plus Business Travel @GIBTM, featuring exhibitors in the Business Travel Zone. A dedicated Business Travel Knowledge programme and dedicated networking sessions.

“GIBTM will welcome up to 300 highly influential regional and international Hosted Buyers to attend this year’s show, all of whom have proven budget and sizeable business to place.” continued Hall.

Representatives from major industry players such as Kuoni Events, TE Connectivity, UHY International, Medicongress, Mary Kay, HelmsBriscoe, FEI Company, China International Medicine Exchange Association International Service Center, Contendam and Portigon Financial Services have all been accepted as Hosted Buyers.

“More than 8,500 pre-scheduled appointments are expected to take place between buyers and exhibitors at this year’s GIBTM,” said hall.

Additional value will be offered to Hosted Buyers through the launch of a series of post-event familiarisation tours to Qatar, Bahrain, Dubai, Jordan and Oman, giving these prime MICE destinations the opportunity to showcase their business and meeting facilities, hospitality portfolio and leisure attractions to global decision-makers.

To find out more about GIBTM please visit http://www.gibtm.com

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