We caught up with Florence Dinar, the Portfolio Business Development Manager for IBTM World, and she gave us some great insights to share with potential Hosted Buyers ahead of this year’s show.
What does the Hosted Buyer Programme entail in 2020?
Our 2020 Hosted Buyer Programme is fully tailored online event, while still providing the same quality suppliers and knowledge programme our buyers would receive if they were joining us in Barcelona this year.
Hosted Buyers will be able to organise pre-scheduled 1-2-1 meetings on our virtual platform ahead of the show with over 650 leading suppliers, destinations and venues in the industry. Our bespoke matchmaking system will suggest the top suppliers our Hosted Buyers should organise meetings with based on their business needs. They will also be able to conduct drop-in meetings during the show with exhibitors listed in the exhibitor directory, as long as both parties are online at the same time and agree to the meeting.
Hosted Buyers will also receive access to a new and exclusive programme of knowledge sessions called Inspire Masterclasses. The sessions are tailored to three types of event planner – agency, association and corporate – and will include skill-led sessions led by leading industry experts to equip buyers with everything they need to survive and thrive in 2021 and beyond.
They will also gain exclusive access to the IBTM Digital Offer Bag, a chance for Hosted Buyers to redeem exciting offers from our exhibitors such as prize draws, offers, trials and discounts on their services.
Why is it important to attend IBTM World Virtual this year?
2020 has been an incredibly hard year for us all, therefore it is important to come together to share best practice, learn new and innovative ways of working and delivering events of all kinds, and most importantly keep the events community thriving. With a new vaccine on the horizon, face to face and hybrid events are looking to get back in business and event planners need to know who is open for work and who can help them elevate and deliver their future events.
Our knowledge programme will include 65+ expert speakers, sharing their insights and knowledge across 50+ sessions. In such a fast-paced, evolving environment you must keep your finger on the pulse and know what your audience want and need, therefore keeping up with the latest trends is crucial. Our Hosted Buyer Inspire Masterclasses will be tailored to fit the bespoke needs of our Hosted Buyer community.
With IBTM World going online, what are you most interested in seeing on the Hosted Buyer Programme this year?
We can’t wait to see how our exhibitors, partners and speakers have adapted to COVID-19 and the new solutions they will present Hosted Buyers and we are of course excited to know what our Hosted Buyers will do with the information in the future. We wish them all success in 2021 and beyond.
Who will Hosted Buyers meet there?
Just like our physical show, Hosted Buyers attending IBTM World Virtual this year can expect to meet the same high calibre of tech and event suppliers, destinations and venues that they would expect to meet any other year.
To see our full Exhibitor Directory, with 650+ suppliers, please click here.
Who in the Hosted Buyer community will be attending this year?
Almost a third (28%) of Hosted Buyers signed up to date are completely new to IBTM World and to the Portfolio. Confirmed representatives joining the Hosted Buyer Programme include the European Society of Urology, the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific (ADFIAP), World Confederation for Physical Therapy, The International Ecotourism Society, International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy, and International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI).
Corporate Hosted Buyers include NIKE, Leroy Merlin, BBVA France, Puma Brazil, Mundipharma International Limited, Hyundai, HORIBA Medical, and Schlumberger.
Agency Hosted Buyers BCD Travel, Kenes Group, Paragon Group, CWT Meetings and Events, MCI and Cievents and HelmsBriscoe.
What feedback have you received from Hosted Buyers so far about the show?
We’ve had some great feedback from our Hosted Buyers who are attending IBTM World Virtual, they wish to work through this new normal, seize fresh opportunities and still meet great suppliers and witness innovative content.
Here are just some of the positive feedback we have received:
Gerry Dawson of Destination Marketing BSL, comments: “As a hybrid business to business event agency owner and sports tourism specialist, IBTM World (real life or virtual) is the essential business to business event showcase I must (and always do) attend. Whether meeting new venues or suppliers or networking with industry contacts, it is an unmissable annual experience for my business!”
Jon Bruno, Executive Director, The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), says: “IBTM for me is a professional and personal event. Many of my friends and colleagues attend the show, so it is a chance to catch up with people from every continent, many of whom I would never see otherwise. I’m looking forward to sharing knowledge on how events are coping with the pandemic and learning what initiatives different destinations have and are planning.”
EMEA Event Manager, Nike, commented: “I see the importance of attending IBTM World as it is a way of learning about all of the new companies and partners, that can offer us strong solutions in the new normal”.
Executive Director, National Association of African Studies and Affiliates, shared “Every IBTM event we have attended has been a plus for us. We find contracts with hotels or we meet countries that we have never thought of going to before. There is always an opportunity to break ground in a new country and find people who can help us get into that country. Every time we have visited IBTM World it has been a win-win”.
What will the platform look like and how will meetings work?
Watch our demo video for Hosted Buyers below to see a full view of the IBTM World Virtual platform.
How do Hosted Buyers organise drop-in meetings?
Alongside the pre-scheduled meetings with suppliers, Hosted Buyers can also conduct ad-hoc drop-in meetings. These are great to follow up on any points after a personalised pre-scheduled meeting.
Here’s how they work:
What content will be available to Hosted Buyers?
Hosted Buyers will be able to access all the content available on the IBTM World Virtual platform. The four available content streams are:
IBTM TV, sponsored by MeetEngland and Visit Monaco Convention Bureau. This content stream will be live on Day 3 of IBTM World Virtual and will stream on the platform from 7am to 10pm. Content on this stream includes keynote sessions from Pancho Campo, Cecilia Tham, Mike Wittenstein and Philippe Legrain; panel sessions about the future of venues, advancing industry prospects and event tech; and many other sessions on a variety of topics relevant to you and the business events industry right now.
Inspire Masterclasses, delivered by industry experts exclusively for members of the Hosted Buyer Programme. Tailored for association, agency and corporate buyers, these skill-led sessions will provide you with all the knowledge you need about new event technology, running hybrid events, understanding virtual attendees, optimising virtual for ROI, and much more.
Exceptional Experiences, for all your experiential marketing needs. Delivered by experts from Guinness World Records, Virgin, Bacardi, Philips, Diageo and more, these sessions will give buyers all the tips and tools they need to create inventive and engaging experiential marketing campaigns and develop a brand activations that really engage with target audiences, even virtually.
IBTM Accelerate, our on-demand showcase of tech and influencer knowledge, providing insights into the market just like it did on the show floor last year. Hear from MICE influencers like Mariska Kesteloo, Sabrina Meyers and Alessia Di Raimondo, and tech experts like Dahlia El Gazzar and the rest of our TAG team.
As well as our four content streams, you’ll also be able to attend knowledge sessions delivered by our event partners and exhibitor presentations where our suppliers and destinations can showcase their offerings directly to your screens.
What are the best ways Hosted Buyers can prepare for the three days?
The event is flexible around your working schedule so remember:
- Block out any time commitments
- Respond to your diary invites to keep an up to date schedule
- Favourite exhibitors and sessions you are interested in and add them to your diary
- Schedule the majority of your meetings on the 8th– 9th December to allow time to watch the live content stream on the 10th December
- Be punctual, make the most of your pre-scheduled meetings and if you have any further questions, conduct walk-up meetings to follow up
What has the IBTM journey been like for you as the show has grown?
IBTM World has been running for over 30+ years. In 2019, we conducted the biggest ever IBTM World, the aisles were packed and the networking events were alive with music and cheer! So, of course, like every event planner having to adapt their show, were very sad the day we announced IBTM could not run in Barcelona this year. However, the show must go on and we wanted to ensure our community of event planners still had a hub and resource of information to help them prepare for the future. And that time is now!
What do you enjoy about working with Hosted Buyers?
We love bringing people together. When a Hosted Buyer tells us our event gave them the platform to find their next event destination or found a solution to enhance their visitor attendance, is like music to our ears. We can’t wait to help even more Hosted Buyers, probably in a time now where everyone needs an extra pair of helping hands.
If you’d like to attend IBTM World Virtual as a Hosted Buyer, simply click here to submit your details.
We’d love to see you online from 8 – 10 December 2020!
Just came across your article and found it useful for me. I appreciate your efforts behind this blog post. Please keep sharing such interesting content.
Hi Joe, thank you very much for your comment! We’re glad you enjoyed the blog and stay tuned for more interesting pieces this year.