With ibtm Africa set to take place from 13 to 15 April 2015 in Cape Town, Meetings interviewed Shinu Pillai, the exhibition manager for ibtm Africa, to get a better understanding of the table top discussions as well as what we can expect from ibtm Africa this year.
1. Explain how the table-top discussions work?
The table-top format is designed to facilitate a closed show environment with pre-scheduled meetings between international buyers and exhibitors on a one on one ratio.
Both exhibitors and Hosted Buyers can select whom they would like to meet for the pre-scheduled appointments through a sophisticated appointment match system. Once the selection process is complete, exhibitors and Hosted Buyers will be issued with their diary of up to 36 appointments, which will ensure that their time is spent efficiently and allow them to prepare and plan for their meetings at ibtm africa.
Each appointment will last up to 15 minutes.
2. What are the benefits of these discussions?
The benefits are business related because each meeting is an appointment selected by both parties which shows that they are already mutually matched for compatibility and are therefore interested in meeting each other. In addition, the access to a variety of exclusive networking functions and education sessions allows participants to continue to work, learn and build meaningful connections together. ibtm africa is an effective MICE community in Cape Town for three days.
The exclusive table-top format has already proven to be highly successful. The first ibtm africa in 2014 was praised by both suppliers and buyers as an “excellent new event for business development, knowledge enhancement and exclusive networking” in the region with global relevance.
The success of the one on one pre-scheduled appointment system guaranteed nearly 1,500 appointments over two days – an average of 33 business appointments for the regional exhibitors. 90% of exhibitors were satisfied with the quality of Hosted Buyers and 94% of exhibitors were satisfied with ibtm africa 2014.
3. What changes have you made at ibtm africa after last year?
There aren’t any changes to the event, although there will be new exhibitors and new speakers as part of the education programme. The focus, as last year, is to be part of Africa Travel Week, with international pre-qualified Hosted Buyers set to do business with Africa’s incentives and meetings industry.
The exclusivity of the event will remain the focus for 2015, with the purpose of creating a MICE community once again enjoying business, education and networking together.
4. Why did you choose Cape Town as the host city?
Cape Town is considered to be a premier conference destination in Africa with more than 50 association conferences hosted since 2010.
The city is an ideal location for both local and international customers, with great infrastructure, a wonderful venue and a planned expansion matching our own growth plans.
The city is also popular as a first class incentives destination; it significantly promotes itself globally as the meetings destination.
5. What can people expect from ibtm africa this year? Is there anything specific to look forward to?
There is a lot to look forward to! 100% of Hosted Buyers will be new this year coming from specific markets requested by exhibitors and they include the Middle East, Europe, Asia Pacific, North America, South America and Russia – a cross-section of the most senior meeting and incentives planners in the industry representing top international meetings, events and incentive planners from large corporations and agencies.
• Corporate Meeting Planners
• Travel Agents Handling Incentives
• Travel Management Companies
• Incentive Houses
• Event Management Companies
• Professional Conference Organisers
Companies qualified and represented at this year’s event include; BI Worldwide China (China), HelmsBriscoe (Turkey), Maesse Marketing Consultancy Ltd. (Germany), Blaycation (Canada), The Scienomics Group (U.S.), Inception Global Ltd. (UK), Haye Incentive Travel (Netherlands), Paragon Europe (Belgium), Speed Sailing International (UK), AstraZenace (Russian Federation) and Abbott (United Arab Emirates).
6. Do you plan to expand ibtm africa? How?
Because ibtm africa is about African and Indian Ocean exhibitors meeting international buyers, the size of the show is dependent on the industry in the region.
Africa Travel Week however, comprises three co-located shows alongside ibtm africa, WTM Africa, and ILTM Africa – encompassing Africa’s inbound and outbound markets for general leisure travel, luxury tourism, and the MICE/business travel sector under RTE’s established portfolios of WTM (World Travel Market), ILTM (International Luxury Travel Market) and IBTM (Incentives, Business Travel & Meetings).
2015 dates for Africa Travel Week events are:
• ILTM Africa: April 13th – 15th
• IBTM Africa: April 13th – 15th
• WTM Africa: April 15th – 17th
7. Who are your most prominent exhibitors this year?
Exhibitors who will be attending ibtm africa 2015, include: African Travel Concept Pacific World, CSIR International Convention Centre, Fairmont Zimbali Resort, Guvon Hotels & Spa, Private Safaris, Sea Cliff Resort & Spa Zanzibar and The Sandton Indaba Hotel and Double Tree by Hilton Cape Town.
Among the list of new exhibitors are: Carlson Rezidor, Gauteng Tourism, Emperors Palace, Protea Hotels, Rovos Rail Tours and Sun International.
8. What feedback have you received about 2014?
Both exhibitors and international Hosted Buyers complemented Reed Travel Exhibitions on its organisation and relevance in its debut year. Here’s what some of our 2014 attendees had to say about the show:
“Very well organised event, a high quality of buyers from a variety of countries from around the world, well worth the visit and will definitely attend next year,” says Zukiso Makalima, group sales manager of Leisure Hotels (South Africa).
“Being at the first IBTM Africa, I am really impressed with the match-making programme, it is very helpful and easily managed,” added Charity Chewe, sales and marketing director, Winning Travel and Tours (Zambia).
“It’s very well organised and full of quality and I see it on both sides not only as a buyer but also the exhibitors, who are representing the region very adequately. So my impression is that the intimate one-to-one sessions give buyers an opportunity and an insight into the products the region has to offer, my compliments to Reed Exhibitions,” says Suresh Puri from Spice Travel, India who was a Hosted Buyer at last year’s show.
Shinu Pillai, exhibition manager for ibtm africa.
