Celebrating its 10th anniversary, ibtm arabia (formerly GIBTM), welcomed buyers and sellers of MICE products from more than 40 countries.
The international meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) industry gathered in Abu Dhabi last month to meet new suppliers and buyers as well as familiarise themselves with new destinations. Some 3 000 appointments took place alongside networking parties, an opening forum, knowledge forum, lunches and dinners with 250 participants staying together for the duration at Jumeirah at Etihad Towers.
THE FORMAT
The success of ibtm arabia lies in the way the event is structured. There is a strong focus on unique profile matching to ensure quality of appointments for both buyers and suppliers. All exhibitors were able to discuss their objectives with the organising team to ensure that they meet with the buyers who are the right profile and who are equally looking to do business with them.
This yearโs event saw an increase in the number of exhibitors. Even with this increase, Reed Travel Exhibitionsโ ibtm portfolio director, Sallie Coventry wants to keep the show in its current meeting pod format. โThis event is all about exclusivity. We know who we want to come. It is about connections,โ she says.
According to ibtm arabiaโs exhibition manager, Shinu Pillai, โThe rapid expansion of infrastructure, commerce and tourism in the UAE has outpaced every other destination in the world. As a result this year we have had a lot of new exhibitors wanting to be part of our unique meeting pod event.ย We then matched each supplierโs business objectives with the right professional meeting planner resulting in a broad spectrum of hosted buyers from every sector of the industry.โ
DISCOVERY DAY
ibtm arabia kicked off with the Abu Dhabi Convention Bureau showcasing the Emirateโs depth, breadth and diversity of business event products and services with a Discovery Day.
According to Abu Dhabi Convention Bureau director, Mubarak Al Shamisi, โThe Discovery Day presented us with a prime platform to showcase our Emirateโs depth, breadth and diversity of MICE product prospects to our international hosted buyers. It also provided ample opportunity for our guests to take in what our capital has to offer through sightseeing, education and networking, aimed at leveraging relationships with local suppliers or hosting a future event in the Gulf region.โ
Hosted buyers and exhibitors went on a tour of some of Abu Dhabiโs iconic sights including the Yas Marina Circuit, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
โibtm arabia really does provide the perfect setting for business connections. From Discovery Day providing an icebreaker to meet other attendees while exploring Abu Dhabi together, to two days of back-to-back business meetings to further those connections and create new ones, to the numerous networking events and the incredible hospitality of the five-star Jumeirah at Etihad Towers,โ concludes Shinu.
ibtm arabia 2017 will take place from February 7 to 9 next year. The show is organised by Reed Travel Exhibitions.
