![\"ibtm](\"https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/IBTMWORLD_OPENING.jpg\")
SEEbtm:\u00a0How many exhibitors and buyers\u00a0do you expect this year at ibtm world?
\nGraeme Barnett:\u00a0ibtm world is the leading international\u00a0annual event for the meetings\u00a0and events industry and is also the\u00a0flagship of the ibtm events portfolio.\u00a0Thousands of products and services\u00a0that support the sector come together\u00a0in Barcelona each year.
\nOn average there are 3,000 exhibitors\u00a0representing international DMC\u2019s,\u00a0hotels, destinations, CVB\u2019s, venues,\u00a0event services, technology companies,\u00a0PCO\u2019s and brands that are\u00a0integral\u00a0to the industry.
With Hosted Buyers and trade visitors,\u00a0ibtm world creates a community\u00a0of some 15,500 industry professionals\u00a0doing business, networking\u00a0and joining the education sessions.
\nSEEbtm:\u00a0Can you tell us something about\u00a0the profile of the buyers? Are buyers\u00a0mainly corporate or Associations, the\u00a0average size group and similar?
\nGraeme Barnett:\u00a0To be accepted onto the ibtm world\u00a0Hosted Buyer programme all\u00a0applicants\u00a0are required to demonstrate\u00a0that they have responsibility\u00a0for placing international business.
\nThe profile of the buyers include\u00a0association, corporates, PCO\u2019s and\u00a0agencies and have a number of job\u00a0roles but they all have to qualify\u00a0their eligibility based around a set\u00a0of criteria including their annual\u00a0budgets,\u00a0purchasing authority and\u00a0future business objectives.
\nibtm world does work with selected\u00a0Group Co-ordinators who commit\u00a0to recruit 10 or more senior level\u00a0buyers to attend with them at the\u00a0event. Equally over 20% of the\u00a0programme\u00a0is based on individuals\u00a0who prefer to create their own\u00a0timetable\u00a0at the show. With some\u00a04,000 places available the international\u00a0team behind the creation of\u00a0the Hosted Buyer programme looks\u00a0to qualify attendees from all over\u00a0the world.
Those wanting to apply\u00a0to attend ibtm world 2016 or find\u00a0out more about the programme can\u00a0email ibtmworld.hosted@reedeco.uk
\nSEEbtm:\u00a0If you could single out one current\u00a0trend with the deepest influence\u00a0(by your opinion) in the meetings\u00a0industry, what would it be?
\nGraeme Barnett:\u00a0Probably the one that seems to\u00a0dominate\u00a0the most right now is\u00a0the continuing advancements and\u00a0innovation\u00a0that technology brings\u00a0to this sector.
\nTechnology has been the number\u00a0one driver of change for this industry\u00a0with so many influencing\u00a0factors\u00a0that require event planners\u00a0and producers to think more about\u00a0how best to engage audiences.
\nMeetings planners all across the\u00a0globe are placing more and more\u00a0emphasis on incorporating the\u00a0latest\u00a0technological inventions into\u00a0their meetings and events.
Rob Davidson, Managing Director\u00a0of MICE Knowledge predicted in\u00a0his 2015 Trends Watch Report that\u00a0communications technology was\u00a0one of the top sectors to experience\u00a0growth in 2015 and that as technology\u00a0continues to advance, cyber\u00a0security is becoming an increasingly\u00a0important issue among MICE professionals;\u00a0over 44% of technology\u00a0company CEOs regard information\u00a0security (cyber) risk as the biggest\u00a0risk to their organization.
\nDavidson\u2019s research also concluded\u00a0that fostering innovation and implementing\u00a0disruptive technologies are\u00a0the top strategic priorities and seen\u00a0as a key strategy for growth.
\nFor example, over 50% of technology\u00a0CEOs are devoting significant\u00a0capital to new product development\u00a0and the same percentage are\u00a0investing\u00a0in machine-to-machine\u00a0technologies, industrial intranets\u00a0and other aspects of technology.
![\"ibtm](\"https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/IBTM-WORLD-2016.png\")
To support this sector and the\u00a0need\u00a0for the industry to keep up\u00a0to date with it all, we have focused\u00a0on showing technology \u201clive\u201d in an\u00a0area we call ibtm world Innovation\u00a0Zone. It is here where attendees\u00a0can experience, interact with, and\u00a0learn about the latest technology\u00a0innovations and revolutionary\u00a0solutions.
\nEach year our independent\u00a0panel of judges shortlist ten\u00a0applicants for the Technology and\u00a0Innovation Watch Award who are\u00a0then given the opportunity to conduct\u00a0live demonstrations of their\u00a0\u201cwinning\u201d products to attendees.
Applications for the ibtm world Innovation\u00a0Zone will go live this summer\u00a0and we can\u2019t wait to see who\u00a0the next 10 rising event technology\u00a0stars will be at this year\u2019s show!
\nSEEbtm:\u00a0And one short question for the\u00a0end, why did EIBTM changed its\u00a0name to ibtm?
\nGraeme Barnett:\u00a0The change took place 2 years ago\u00a0and was part of an overall re brand\u00a0for the global portfolio of events.
\nIt became crucial that each event\u00a0had a clear position in the market,\u00a0locally, regionally and internationally,\u00a0ensuring that our flagship event\u00a0in Barcelona was positioned and\u00a0branded\u00a0as the \u201cworld event\u201d \u2013\u00a0hence ibtm world.
The post What to Expect on Leading International Event for Meetings and Events Industry? appeared first on SEE Business travel & meetings magazine.
\n", "content_text": "This year ibtm world will be held from 29th November to 1st December, at convention\u00a0center Fira Gran Via in Barcelona. For this number of SEEbtm magazine we talked\u00a0with Mr. Graeme Barnett, Senior Exhibition Director, who gave us some insights\u00a0of the ibtm world, as well as his opinion about new trends in MICE industry.\nSEEbtm:\u00a0How many exhibitors and buyers\u00a0do you expect this year at ibtm world?\nGraeme Barnett:\u00a0ibtm world is the leading international\u00a0annual event for the meetings\u00a0and events industry and is also the\u00a0flagship of the ibtm events portfolio.\u00a0Thousands of products and services\u00a0that support the sector come together\u00a0in Barcelona each year.\nOn average there are 3,000 exhibitors\u00a0representing international DMC\u2019s,\u00a0hotels, destinations, CVB\u2019s, venues,\u00a0event services, technology companies,\u00a0PCO\u2019s and brands that are\u00a0integral\u00a0to the industry.\nWith Hosted Buyers and trade visitors,\u00a0ibtm world creates a community\u00a0of some 15,500 industry professionals\u00a0doing business, networking\u00a0and joining the education sessions.\nSEEbtm:\u00a0Can you tell us something about\u00a0the profile of the buyers? Are buyers\u00a0mainly corporate or Associations, the\u00a0average size group and similar?\nGraeme Barnett:\u00a0To be accepted onto the ibtm world\u00a0Hosted Buyer programme all\u00a0applicants\u00a0are required to demonstrate\u00a0that they have responsibility\u00a0for placing international business.\nThe profile of the buyers include\u00a0association, corporates, PCO\u2019s and\u00a0agencies and have a number of job\u00a0roles but they all have to qualify\u00a0their eligibility based around a set\u00a0of criteria including their annual\u00a0budgets,\u00a0purchasing authority and\u00a0future business objectives.\nibtm world does work with selected\u00a0Group Co-ordinators who commit\u00a0to recruit 10 or more senior level\u00a0buyers to attend with them at the\u00a0event. Equally over 20% of the\u00a0programme\u00a0is based on individuals\u00a0who prefer to create their own\u00a0timetable\u00a0at the show. With some\u00a04,000 places available the international\u00a0team behind the creation of\u00a0the Hosted Buyer programme looks\u00a0to qualify attendees from all over\u00a0the world. \nThose wanting to apply\u00a0to attend ibtm world 2016 or find\u00a0out more about the programme can\u00a0email ibtmworld.hosted@reedeco.uk\nibtm world – openning 2015\nSEEbtm:\u00a0If you could single out one current\u00a0trend with the deepest influence\u00a0(by your opinion) in the meetings\u00a0industry, what would it be?\nGraeme Barnett:\u00a0Probably the one that seems to\u00a0dominate\u00a0the most right now is\u00a0the continuing advancements and\u00a0innovation\u00a0that technology brings\u00a0to this sector.\nTechnology has been the number\u00a0one driver of change for this industry\u00a0with so many influencing\u00a0factors\u00a0that require event planners\u00a0and producers to think more about\u00a0how best to engage audiences.\nMeetings planners all across the\u00a0globe are placing more and more\u00a0emphasis on incorporating the\u00a0latest\u00a0technological inventions into\u00a0their meetings and events.\nRob Davidson, Managing Director\u00a0of MICE Knowledge predicted in\u00a0his 2015 Trends Watch Report that\u00a0communications technology was\u00a0one of the top sectors to experience\u00a0growth in 2015 and that as technology\u00a0continues to advance, cyber\u00a0security is becoming an increasingly\u00a0important issue among MICE professionals;\u00a0over 44% of technology\u00a0company CEOs regard information\u00a0security (cyber) risk as the biggest\u00a0risk to their organization.\nDavidson\u2019s research also concluded\u00a0that fostering innovation and implementing\u00a0disruptive technologies are\u00a0the top strategic priorities and seen\u00a0as a key strategy for growth.\nFor example, over 50% of technology\u00a0CEOs are devoting significant\u00a0capital to new product development\u00a0and the same percentage are\u00a0investing\u00a0in machine-to-machine\u00a0technologies, industrial intranets\u00a0and other aspects of technology.\nibtm world 2016\nTo support this sector and the\u00a0need\u00a0for the industry to keep up\u00a0to date with it all, we have focused\u00a0on showing technology \u201clive\u201d in an\u00a0area we call ibtm world Innovation\u00a0Zone. It is here where attendees\u00a0can experience, interact with, and\u00a0learn about the latest technology\u00a0innovations and revolutionary\u00a0solutions.\nEach year our independent\u00a0panel of judges shortlist ten\u00a0applicants for the Technology and\u00a0Innovation Watch Award who are\u00a0then given the opportunity to conduct\u00a0live demonstrations of their\u00a0\u201cwinning\u201d products to attendees.\nApplications for the ibtm world Innovation\u00a0Zone will go live this summer\u00a0and we can\u2019t wait to see who\u00a0the next 10 rising event technology\u00a0stars will be at this year\u2019s show!\nSEEbtm:\u00a0And one short question for the\u00a0end, why did EIBTM changed its\u00a0name to ibtm?\nGraeme Barnett:\u00a0The change took place 2 years ago\u00a0and was part of an overall re brand\u00a0for the global portfolio of events.\nIt became crucial that each event\u00a0had a clear position in the market,\u00a0locally, regionally and internationally,\u00a0ensuring that our flagship event\u00a0in Barcelona was positioned and\u00a0branded\u00a0as the \u201cworld event\u201d \u2013\u00a0hence ibtm world.\nThe post What to Expect on Leading International Event for Meetings and Events Industry? appeared first on SEE Business travel & meetings magazine.", "date_published": "2016-07-26T15:14:22+02:00", "date_modified": "2016-07-26T15:14:22+02:00", "author": { "name": "Miona Milic", "url": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/author/miona/", "avatar": "https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG-20240224-WA0003-e1728981138373.jpg" }, "image": "https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/IBTMWORLD-MLS1.png", "tags": [ "barcelona", "Graeme Barnett", "hosted buyer", "ibtm world", "INTERVIEW", "Interviews", "Trade Shows" ] }, { "id": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/business-boom-as-ibtm-world-sets-the-agenda-for-the-industry-in-2016-and-beyond/", "url": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/business-boom-as-ibtm-world-sets-the-agenda-for-the-industry-in-2016-and-beyond/", "title": "Business boom as ibtm world sets the agenda for the industry in 2016 and beyond", "content_html": "![\"Graeme](\"https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/Graeme-Barnett-EIBTM-Exhib.jpg\" "\\"Graeme")
\u201cConnections means everything\u201d was a theme of the week, and with more than 80,000 appointments scheduled before the start of the show, many more were added with trade visitors. This year levels were at an all time high with Spain\u2019s economic recovery helping the boom and adding extra appointments and business opportunities for the 4,000 Hosted Buyers attending.
\n\u201cThe Spanish economy is clearly on the rise, we knew about it before the show but the stats so far illustrate that the country\u2019s events industry and that of Europe in general is back to centre stage. Many exhibitors have been telling me about the quality of business they are doing with international meeting planners as well as those planning regional specific events in the country,\u201d said Graeme Barnett, Senior Exhibition Director, ibtm world.
\nWith the economics in mind, the announcement that ibtm world will stay until 2020 in Barcelona was met with a great reaction by both exhibitors and buyers.
\nThis year saw several innovations add value to both business and networking opportunities.\u00a0The ACS Knowledge Village was created on the show floor making it inclusive to everyone and designed to really \u201clive\u201d the entire experience.\u00a0In particular the Spanish education sessions were packed this year.
\nThe global industry also used ibtm world as their annual meeting place by organizing co-located events which this year included the ICCA Forum for Young Professionals, the AIPC Operations Summit, the CIC Board Meeting, JMIC Board Meeting and the Spain DMC Awards, where ibtm world was presented with the 2015 Excellence Award.
\n![\"ibtm](\"https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/EIBTM_2014-308_c94b9.jpg\")
Summing up ibtm world 2016 Graeme Barnett added, “Our objectives for this event every year is to provide the stage for buyers and suppliers to meet, do business and connect through networking.\u00a0This year the buzz was obvious from the moment we opened.
\nFrom the Meetings Leadership Summit that saw some 200 international industry leaders catching up pre-show to the networking hour on Wednesday led by exhibitors throwing their own stand parties.\u00a0We also had a full house for the new ACS Knowledge Village where some 3,000 people attended the 83 sessions.
\nAs a team, we focus on delivering a quality experience because at the end of the show there are only two things that matter \u2013 happy exhibitors and buyers who leave having achieved everything they set out to do here this week.”
\nThe post Business boom as ibtm world sets the agenda for the industry in 2016 and beyond appeared first on SEE Business travel & meetings magazine.
\n", "content_text": "Riding a growth wave, ibtm world closed on Thursday in Barcelona where the global industry showed that it was in good shape.\u00a0Illustrating how the good news is spreading Rob Davidson\u2019s annual Industry Trends Watch Report also showed that corporate, association and incentive travel is on the up.\nGraeme Barnett, Senior Exhibition Director, ibtm world\n\u201cConnections means everything\u201d was a theme of the week, and with more than 80,000 appointments scheduled before the start of the show, many more were added with trade visitors. This year levels were at an all time high with Spain\u2019s economic recovery helping the boom and adding extra appointments and business opportunities for the 4,000 Hosted Buyers attending.\n\u201cThe Spanish economy is clearly on the rise, we knew about it before the show but the stats so far illustrate that the country\u2019s events industry and that of Europe in general is back to centre stage. Many exhibitors have been telling me about the quality of business they are doing with international meeting planners as well as those planning regional specific events in the country,\u201d said Graeme Barnett, Senior Exhibition Director, ibtm world.\nWith the economics in mind, the announcement that ibtm world will stay until 2020 in Barcelona was met with a great reaction by both exhibitors and buyers.\nThis year saw several innovations add value to both business and networking opportunities.\u00a0The ACS Knowledge Village was created on the show floor making it inclusive to everyone and designed to really \u201clive\u201d the entire experience.\u00a0In particular the Spanish education sessions were packed this year.\nibtm world is the event that gathers the most players worldwide\nThe global industry also used ibtm world as their annual meeting place by organizing co-located events which this year included the ICCA Forum for Young Professionals, the AIPC Operations Summit, the CIC Board Meeting, JMIC Board Meeting and the Spain DMC Awards, where ibtm world was presented with the 2015 Excellence Award.\nibtm world Barcelona\nSumming up ibtm world 2016 Graeme Barnett added, “Our objectives for this event every year is to provide the stage for buyers and suppliers to meet, do business and connect through networking.\u00a0This year the buzz was obvious from the moment we opened.\nFrom the Meetings Leadership Summit that saw some 200 international industry leaders catching up pre-show to the networking hour on Wednesday led by exhibitors throwing their own stand parties.\u00a0We also had a full house for the new ACS Knowledge Village where some 3,000 people attended the 83 sessions.\nAs a team, we focus on delivering a quality experience because at the end of the show there are only two things that matter \u2013 happy exhibitors and buyers who leave having achieved everything they set out to do here this week.”\nThe post Business boom as ibtm world sets the agenda for the industry in 2016 and beyond appeared first on SEE Business travel & meetings magazine.", "date_published": "2015-11-25T15:01:46+01:00", "date_modified": "2016-12-21T14:58:18+01:00", "author": { "name": "Mirjana Novitovic", "url": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/author/officebs/", "avatar": "https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/slika-.jpg" }, "image": "https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/EIBTM_2014-308_c94b9.jpg", "tags": [ "barcelona", "Graeme Barnett", "ibtm world", "Trade Shows" ] }, { "id": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/eibtm-keep-delivering-an-exhibition-that-exceeds-business-expectations/", "url": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/eibtm-keep-delivering-an-exhibition-that-exceeds-business-expectations/", "title": "EIBTM \u2013 keep delivering an exhibition that exceeds business expectations", "content_html": "![\"Graeme](\"https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/Graeme-Barnett-2.jpg\" "\\"Graeme")
Graeme Barnett possesses over 14 years of experience in the global exhibitions industry working for Reed Exhibitions, the name behind the world\u2019s leading portfolio of trade and consumer events.
\nHaving spent 5 years working on a number of key projects in the UK business (including acquisitions & venue development & planning) Graeme moved to Reed Travel Exhibitions in 2001 as Event Director on World Travel Market, responsible for the development and execution of the events strategy following its move to ExCeL in 2002.
\nIn 2006, Graeme joined Reed Travel Exhibitions Meetings & Incentives portfolio to head the team responsible for the successful launch of GIBTM in Abu Dhabi (in 2007) together with the re-launch of CIBTM in Beijing in 2009. Through his work in the emerging Meetings destinations of The Middle East & China, Graeme has worked at senior commercial & Government levels to assist with the delivery of strategy & promotion of specialist Meetings & Incentive related projects.
\nGraeme has recently been promoted to Exhibition Director of EIBTM, and will be responsible for leading the events\u2019 future development and growth. Graeme also takes responsibility for the development of the global sales strategy for RTE\u2019s Meetings & Events portfolio.
\n1. You were the exhibition director of both CIBTM in Beijing and GIBTM in Abu Dhabi. What similarities and what differencies do you expect in managing these exhibitions comparing with EIBTM Exhibition in Barcelona?
\nThe role of Exhibition Director is the same for any of our meetings portfolio of events. Ultimately, the role is leading a team of exhibition and meetings industry professionals, whose objective is to create and deliver an event, whether regionally or globally, that meets the needs of our customers and the industries they serve.
\nThe core ingredients of our events are to provide quality business, networking, and learning opportunites, so our teams are very well versed in creating strategies that do just that, whether it be in China, Abu Dhabi or Europe. There are of course differences in the look and feel of each event, but essentially our events in Europe and other areas of the world are delivered to a core plan and the brand of RTE’s meetings events is replicated in each location
\nThe creation of both CIBTM and GIBTM was a joint effort with local and national stakeholders, who without their significant support, the events would not have been possible. EIBTM in Barcelona is no different, with stakeholder relationships being vital to the continuing success of the event, so in many ways, the similarities are all encompassing. Certainly the challenges of launching events in two such culturally diverse regions as the Middle East and China has given me significant experience and insight in developing and managing positive business relationships, so I am certainly better prepared to manage EIBTM as a result of working on CIBTM and GIBTM.
\nObviously scale is a major difference that I would highlight. Whilst the logistic delivery may well have similar requirements, managing the travel and itineraries of over 3,800 Hosted Buyers is a major challenge as we aim to ensure each Buyer has a tailor made plan that meets their individual requirements. The professional education programme at EIBTM regularly exceeds 4000 attendees across 45 individual sessions so ensuring that the variety and content quality is world class is a major undertaking.
\nSo for EIBTM 2010, we are of course well on the way to delivering another great event. My role this year, and in the future, is to keep delivering an exhibition that exceeds people’s expectations, that provides business opportunities for everyone involved, that achieves growth, inspires the industry, and helps engage the leaders of the future. For me, I am highly motivated by the opportunity to lead this iconic event.
\n2. Social media networks and other modern ways of communication are more and more popular and represent rich source of information and a way to stay tuned with updated news and trends.\u00a0 How it reflects on Exhibition industry?
\nOver the past few years, the ways of communicating with an international, regional, and local audience have increased exponentially. Reed Travel Exhibitions has a team responsible for the creation and construction of every event’s website.
\nThese are pivotal to the success of communicating on a regular basis because they allow us to make instant changes and updates to ensure all our stakeholders are kept informed. \u00a0We are now also creating groups on Linked-In, Facebook pages, webinars, blogs and live tv on websites where just a few years ago none of this was even relevant.
\nOur portfolio of meeting events around the world puts us in a unique position. We are able to engage with our customers and our industry in a sustained way, providing information, news, and updates that cross cultures and provide insight on a global scale. For us, where a successful testimonial from an exhibitor who has exceeded their business objectives can be caught on camera and posted on Utube, facebook or the event’s website, it allows third party endorsement instantly, spreading the word and news to many corners of the globe in an instant.
\nWe will definitely be looking to utlise as many forms of social media as we feel appropriate but also ensuring our messages are focused and relevant.
\n3. In your opinion, what is the next new-revealed meeting destination?
\nThe RTE meetings portfolio is now represented in 5 countries, Australia, Abu Dhabi, Spain, China, and from 2011, the USA. As a result, our exhibitors represent every corner of the globe with more than 3000 at this year’s EIBTM alone!!!! So, its difficult to pin point anywhere that hasn’t been touched by the economic impact that the meetings industry has to a city or destination. I will wait to see the results of our EIBTM Industry Trends Report, presented on the opening day in Barcelona which may well shed some light on the upcoming destinations for the future!
\n4. Do you see South East Europe (Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Romania etc) on a map of meetings industry? Taking into account your proffessional experience, do you have any advice for strategy & promotion for these countries?
\nWe have a large amount of exhibitors representing South East Europe including, Lidia Tours from Bulgaria, Liberty Incentives & Congress, Hilton Athens, A La Carte Travel Ltd, The DMC Greece, Cyprus Tourism Organisation, Slovak Tourist Board, The Slovenian Tourist Board, and Belgrade Convention Bureau, as well as 28 exhibitors from Croatia and 22 from Turkey.
\nThe Serbia Convention Bureau is a good example of why companies should be at EIBTM. They have been exhibiting for the past three years, and they had some 250 business leads from their attendance in 2009 and see the event as key to their meetings business.
\nCertainly new emerging destinations need to promote themselves in a different way to mature destinations, which is particularly important at events like EIBTM as different strategies and goals need to be established for destinations at different ends of the maturity scale.
\n5.\u00a0\u00a0 Any new plans and interesting views for the up-coming EIBTM show?
\nRecognising the return on investment that is delivered by attending EIBTM, this year will see more than 20 new exhibitors from destinations to hotel companies, venue services to conference organisers. Among the many new faces will be: Marriott International, Politours, Ilanga Travel, Cruise and Business Events, Divan Hotels, L\u2019AND, LITEXPO, African Conferences, KeyDM, Meeting Point International, Rwanda, Uganda, Nigeria and the Seychelles, Epoque Hotels, Japan National Tourist Organisation, Lithuanian Exhibition and Convention Centre (LITEXPO), Principal Hayley and Indian tour operator Incent Tours. We also have a strong representation from Africa, which is really pleasing as the continent looks to reap the rewards of a successful FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
\nWe\u2019re also pleased to be introducing a number of new features to EIBTM in 2010. To name a few, a purpose built Lecture Theatre will be situated on the show floor this year, where events taking place include the Spanish language educational Sessions, and the Daily Technology Hours. The Daily Technology Hours are an integral part of the Education Programme, keeping visitors up-to-date with the latest technological advances in the industry.
\nThis year there will be over 45 sessions within the EIBTM Education Programme \u2013 full details of which can be found on www.eibtm.com within the Highlights and Features area of the website.
\nAnother new feature this year is EIBTM\u2019s very own \u201cGreen Room\u201d, which is a dedicated seminar area focussed on CSR. There are a number of sessions taking place daily, which tackle some of the key sustainable issues of today, such as how to be sustainable without blowing a budget, waste management, and reporting on sustainability.
\nAlso new this year are the EIBTM Stand Awards, which have been created to recognise and acknowledge the brightest, busiest and best stands at this year\u2019s show.
\nThe post EIBTM – keep delivering an exhibition that exceeds business expectations appeared first on SEE Business travel & meetings magazine.
\n", "content_text": "Graeme Barnett, Exhibition Director of EIBTM\nGraeme Barnett possesses over 14 years of experience in the global exhibitions industry working for Reed Exhibitions, the name behind the world\u2019s leading portfolio of trade and consumer events.\nHaving spent 5 years working on a number of key projects in the UK business (including acquisitions & venue development & planning) Graeme moved to Reed Travel Exhibitions in 2001 as Event Director on World Travel Market, responsible for the development and execution of the events strategy following its move to ExCeL in 2002.\nIn 2006, Graeme joined Reed Travel Exhibitions Meetings & Incentives portfolio to head the team responsible for the successful launch of GIBTM in Abu Dhabi (in 2007) together with the re-launch of CIBTM in Beijing in 2009. Through his work in the emerging Meetings destinations of The Middle East & China, Graeme has worked at senior commercial & Government levels to assist with the delivery of strategy & promotion of specialist Meetings & Incentive related projects.\nGraeme has recently been promoted to Exhibition Director of EIBTM, and will be responsible for leading the events\u2019 future development and growth. Graeme also takes responsibility for the development of the global sales strategy for RTE\u2019s Meetings & Events portfolio.\n1. You were the exhibition director of both CIBTM in Beijing and GIBTM in Abu Dhabi. What similarities and what differencies do you expect in managing these exhibitions comparing with EIBTM Exhibition in Barcelona?\nThe role of Exhibition Director is the same for any of our meetings portfolio of events. Ultimately, the role is leading a team of exhibition and meetings industry professionals, whose objective is to create and deliver an event, whether regionally or globally, that meets the needs of our customers and the industries they serve.\nThe core ingredients of our events are to provide quality business, networking, and learning opportunites, so our teams are very well versed in creating strategies that do just that, whether it be in China, Abu Dhabi or Europe. There are of course differences in the look and feel of each event, but essentially our events in Europe and other areas of the world are delivered to a core plan and the brand of RTE’s meetings events is replicated in each location\nThe creation of both CIBTM and GIBTM was a joint effort with local and national stakeholders, who without their significant support, the events would not have been possible. EIBTM in Barcelona is no different, with stakeholder relationships being vital to the continuing success of the event, so in many ways, the similarities are all encompassing. Certainly the challenges of launching events in two such culturally diverse regions as the Middle East and China has given me significant experience and insight in developing and managing positive business relationships, so I am certainly better prepared to manage EIBTM as a result of working on CIBTM and GIBTM.\nObviously scale is a major difference that I would highlight. Whilst the logistic delivery may well have similar requirements, managing the travel and itineraries of over 3,800 Hosted Buyers is a major challenge as we aim to ensure each Buyer has a tailor made plan that meets their individual requirements. The professional education programme at EIBTM regularly exceeds 4000 attendees across 45 individual sessions so ensuring that the variety and content quality is world class is a major undertaking.\nSo for EIBTM 2010, we are of course well on the way to delivering another great event. My role this year, and in the future, is to keep delivering an exhibition that exceeds people’s expectations, that provides business opportunities for everyone involved, that achieves growth, inspires the industry, and helps engage the leaders of the future. For me, I am highly motivated by the opportunity to lead this iconic event.\n2. Social media networks and other modern ways of communication are more and more popular and represent rich source of information and a way to stay tuned with updated news and trends.\u00a0 How it reflects on Exhibition industry?\nOver the past few years, the ways of communicating with an international, regional, and local audience have increased exponentially. Reed Travel Exhibitions has a team responsible for the creation and construction of every event’s website.\nThese are pivotal to the success of communicating on a regular basis because they allow us to make instant changes and updates to ensure all our stakeholders are kept informed. \u00a0We are now also creating groups on Linked-In, Facebook pages, webinars, blogs and live tv on websites where just a few years ago none of this was even relevant.\nOur portfolio of meeting events around the world puts us in a unique position. We are able to engage with our customers and our industry in a sustained way, providing information, news, and updates that cross cultures and provide insight on a global scale. For us, where a successful testimonial from an exhibitor who has exceeded their business objectives can be caught on camera and posted on Utube, facebook or the event’s website, it allows third party endorsement instantly, spreading the word and news to many corners of the globe in an instant.\nWe will definitely be looking to utlise as many forms of social media as we feel appropriate but also ensuring our messages are focused and relevant.\n3. In your opinion, what is the next new-revealed meeting destination?\nThe RTE meetings portfolio is now represented in 5 countries, Australia, Abu Dhabi, Spain, China, and from 2011, the USA. As a result, our exhibitors represent every corner of the globe with more than 3000 at this year’s EIBTM alone!!!! So, its difficult to pin point anywhere that hasn’t been touched by the economic impact that the meetings industry has to a city or destination. I will wait to see the results of our EIBTM Industry Trends Report, presented on the opening day in Barcelona which may well shed some light on the upcoming destinations for the future!\n4. Do you see South East Europe (Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Romania etc) on a map of meetings industry? Taking into account your proffessional experience, do you have any advice for strategy & promotion for these countries?\nWe have a large amount of exhibitors representing South East Europe including, Lidia Tours from Bulgaria, Liberty Incentives & Congress, Hilton Athens, A La Carte Travel Ltd, The DMC Greece, Cyprus Tourism Organisation, Slovak Tourist Board, The Slovenian Tourist Board, and Belgrade Convention Bureau, as well as 28 exhibitors from Croatia and 22 from Turkey.\nThe Serbia Convention Bureau is a good example of why companies should be at EIBTM. They have been exhibiting for the past three years, and they had some 250 business leads from their attendance in 2009 and see the event as key to their meetings business.\nCertainly new emerging destinations need to promote themselves in a different way to mature destinations, which is particularly important at events like EIBTM as different strategies and goals need to be established for destinations at different ends of the maturity scale.\n5.\u00a0\u00a0 Any new plans and interesting views for the up-coming EIBTM show?\nRecognising the return on investment that is delivered by attending EIBTM, this year will see more than 20 new exhibitors from destinations to hotel companies, venue services to conference organisers. Among the many new faces will be: Marriott International, Politours, Ilanga Travel, Cruise and Business Events, Divan Hotels, L\u2019AND, LITEXPO, African Conferences, KeyDM, Meeting Point International, Rwanda, Uganda, Nigeria and the Seychelles, Epoque Hotels, Japan National Tourist Organisation, Lithuanian Exhibition and Convention Centre (LITEXPO), Principal Hayley and Indian tour operator Incent Tours. We also have a strong representation from Africa, which is really pleasing as the continent looks to reap the rewards of a successful FIFA World Cup in South Africa.\nWe\u2019re also pleased to be introducing a number of new features to EIBTM in 2010. To name a few, a purpose built Lecture Theatre will be situated on the show floor this year, where events taking place include the Spanish language educational Sessions, and the Daily Technology Hours. The Daily Technology Hours are an integral part of the Education Programme, keeping visitors up-to-date with the latest technological advances in the industry.\nThis year there will be over 45 sessions within the EIBTM Education Programme \u2013 full details of which can be found on www.eibtm.com within the Highlights and Features area of the website.\nAnother new feature this year is EIBTM\u2019s very own \u201cGreen Room\u201d, which is a dedicated seminar area focussed on CSR. There are a number of sessions taking place daily, which tackle some of the key sustainable issues of today, such as how to be sustainable without blowing a budget, waste management, and reporting on sustainability.\nAlso new this year are the EIBTM Stand Awards, which have been created to recognise and acknowledge the brightest, busiest and best stands at this year\u2019s show.\nThe post EIBTM – keep delivering an exhibition that exceeds business expectations appeared first on SEE Business travel & meetings magazine.", "date_published": "2011-04-04T12:12:42+02:00", "date_modified": "2016-12-08T11:49:58+01:00", "author": { "name": "Miona Milic", "url": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/author/miona/", "avatar": "https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG-20240224-WA0003-e1728981138373.jpg" }, "image": "https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/Graeme-Barnett.jpg", "tags": [ "eibtm", "Graeme Barnett", "MICE", "Experts opinions" ] } ] }