Reed Travel Exhibitions marked the 10th Barcelona edition of its EIBTM trade exhibition with a new layout and features, including an Innovation Zone and a Genius Hub.
The 2013 show, which opened 19 November in Gran Via, has two new Piazzas and improved flow through the aisles.
Show Director Graeme Barnett said he expected Hosted Buyers to make an average of 14.5 appointments at the show, up from 13 last year. “It is a good sign that this is a serious business event and perhaps that confidence as well as budgets are increasing.”
Brazil and Japan are proving this year’s most requested meetings destinations, according to Barnett, possibly due to the influence of the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and Olympics in 2020.
A charging policy comes into force this year for trade supplier visitors and Barnett said it could impact the audited numbers. “We are not frightened of defining our role in this industry that is both transparent and indisputably ethical about striving to give exhibitors every opportunity to meet with bona fide meeting planners and industry professionals.
A key point of Day One at the show proper was Greenwich University’s Senior Lecturer Rob Davidson presenting the 2013 EIBTM Trends Watch Report.
“The past few years have been a little depressing,” said Davidson, “but this year trends have been more cheerful, especially in Europe.”
Davidson said better data and better news on the global economy, as well as news from key client sectors, had contributed to a rosier outlook.
Davison noted that the advanced economies were gradually strengthening while there was a slowdown in some emerging economies.
Europe’s economy remained “two-tier and two-speed”, said Davidson.
The Trends Watch also picked out so-called CIVET countries as ones to watch for future growth: Colombia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt and Turkey.
Full results of the Trends Watch are available from eibtm.com
The 26th edition of the EIBTM exhibition follows The EIBTM Forum and Meetings Leadership Summit (MLS) on 18 November.
Christoph Morin presented his findings on neuromarketing at the MLS and the Forum drew 600 attendees.
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