GIBTM 2013 has opened its doors on today promising more opportunities to satisfy, learn and conduct business than ever before due to a flurry of latest exhibitors, show initiatives and academic concepts.
This annual event, which happens on the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, this year welcomes 70 today’s exhibitors to the show floor, with a considerable increase in European destinations and corporations represented.
Show space has increased seven per cent on 2012, with greater than 35 countries participating and primary-time destinations including Madrid, Serbia, Athens, Georgia, Morocco, Ukraine, San Francisco and Belgium, while existing exhibitors including the dominion of Bahrain, Ministry of Culture, Tourism Sector, Jordan Tourism Board and Etihad Airways have a minimum of doubled the scale in their stand in comparison to 2012.
From a visitor perspective, greater than 2,800 industry professionals, spanning local and international meeting planners and company and incentive travel buyers will attend and under GIBTM’s Hosted Buyer programme, including 265 senior influential buyers representing lucrative vertical sectors corresponding to Oil and Gas, Pharmaceuticals, IT, Finance and Automotive are expected.
With a powerful choice of key decision makers secured for the show, GIBTM organiser, Reed Travel Exhibitions, anticipates greater than 7,500 pre-scheduled appointments to ensue.
“This substantial increase in interest from suppliers and influential buyers is evidence that once a slow but sustained recovery, since 2009, regional business travel in all forms is firmly back on target because of confidence inside the regional economy and a plethora of worldwide-class venues and facilities being developed which are attracting global interest,” said GIBTM exhibition manager Lois Hall.
“This bullish outlook is further supported by the findings of the 2013 GIBTM Trends Report, in order to be unveiled at a highly anticipated seminar session this afternoon, with 80 per cent of world and Middle East buyers forecasting a increase in conference and events business within the GMENA region inside the next twelve months,” she added.
Figures released by GIBTM host destination Abu Dhabi reveal business events contributed Dhs2.4bn to the emirate’s economy in 2010.
This is predicted to extend to Dhs2.6bn by the top of 2013.
Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority anticipates the industrial impact of commercial events to grow seven per cent every year until 2020.
As the meetings and company travel sectors grow, so too do the instructional needs of industry professionals and GIBTM has responded to this by boosting its education programme.
This year session highlights that target upcoming industry trends include ‘The Way forward for Meetings: Flash Forward 2030’ with MPI research revealing the impact of trends on business practices and required skill sets, and the GIBTM Trends Report 2013, providing insight into buyer and supplier behaviour and market performance.