Barcelona. EIBTM has announced the launch of a dedicated Africa Pavilion at the 2013 edition of the event. The pavilion has been introduced following an increased demand from international buyers seeking to place outbound MICE business with African suppliers.
The Africa Pavilion will provide an area on the show floor for suppliers to showcase their products to over 15,000 meetings industry professionals including 4,200 high level Hosted Buyers who are expected to attend the event. Suppliers exhibiting in the pavilion will also be provided with a pre-scheduled diary of appointments with Hosted Buyers who have expressed interest in placing business in Africa.
Rob Davidson, Senior Lecturer, Event Management, Greenwich University comments in the EIBTM 2012 Trends Watch Report, “In the past ten years, six of the world’s fastest‐growing economies have been in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to The Economist. Angola, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Chad, Mozambique and Rwanda, all showed annual growth rates of around 8 percent or more, in that period. Moreover, according to the IMF, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Congo, Ghana, Zambia and Nigeria are all expected to be among the world’s 10 fastest-growing economies in the years leading up to 2015, with annual growth rates of between 6.8 percent and 8.1 percent”.
Graeme Barnett, Reed Travel Exhibitions, Senior Exhibition Director, EIBTM commented, “We are delighted to be introducing the Africa Pavilion to EIBTM for the first time this year. The decision has been made due to the increased demand for African exhibitors that we have witnessed from our Hosted Buyers in recent years, with many specifying an interest in Africa as a destination for meetings and incentive trips.
EIBTM 2013 will take place from 19th – 21st November, a week earlier than in previous years. The EIBTM Forum will take place the day before the exhibition on 18th November.
