European Pavilion. GIBTM, the Middle East’s dedicated business platform for the region’s MICE and Business Travel industry, is set to incorporate a dedicated European Pavilion and Market Focus Networking Event to the show programme this year. The enhanced focus on Europe will be delivered as a direct result of post show feedback which revealed that Hosted Buyers who attended GIBTM 2013 from countries including UAE, Oman, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Qatar, Turkey, specified a direct interest in placing outbound business there.
IBTM Middle East Meetings Industry Report 2013 confirmed that ‘the forecast for the year ahead is even more positive as can be seen from the 69% of locally based buyers predicting more events for the next 12 months. In addition, 59% of Middle East buyers are forecasting increased budgets for the next twelve months and 30% say budgets will remain the same as last year’.
Lois Hall, Reed Travel Exhibitions, Exhibition Manager, GIBTM commented “The Middle East is rich with opportunities for outbound business and last year, GIBTM saw 251 Hosted Buyers attend with 67% placing orders in excess of US$650,000 each. “For 2014, we are set to increase our offering to 300 targeted buyers as demand continues to grow for quality interaction with leading industry suppliers, and the new GIBTM event programme will build on previous show floor successes to allow us to continue to push outbound business from the region.”
The show programme will include a Market Focus on Europe networking event, which is scheduled to take place on Tuesday 25 March from 8:30am – 10am on the show floor. The session will facilitate business opportunities between exhibitors from Europe and Hosted Buyers who have business to place in Europe. GIBTM 2014 takes place on the 24-26 March 2014.
