IBTM World, set to take place in Barcelona from November 28-30, has unveiled additional speakers for its conference program, emphasizing the theme of cultivating communities within events. Lars Silberbauer, Global Head of Brand, Marketing, and Digital at the International Olympic Committee, will deliver a keynote titled ‘Building Cultural Legacies Amidst Disruption: Lessons from LEGO, MTV, and the Olympics.’ This presentation aims to provide insights into how prominent brands like LEGO, MTV, and the Olympics have successfully developed thriving communities in the face of digital distractions and global challenges.
Day two of the event will feature two sessions on community building. The first, ‘Give the People What They Want: Think you know your customer? Think again,’ will showcase three seasoned marketing professionals with experience at major brands like Amazon, Twitter, Google, Facebook, the Match Group, GQ, and WIRED. They will share comprehensive marketing strategies, detailing how they engage attendees before, during, and after events to foster thriving communities and enhance engagement and conversion rates.
The second session on day two, ‘Communications and Content Strategy for 21st Century Event Businesses,’ will delve into the evolution of event marketing for long-term business growth. The discussion, led by expert event marketers, including Todd Hansen, Executive Producer at Web Summit, and Ella Kieran, SVP Marketing and Director of WPP’s Innovation Camp, Stream, will explore the art of creating a perfect communications plan and building an organic co-opted community while moving away from sales-driven marketing.
On the final day, IBTM World will unveil its ‘Culture Creators’ Report during a panel discussion featuring prominent event planners. Titled ‘The World’s Best Business Events (And The People Who Create Them),’ the report aims to provide a global overview of the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) industry. It will delve into the experiences, challenges, and aspirations of event professionals in the new world of work.
Claudia Hall, Event Director at IBTM World, highlighted the significance of developing engaged and passionate communities around events in an era of increased distraction and disconnection. The conference aims to offer attendees the knowledge and tools needed to create year-round connected communities for their events.
IBTM World attendees will have various opportunities to connect and collaborate, including the Welcome Party & Networking Hour, Club Night at Opium, and a new feature called Workplace Revolution, providing a unique space for meaningful conversations and networking in a relaxed, campfire-style setting.
