Reed Travel Exhibitions has officially begun accepting hosted buyer registration for its inaugural Americas Incentive Business Travel and Meetings (AIBTM) exhibition, it announced yesterday.
The event, taking place June 21-23, 2011, in Baltimore, is expected to host 3,000 attendees, 2,000 of which will be hosted buyers receiving complimentary travel, hotel accommodations and transportation in exchange for their commitment to meeting face-to-face with exhibitors.
"Our hosted buyers are considered to be the top decision makers in the industry and they realize our program is the most effective use of their time," said AIBTM Hosted Buyer Manager Elisabeth Shipman. "Over 700 global exhibitors are available at their disposal for one-to-one meetings. Our hosted buyers choose which suppliers they want to meet with based on their business objectives. This all but guarantees that time is maximized and business is generated."
Added AIBTM Project Manager Steve Knight, "We expect 3,000 meeting professionals this June, 2,000 of which will be qualified hosted buyers. The response we've received has exceeded our original expectations. The number of applications being processed on a daily basis is greater than expected with hosted buyer group coordinators, including The DMC Group, Global Cynergies, Helms Brisco, HPN, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Experient, IHG – InterContinental Hotel Groups and several chapters of MPI, further confirming the demand for a large-scale hosted buyer event in the U.S. market."