This year's European Incentive, Business Travel & Meetings Exhibition (EIBTM) hosted more than 15,500 attendees last week, an increase of 8 percent from 2013, organizer Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE) reported.
The show, which took place Nov. 18-20 in Barcelona, included some 78,436 pre-scheduled appointments between hosted buyers and exhibitors, up 20 percent from last year.
Attendance was especially strong among association buyers, according to RTE, which said this year's show hosted a record 271 independent association planners, 67 percent of who came from individual associations and societies. Overall, the event saw an increase of 12 percent in attendance by association hosted buyers.
"You really couldn't miss the buzz on the show floor this year, which I hope was a result of not only economic confidence, but also from new initiatives," EIBTM Senior Exhibition Director Graeme Barnett said in a statement.
RTE announced last week that EIBTM henceforth will be renamed IBTM World. "We've emphasized the fact that it's a global show," Barnett continued. "Whatever markets our clients are looking to connect with, we've got most of the globe covered."
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