With just over a month to go before the show, Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE) has reported a 4 percent increase in accepted hosted-buyer applications for this year's European Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings Exhibition (EIBTM), it announced this month.
All told, RTE expects to see more than 3,800 hosted buyers at EIBTM, which is taking place Nov. 29 through Dec. 1 in Barcelona.
So far, the show has seen significant increases in accepted hosted buyer applications from Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia and the United Kingdom, which alone has seen a 48 percent increase in accepted buyers. In addition, RTE has appointed a dedicated team in the United States to qualify and manage American hosted buyers.
In order to meet the growing demand for business meetings at EIBTM, an additional appointment per day will also be arranged for each accepted buyer. As a result, EIBTM is expected to generate more than 60,000 one-to-one appointments this year.
"What makes our hosted buyer program so invaluable to those attending it that unlike other hosted buyer programs, ours is '100 percent buyer driven,'" said EIBTM Hosted Buyer Program Manager June Clark. "All hosted buyers attending as individuals or as part of a group decide which exhibitors they would like to see before the show. EIBTM then matches these appointment and provides each buyer with an individual diary of pre-selected appointments."
Benefits for hosted buyers include complimentary flights and accommodation, transfers and a personal diary of pre–scheduled appointments. In addition, buyers also receive invites to numerous networking functions and dedicated hosted buyer lounges.
For more information, visit www.eibtm.com.