Most successful IBTM shows how business events are back

Speaking to TTN, Claudia Hall, the new IBTM World Events Director, said: “As highlighted in the 2023 IBTM World Trends Report, growth in the North American events sector this year has equalled, and in some cases surpassed, 2019 levels; the events market in the Middle East and Africa is expected to reach $76.67 billion by 2028; and the Indian events industry is expected to thrive throughout 2024 as the country’s economic growth is predicted to reach 7 per cent.”

Taking a wider view, the value of the global business travel industry is forecasted to rise from $695.9 billion in 2020 to $2 trillion by 2028, according to Allied Market Research. Business travellers’ spending is set to rise alongside, from $933 billion in 2022 to $1.4 trillion in 2026, according to a survey by GBTA and Mastercard.

November’s IBTM World 2023 was its most successful edition to date, according to organisers Reed Travel Exhibitions, part of RX Global. With 2,250 exhibitors from over 150 countries as well as almost 4,000 buyers, more than 132,000 connections were made at the event.

Several destinations increased their presence at the Fira de Barcelona venue, while new exhibitors making their debut included Jakarta Convention Bureau, Choice Hotels, and Backstage Production Group. “It was a truly global gathering,” Hall said.

Fears that the events industry might struggle to reclaim its audience following the pandemic have dissipated as audiences have largely returned to in-person events. Indeed, almost nine in 10 event professionals (87 per cent) believe events are essential in today’s remote working landscape, according to a survey for IBTM World’s Culture Creators Report 2023.

IBTM itself will capitalise on this newfound appetite. Spring 2025 will see the launch of IBTM World Asia-Pacific in Hong Kong. Like its sister show, the inaugural edition will bring together some of the region’s best-known suppliers and event planners for two days of pre-arranged, one-to-one business meetings.

But this returning audience brings new challenges and opportunities that will alter how events are planned, booked and executed.

Global trends such as hybrid work, diversity and inclusion, a changing demographic profile and the need for improved sustainability profiles will all shape the meetings industry. And as new technologies become more accessible and widely available, they will increasingly be deployed to improve both, the event experience and return on investment.

Several of these were addressed at IBTM, offering inspiration for planners.

The use of new tools marked the smartest edition of IBTM World to date. Technologies being used at the show included big data and data analytics to personalise attendee experiences and improve engagement, Hall said.

The show’s new WalkMe targeting tool broadened the event’s matchmaking platform, with a how-to guide for exhibitors to request appointments with key buyers. For the first time, visitor buyers also had their diaries synced to the official IBTM World mobile app for easy schedule management, alongside exhibitors and hosted buyers.

Meanwhile, an Exhibitor Dashboard allowed exhibitors to measure return on investment at a glance. Using the tool, exhibitors could see how many visitors and buyers were viewing their event profile in real time, as well as how many leads they gathered in total during the show.

Key themes finding resonance across IBTM World 2023 were accessibility, diversity and inclusion.

Workplace Revolution, a small workshop-style space for delegates to chat with business leaders in a campfire-style setting, addressed several of these issues while improving inclusion for attendees. The venue functioned like a safe space to give people who aren’t confident speaking out in large conference theatres a space to engage in content, Hall said. “As Forbes’ Jessica Charles rightly commented in the IBTM Culture Creators report, people go to events to be heard not just to listen. It also provided a space for people to connect over ideas in a more relaxed setting.” 

During one Workplace Revolution session, Samantha Stimpson, CEO of equity, diversity and inclusion consultancy SLS 360, explained how diverse cultures can drive innovation and boost productivity within organisations, with actionable tools and strategies to create these cultures.

At an interactive masterclass in the same space, Adam Filary, Co-Founder & Trade Show Ambassador, Meetings and Events Support Association, spoke of how networking offers a compass to navigating a world where artificial intelligence (AI) is taking over an increasing number of aspects of business life. “If you believe the AI gurus, everything in our future will come down to preplanned algorithms and sentient support…but this is wrong! The social capital we build is worth more than ever before because this is reality witnessed. The more automation takes place, the more we will crave this connection to be in person, [crave] the reality of standing next to someone who’s equally as vulnerable as you,” he said.

In total, there were five stages across IBTM World 2023, with a total of nearly 100 sessions. Making its debut was the Impact Stage, which offered a ringside view of what destinations, hotels, and tech providers are doing for the environment and designing experiences.

IBTM’s Main Stage remained a fixture of the programme, with industry leaders and influencers tackling key topics and trends through keynotes, panel discussions and research. Alistair Turner, Managing Director of Eight PR & Marketing and an IBTM World regular, highlighted the major issues facing the meetings and events industry in 2024.

“It is no understatement to say that 2024 will be one of the most important years of the 21st century. The economic, political, and ecological outlook of our planet is on a knife edge and the advent of AI can swing it in a number of ways. Our industry has a crucial say in these outcomes,” Turner said.

Global think tank and industry policy platform The Business of Events also launched its annual Global Destination Report. Among its key insights, the report underscored the economic importance of business events and the collective need for increased advocacy even as the industry faces a barrage of threats, from climate and sustainability, economic factors, political unrest, and geographical accessibility.

Meanwhile, Nick Fagan, Creative Technologist at DRPG, talked about innovation and what’s new in technology for the events sector. While AI has grabbed headlines and industry attention, other technologies such as simultaneous translations and facial recognition will begin to make an impact. Although facial recognition has been around for more than a decade, AI now makes it possible for planners to understand the niceties of subtle human behaviours, enabling planners to get to grips with attendee engagement, Fagan said.

Also returning to the main stage was Kai Hattendorf, Managing Director and CEO of UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry. Delegates from Scotland, Taiwan, Barcelona and RX Global joined him on a panel about how destinations, venues, event organisers and service providers worldwide are working to reduce carbon emissions.

Small sustainability markers were visible across the IBTM World show floor: Compostable badge holders for visitors, badges made out of recycled card for exhibitors, lanyard safety breaks made from wheat straw instead of plastic and plastic-free water bottles made from sugarcane. “We hope that these small changes not only help make a difference to our impact on the planet but inspire other event organisers,” Hall said.

On a larger scale, RX Global, which runs approximately 400 events in 42 business sectors, has published an internal guidance document that staff can use to understand and collect data, reduce events’ carbon footprints and inform sustainability conversations with venues, among other measures.

“At RX Global we are serious about sustainability, and we have formed a dedicated Sustainability Council who ensure that we are doing our best to run our events in the most sustainable manner.”