IBTM World 2025 closed with a strong note, delivering one of its most engaging and commercially successful editions.
The show welcomed nearly 12,000
participants from around the world for three days of ideas, activations, and
79,000+ pre-scheduled meetings, an 8% rise on 2024.
This year’s edition
set new benchmarks across the board:
- Almost 2,500 exhibitors – one of the
highest exhibitor turnouts ever.
- 12% rise in returning participants,
reflecting the value for buyers and suppliers.
- 49% of Hosted Buyers attending from
outside Europe, signalling IBTM’s growing global impact.
Elva Yañez, MICE
Manager, Promperu, said: "As a brand we have come back to IBTM World after
10 years and this is my first time personally attending. It is one of our most
successful events of the year, with lots of great meetings with suppliers and buyers.
I thought I would meet mainly people from Spain, which is one of our primary
markets, but I have also made great connections with people from across Europe,
Asia and Latin America which I didn’t expect. I am looking forward to coming
back to IBTM World in 2026."
Heather McNee,
Corporate & Incentive Manager at VisitScotland Business Events, said: “It’s
incredible to be back at IBTM World. Our Scottish partners have enjoyed the
show with a great variety of high-quality appointments. We are delighted to
return to Scotland with a fantastic mix of leads and exciting new
connections.”
Felicia Asiedu,
Marketing Director, Cvent, said: “IBTM World is one of our tier one shows - we
always come with full force. I love the fact that this year there is a bright
tech space with all the providers close to us and we’re right next to the
Future Stage, which makes sense. This is an ecosystem place for us, and we are
an ecosystem supplier. So that’s hotels, destinations, CVBs, event planners,
marketers, everyone really, all in one place. The quality really has been
good.”
A new era of
innovation and experience design
This year IBTM World
lived up to its People. Power. Potential theme, debuting IBTM Ignite, a bold
new platform connecting over 80 start-ups with investors, advisors, and
industry leaders. From AI-driven engagement tools to sustainability-focused
tech, IBTM Ignite showcased the trailblazers set to shape the next decade of
events.
Meanwhile, the show
unveiled the Future Stage, home to rapid-fire innovation talks from emerging
leaders, and the BEFuture Pavilion, where investors and creators came together
to fuel the industry breakthroughs of tomorrow.
Immersive features
that pushed boundaries
Returning by popular
demand, Exceptional Experiences once again drew in-house planners and marketers
eager to learn from world-leading brands such as WeTransfer, Canva,
Shutterstock, Amazon and UTA. The result was a packed theatre and a wealth of
practical, creative strategies for designing unforgettable experiences.
IBTM World 2025 also
welcomed back its most successful features from 2024, including The Hotel
Pavilion - a dedicated space for independent and small group hotels to showcase
their offering.
The Forum for
Advocacy, in partnership with The Business of Events, cemented IBTM World as
the epicentre for global conversation, collaboration, and change in the
meetings and events industry. Advocacy leaders and policymakers emphasised the
urgency of unified messaging and storytelling to unlock the full societal value
of business events.
This year’s
Association Leaders Forum, sponsored by Excel London and designed in
partnership with ESAE (European Society of Association Executives), examined
the role of Association events in building strong communities.
A conference
programme that ignited minds
IBTM World 2025
delivered its strongest conference programme to date, packed with insights that
attendees could take straight back to their organisations and headlined by a
trio of powerhouse speakers:
- Nathalie Nahai on empathy and connection
in the age of AI
- B. Joseph Pine II on designing experiences
that drive emotional and economic value
- David Osgathorp on unlocking human
potential through performance and wellbeing
Driving industry
intelligence
The show saw the
launch of several significant research pieces, including the IBTM World Trends
Report, highlighting how older demographics are shaping future event design;
The Hague & Partners’ bleisure study; and Access All Areas, a
groundbreaking accessibility report uncovering the industry’s most urgent gaps.
A show that
exceeded all expectations
Claudia Hall,
Exhibition Director of IBTM World, said: “IBTM World 2025 has been nothing
short of extraordinary. We delivered our most ambitious, international, and
impactful edition yet - and the response from the global events community has
been phenomenal. From record-breaking meetings to powerful new initiatives like
IBTM Ignite and the expansion of Exceptional Experiences, this year proved that
innovation thrives when people come together. The show floor was buzzing with
energy, ideas, and opportunity.”
The 2026 edition of
IBTM World will take place from November 17-19 in Barcelona. -TradeArabia News Service