IBTM World 2024 achieved successful business growth with over 73,000 pre-scheduled meetings and a 10pc increase in total visitors compared to the previous year.
The event focused on collaboration among event professionals, highlighting its core belief that success relies on connection and community.
Keynote speeches emphasized empowerment, meaningful relationships, and creating human experiences in a technology-driven world.
New innovations and technology were introduced, including Lead Booster and Colleqt QR, enhancing attendee engagement and promoting sustainability discussions in the events industry.
- Exceptional Experiences Programme designed to assist event professionals and marketers in creating experiences that promote business growth. It included presentations from industry leaders such as Amazon, TikTok, and Canva, providing valuable insights into innovative strategies that enhance attendee engagement and drive successful outcomes.
- The Hotel Pavilion is a new dedicated space for independent hotels and small groups to showcase their offerings. This venue offers a platform for these entities to connect directly with potential clients and partners, highlighting their unique services and contributions to the hospitality sector.
- Rights Advocacy Forum convenes high-level leaders, politicians, policymakers, industry associations, and academics to discuss and amplify important rights advocacy issues. The forum focused on the economic and social impacts of global business events, exploring how they can address challenges such as overtourism and climate change while contributing positively to local communities. It also emphasized the need for broader lobbying efforts to ensure all government departments recognize the business events industry’s role in job creation, education, and innovation.
Claudia Hall, Director of IBTM World Show, shared: “It has been an absolutely exciting three days, especially because we were celebrating a very special 20th anniversary in Barcelona, which only heightened the sense of camaraderie and unity.
“As is the case every year, our wonderful global IBTM community came eager for knowledge, hungry for opportunities, and enthusiastic about making connections that will continue to strengthen the global events industry.
“Our event did not disappoint. Among the phenomenal speakers with their captivating ideas and perspectives, our passionate and eager exhibitors, and the new creative initiatives designed to provide targeted and tangible support, it was an incredible gathering that reminded me of the community we have in the events industry and how much we have to offer the world as a sector.”
