IBTM China 2019 Concludes in a Complete Success by Setting up New Records

BEIJING, Sept. 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Following two days of packed activities including exhibition, business talks, and socializing and networking from 28 to 29 August 2019, the 14^th edition of Incentive Business Travel & Meetings China (IBTM China) concluded in a complete success by setting up new records. According to organizer's latest statistics, 350 exhibitors from 30 countries and regions met with 332 Hosted Buyers in 7,792 appointments, concluding a total transaction of nearly 2.44 billion USD, an increase of 8.4% over the previous year. Altogether 565 business cooperation projects were secured, representing an increase of 6.4%. In addition, nearly 4,000 event professionals came to the event, including 62.3% new comers and 26.7% who came from corporates and industry associations.

IBTM China 2019 Concludes in a Complete Success by Setting up New Records

It's also worth mentioning that the organizer has received a lot of positive comments from exhibitors.

• Hangzhou Pavilion completed 390 appointments on-site during the course of two days. Altogether 64 cooperation projects were set up in pipeline.
• At Hainan Pavilion, exhibitors and buyers entered into initial cooperation agreement. Event Factory, a Polish company, entered into cooperation with HIMICE. Exhibitors confirmed they enjoy precision connection with targeted buyers.
• Suzhou Taihu MICE Pavilion received nearly 160 procurers during the course of two days. The pavilion showcased the best MICE resources in the Taihu resort.
• According to South Africa National Convention Bureau, China is a key MICE market, as it represents both a key destination and a source of outbound visitors. The MICE industry in China offers big opportunities to Asia Pacific and global actors. IBTM China is a good place to promote South Africa as a MICE destination. It's also a good place to share industry updates.
• According to Las Hawaii Mansions, IBTM China is an indispensible event.
• Exhibitor Kelli Li, Major Account Manager at GL Events Venues commented: "Compared to the other shows, IBTM China is one of the most important events for us and one of the highest quality shows in China. We'll be continuing to attend the show and hope to see the Chinese MICE buyers grow in the region."

This year, 332 Hosted Buyers come from 21 countries and regions, 89% are from Mainland China. New Hosted Buyers takes 50% of the portion and 56% of them are from 2nd-3rd tier cities. Furtherly, 62% Hosted Buyers hold an annual budget over 500,000 USD and among these buyers, 85% hold an annual budget over 1 million USD. They attended from BMW, Daimler, Danone, HSBC, Geely, Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi, Lenovo, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Osram and UBS.

Exhibitor Cecilia Lavin, Head of Sales at Sodexo & Prestige Events, said: "This is my first time as an exhibitor at IBTM China. I've had over 30 successful pre-booked appointments, as well as a lot of walk in trade, which isn't very common for exhibitions like this, so that's fantastic news. The show has been particularly good for MICE business to the UK, and the events around the show have been great for meeting more buyers, so I would strongly recommend anyone who is looking to target China's market to attend IBTM China."

Hosted Buyer Martina Spagnolello, Planning and Operations Manager at Casta Diva Events, said: "I had the chance to speak to exhibitors from several different regions in China and made good connections with local suppliers. Every time I've come to China it's for work and I haven't had time to travel around and find new destinations and opportunities. However, IBTM China has given me the chance to talk to local companies from all over the country. The amount of information and connections I have made at IBTM China in two days would take well over a year to gather."

The many on-site conferences and destination presentations have been well received. During the course of two days, over 66 speaking sessions, panel discussions and presentations attracted 1,733 visitors, a record number and an increase of 70.7% over the previous year. Furthermore, the new launched summit----APAC Business Travel Digital Innovation Summit (APTS) saw delegates explore the latest issues facing business travel managers. This summit attracts 84 delegates to attend and 15.5% of them coming from other provinces, reflecting the popularity of the meeting. The new Happy Hour provided a buzz on the show floor and allowed for valuable networking to take place. Technology Zone showed intelligent solutions not only for cutting the cost but enhancing experiences.

Nicole Ci, Event Manager, IBTM China, says: "I'm incredibly proud of the team and what we have achieved with this year's event. Our first ever Business Travel Digital Innovation Summit was extremely well received, and it was fantastic to feel the buzz on the show floor throughout the event. Feedback so far has been excellent in terms of the positive outcomes of business meetings taking place and we're already looking forward to building on this success for next year's event."

The number one event for the region's MICE industry, IBTM China gathered global meetings industry professionals together for two days full of pre-scheduled business meetings. The event uses IBTM's bespoke 'matchmaking' software to provide each Hosted Buyer with a pre-arranged schedule of meetings to ensure that buyers only meet with people with whom there's a great chance they'll do business.

The 15th edition of IBTM China will take place at the National Convention Center 26-27 August 2020. Looking forward to meeting you again!

www.ibtmchina.com/zh-cn

About IBTM

IBTM, part of Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE) is the world's leading showcase for the meetings and events industry (also known as MICE) with a portfolio of 5 global and regional events providing business solutions on various continents. They include IBTM World, IBTM Arabia, IBTM Americas, IBTM APAC and IBTM China.
www.ibtmevents.com

About Reed Travel Exhibitions

Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE) is the world's leading travel and tourism event's organiser, with a wide-ranging portfolio of 22 international events in 13 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa. Its market-leading, business-to-business events cover all elements of travel and tourism, including leisure travel, luxury travel, meetings, events, incentives and business travel, as well as golf travel.
www.reedtravelexhibitions.com

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