Following the success of last year’s inaugural China Meetings Summit, another round is
scheduled during the November EIBTM that will bring together a number of experts to discuss the concerns and opportunities facing the China market.
The China Meetings Summit will review research findings presented by Sally Greenhill, managing director of The Right Solution. Other speakers will include Ping Liu, CEO of Star Professionals; Shen Changhui, executive president of China Science Resources; Patrick Chen of the Shanghai Tourism Bureau; and Jenny Salsbury, senior director of international events for the China National Convention Center.
Other topics for discussion will cover anticipated growth for the industry, the development of the domestic meetings industry and the ways in which the local trade and infrastructure is helping to meet the perpetuating needs of a rapidly growing meetings industry.
“The IBTM portfolio of events includes CIBTM – the annual event for the meetings industry that was launched in Beijing in 2005,” said Craig Moyes, portfolio director, Reed Travel Exhibitions. “Year after year, this event has grown. The growth is not only from international, local and regional exhibitor base but also from a hosted buyer and trade visitor perspective. This year we welcomed the most Chinese hosted buyers seen at the show as a direct result of CIBTM road shows to second- and third-tier cities, which are increasingly recognizing the meetings profession.”
The China Meetings Summit is scheduled Nov. 27 during EIBTM, which takes place Nov. 27 through Nov. 29 in Barcelona.
Prior IBTM Global Industry Research findings presented during CIBTM 2012 revealed destinations being used outside China are mainly in Asia. But there are significant numbers of meetings going to Europe, the U.S. and Australia, and the trend is likely to increase in future. Some 72 percent of buyers said they were looking at new destinations in the next 12 months.
When considering the buyers’ top 10 countries of choice for holding events in Asia, China was most popular with 62 percent of all participants selecting it as the most used destination. Hong Kong followed with 45.5 percent, and 35.9 percent of respondents selected Thailand.
