IBTM Americas 2019 closed on a high with an impressive 12,800 meetings taking place during the colorful event held at Centro Citibanamex in Mexico City from May 29-30. Over 740 hosted huyers from Latin and North America, Europe, Asia and Australia joined over 520 domestic and international exhibitors for two days of business meetings, education and cultural showcases.
One of the event’s highlights included a fascinating talk by ex-President of Mexico, Felipe Calderón, who spoke to a packed room of delegates about the economic and political situation across the continent and the region’s bright future. Award-winning Nashville drummer Rich Redmond shared tips on how to thrive in a competitive industry, and there was an insightful presentation by Yigal Schleifer, cofounder and editor of Culinary Backstreets, who discussed the gastronomic tourism trend.
The knowledge program was divided into six tailored forums on themes ranging from event production to pharmaceutical events. These were designed to help attendees choose where to focus their learning efforts and help them stay ahead of the curve with the latest industry trends and hottest topics in the emerging South, Central and North American meetings and events market. Sessions took place on one of the three themed experiential stages, with silent headphones and simultaneous translation.
This year’s welcome party was a showstopping event, with extraordinary live acrobatic performances, flamboyant dancing and refreshing margaritas.Taking place on the show floor and sponsored by Jose Cuervo, it was a chance for attendees from all over the world to celebrate the industry in a fun and relaxed setting.
The event also included food trucks on the show floor serving delicious Mexican dishes, a chill-out area with hammocks and sponsored buyer breakfasts every day.
“We’re thrilled at the success of this year’s IBTM Americas,” says David Hidalgo, show director of IBTM Americas. “Not only have we exceeded last year’s number of business meetings, but also we’ve expanded our breadth of exhibitors and hosted buyers both regionally and internationally. We’ve had buyers from across Asia Pacific attending for the first time, which is all testament to the region’s growing appeal for hosting business events.”
David continues: “It was an inspiring and vibrant show, with impactful and tailored education and experiential sessions as well as many opportunities to network with fellow professionals in a relaxed setting. It was fantastic to experience the buzz and excitement on the show floor and we are looking forward to welcoming everyone next year for our tenth and most spectacular year yet.”
Exhibitor Johnny Martinez, head of marketing and business development at Shocklogic, adds: “IBTM Americas offers a unique platform for North American and Latin American buyers under one roof and this is an opportunity we can’t miss! My two colleagues and I had nonstop meetings throughout the two days of the show. There were a good mix of buyers from different parts of the world. Mexico is a key market for us, but it was also good to generate potential business from Colombia, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay, Ecuador, Peru, USA, and even Germany. We generated a total of 104 leads in 2 days. About 64 percent of those were hot leads.”
This year IBTM Americas main strategic sponsor was Brand USA, alongside their partners, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, NYC, Visit Houston and Rendezvous in alliance with MPI. Dates for 2020 have been set for May 27-28, when the show which will be celebrating its 10th anniversary.
IBTM, part of Reed Travel Exhibitions, 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 5 continents. They include IBTM World, IBTM Arabia, IBTM Africa, IBTM Americas and IBTM China. For more info, visit www.ibtmevents.com.
