ICOMEX, the leading MICE event in Mexico, is to become the first tradeshow in Latin America for the IBTM portfolio, resulting from the acquisition of Grupo Fidalex by Reed Exhibitions (RX). Grupo Fidalex brings 15 exhibition brands, of which one is ICOMEX to form Reed Exhibitions Mexico.
This announcement was made during the event in Mexico City from Nov. 5-7.
ICOMEX 2014 hosts over 140 exhibitors of which 70 percent come from Mexico, 25 percent from the wider Latin American region and 5 percent from overseas. Of the expected 9,000 attendees, the majority will come from Mexico with a select domestic, regional and international Hosted Buyer program. The event also includes a broad education and conference program attracting the various segments of the domestic MICE industry. The co-located Event Production Forum additionally provides local meeting planners with products and services used in the design and construction of their events.
“In its short history, ICOMEX has clearly become the country’s leading annual MICE gathering for the industry, and we are delighted that it is now to become the 8th event in the IBTM portfolio,” stated Sallie Coventry, portfolio director, IBTM Events Portfolio.
“Mexico has a very strong domestic and inter-regional MICE market that has been growing in importance. It is the 11th largest global economy in the region, 2nd behind Brazil and is also the 5th largest emerging market. Through the acquisition of ICOMEX, our objective is to consolidate the event’s profile and presence within the region, while leveraging the benefits of the IBTM brand profile and reputation in order to expose this great show to the rest of the world. This will give the event an international presence in the meetings industry and provide new opportunities to the portfolio’s global database of buyers who are looking to place or do business with the region.” she added.
Philippe Surman, founder of Fidalex, will become country manager for Reed Mexico, which is now positioned as the leading tradeshow organizer in the country. He will be supported by the expertise of the teams around the world who currently manage the global IBTM Portfolio of events.
“We are excited to be a part of Reed Exhibitions,” said Philippe Surman. “We have always been inspired by Reed’s unmatched commitment to providing their customers with the best products and services to meet their needs and grow their business, and the opportunity for ICOMEX to become part of the IBTM portfolio adds a huge amount of strategic value to all our existing customers in the MICE sector and to those who are already part of the global community that IBTM has created.”
“Phillipe and his team have done a great job in creating ICOMEX into a first-class event and the combined assets of his team and now the global presence of IBTM will no doubt help develop this even further,” added Coventry.
Further details relating to the specifics of the show in 2015 will be announced in due course.
