With one year to go until AIBTM opens its doors to the United States and international meetings industry, the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and the Convention Industry Council (CIC) have confirmed the co-location of two major events at the show in Baltimore June 21–23, 2011.
AIBTM, together with America Meetings Week, is set to be the most important event in the U.S. meetings event calendar in 2011, attracting around 3,000 meeting planners, as well as 300 industry exhibiting companies.
Announced Tuesday at PCMA’s Education Conference in Montreal, Deborah Sexton, PCMA president and CEO, confirmed that PCMA, representing more than 6,100 meeting industry leaders from 16 chapters in the U.S. and Canada will be holding their bi-annual education conference at AIBTM. The conference will provide industry professionals with the opportunity to learn new strategies, discover innovative solutions, share best practices, hear inspiring speakers and attend networking sessions.
Commenting on the co-location Deborah Sexton said, “We already work very closely with Reed Travel Exhibitions’ international portfolio of shows on their educational programs, so this link up is a natural and welcome fit. Additionally, June 2011 provides the ideal timing for the association and its members, as does the location in Baltimore. Our members will not only benefit from our conference but from doing business with leading US and international suppliers at AIBTM. It is a win win situation.”
AIBTM and America Meetings Week is also set to host CIC’s 2011 Hall of Leaders gala held in conjunction with the PCMA conference. The gala evening attracts a who’s who of the meetings and convention industry, and honors the industry’s outstanding leaders and innovators. Nominations are submitted either by CIC member organizations or the general industry community. A selection committee appointed by the CIC chooses the inductees.
“I am so pleased that CIC will be holding its 2011 Hall of Leaders gala in conjunction with AIBTM in Baltimore next June. Both Reed Travel Exhibitions and Visit Baltimore will be excellent partners in this prestigious event. The Reed family of shows has a history of bringing together leaders from the global meetings, as well as association and travel industries, and therefore we expect our attendance at the dinner to far exceed the record we set this year,” said Karen Kotowski, CMP and Chief Executive Officer of CIC.
Craig Moyes of Reed Travel Exhibitions Group said, “The decision by both PCMA and CIC to co-locate their bi-annual conference and gala evening is a testament to the importance both organizations place on AIBTM and America Meetings Week. The Week gives the industry an opportunity not only to shout about the value of meetings to the US economy, but for buyers and planners to develop their businesses and gain industry knowledge that will impact directly on their corporate and personal development.”
Amy Calvert, vice president of Convention Sales and Services at Visit Baltimore added, “We are thrilled that AIBTM and Reed are offering this dynamic opportunity for the meetings industry to gain strategic insights from the top notch education during America’s Meetings Week.”
AIBTM’s Hosted Buyer Program offers a highly effective way for buyers, meeting planners and decision makers to meet exhibitors through an online pre-scheduled appointment system. This guarantees buyers meet exhibitors that they are particularly interested in doing business with. For registration and information on AIBTM, log on to www.aibtm.com. Official Hosted Buyer registration will go live on January 11, 2011.
