Exhibitors to benefit from 13,500 scheduled appointments from 1,500 qualified hosted buyers, creating the UK’s most valuable face to face marketing opportunity for the meetings industry.
Centaur has announced that it is investing a sum in the region of £1million ($1.6 million) in The Meetings Show UK, creating the UK’s most engaging and rewarding hosted buyer program. The show is expecting to attract over 1,500 buyers to more than 13,500 appointments, delivering substantial business and networking opportunities for both exhibitors and visitors.
The program will be run by a full-time, dedicated hosted buyer management team with extensive experience sourcing and attracting high-quality buyers. The team will be assisted by recruitment and marketing specialists in Germany, Italy, France, Belgium, Holland, Russia, Spain, Portugal, Eastern Europe and the UK – making it a truly international show.
Centaur has also recruited specialists to focus on attracting association buyers as well as professional qualifiers, ensuring that all buyers have legitimate meeting requirements – a key requisite of exhibitors looking for a meeting industry focused show that delivers a return on their investment.
“Hosted Buyer programs have continually demonstrated the fact that they are fundamental to a successful show that delivers a high return on exhibitor investment,” said Steve Knight, event director for The Meetings Show UK. “Through their financial commitment to the Hosted Buyer program, Centaur has clearly demonstrated its desire to deliver an industry leading show that meets the needs of all attendees.”
The specialist diary and registration system is being created by RefTech – the delegate and attendee management specialists who also support hosted buyer programs for both The Business Travel Show and IMEX. The system has been designed with an intuitive, easy to use interface to ensure that buyers are immediately at ease with its use.
“The 1,500 buyers will be fully hosted for the three-day show but will only have to commit two hours a day to appointments, leaving them the majority of the day to tour the show and participate in the professional education program and business networking events,” said Knight. “Buyers will also have the opportunity to participate in the fam trip program, which will run after the final day.”
Initial reactions to the Hosted Buyer program have been incredibly positive.
“I am very impressed with the way the show is being put together and have total faith in the names associated with its organization,” said Linda Pereira, executive director of CPL Events. “Based on what I have seen, it is a show that will actually make buyers want to be hosted.”
Hosted buyers will receive travel, accommodation (including breakfast), and ground transportation throughout. Once on site, they will enjoy an exclusive welcome reception, access to several sponsored hosted buyer lounges each featuring a business centre, a full range of refreshments and access to a tailored professional education program. Hosted buyers will also be able to plan their day with personalized diaries.
