FINDINGS from EIBTM’s post show research among all attendees shows that 98 per cent of exhibitors overall agreed that the event is vital to their business. The analysis also confirmed that as a result of EIBTM 2013, the estimated average order value for exhibitors was €417,580 ($553,000). A further €388,693 ($514,750) of business is expected to be confirmed as a result of the show.
Held from November 18 to 20 this year in Barcelona, Spain, The Global Meetings and Events Expo is a great place to do business. Stats showed that over 42 per cent of the hosted buyers were interested in placing business in the meetings and events sector in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region. On the back of such strong figures and facts, TTN spoke to Graeme Barnett, senior exhibition director, Reed Travel Exhibitions, EIBTM for insights. What are the trends in inbound and outbound meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (Mice) tourism in the Middle East?In regards to outbound business, the Middle East Mice Buyers Report 2014, provided by industry analyst Rob Davidson, highlights that planners from the Middle East are regularly looking at destinations beyond their own region. Just under 70 per cent of respondents reported that they had used European destinations for their events in the past two years, with France, Spain, Austria, Italy and Turkey (in that order) being the most popular countries. Almost 50 per cent had held events in Asian countries and 30 per cent had chosen North American destinations for their meetings and events. This shows that the outbound market for the meetings and events industry in the Middle East is significant and will continue to play a key role on the global stage.The inbound market in the Middle East is also of considerable interest. The IBTM Meetings Industry Report 2013 Europe Focus, carried out by the independent research company The Right Solution Limited, highlights that 32 per cent of European buyers are holding events in the Middle East region. And in addition, according to a study of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), the Middle East is the fastest growing international association meeting market in the world. What are the biggest challenges facing the Middle East meetings’ industry in the region?Martin Sirk, CEO of ICCA commented at GIBTM 2014 that the Middle East had joined the Information Revolution more recently than most regions, so it is not surprising to see some of the world’s fastest growth rates in the region, now that an excellent meetings infrastructure has been developed, and governments have created knowledge strategies to underpin their economic development agendas. He said he was confident that the region will enjoy even greater international meetings activity in the future, based on these underlying fundamentals.Obviously there are challenges for the meetings industry as a whole, such as keeping up to date with new technology, social media and the global financial and economic concerns that affect us all over the world, but every region also faces its own more unique challenges. The IBTM Global Research 2013 with focus on Middle East, provided by The Right Solution Ltd, highlighted that the biggest challenges faced by the meetings industry in the region are around perceptions of providing value for money, providing competitive rates and pricing, especially for air fares and hotel rates as well as perceived instability in certain countries, which could make it more difficult to attract meetings to these regions. That being said, the Middle East has so much to offer in terms of products and services that the outlook is surely positive. Winning the Expo 2020 bid and the Qatar World Cup will clearly put the focus on the region in the next decade and beyond. Indicators show that these will bring fantastic opportunities for local, regional and international suppliers to win valuable business and with the reported $1 trillion of infrastructure projects under way – 50 per cent of that in the UAE, no doubt the MICE industry will be buoyant for many years to come.The growth is also supported by a series of reciprocal visa relaxations in Europe and the UAE, which should make it easier for conference planners to hold events in the country, as barriers for European visitors entering the country have been lowered which also bodes well for the future of the industry.How many hosted buyers will attend this year’s show?The process of qualifying and registering hosted buyers is well under way and we are seeing an unusually high demand for places. This year we have a record number of group co-ordinators who are already inviting planners to participate at EIBTM and through these group co-ordinators and individual applications we are looking to host some 4,000 buyers from across the world and from key association, corporate and agency sectors at EIBTM in 2014. We always have a good presence from the Middle East as the region’s inbound and outbound Mice business continues to grow. Exhibitors participating this year from the region currently include Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, Jordan Tourism Board, Oman Ministry Of Tourism, Qatar Tourism Authority, Egypt Tourist Authority, Pacific World Dubai & Middle East, Across Morocco, TipTours – WOI Morocco, Abercrombie Kent Middle East, Dakkak Tours International, Emeco Tourism – Euromic Emirates, Eshet Incentives & Conferences, Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas, Sheraton Grand Hotel Dubai, Grand Hyatt Dubai, Hilton Convention Centre and Dead Sea Resort and InterContinental Jordan.