Business Booms at IBTM World 2024

IBTM World 2024 was a celebration of the power of people, exceeding the success of last year’s event with over 73,000 pre-scheduled business meetings taking place (an increase of over 19% on 2023) and many more serendipitous business exchanges taking place on the show floor.

There was a 10% increase in the total number of visitors in attendance compared with last year and 18% more Hosted Buyers from over 120 countries were present in 2024 than in 2023, coming to do business with over 2,350 exhibitors.

Championing People Power Potential, IBTM World showcased what can be achieved when, alongside the latest technological developments, event professionals work together. At its heart, the 2024 edition epitomised the belief that unites all event professionals: that what people need to succeed…is other people.

Sue Baimbridge, Chief Commercial Officer, RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka, commented: “This is our first year exhibiting at IBTM World as part of our strategy to grow our business pipeline for 2025 when we become part of the Vignette Collection from IHG Hotels & Resorts. With 56 meeting rooms and over 7,000sqm of meeting space, the business events market is crucial for our business.

“The quality of buyers and volume of meetings over the past three days at IBTM has been brilliant. I’m returning to Osaka with eight solid leads and another five or six business leads to follow up on in the next few weeks. The meeting booking system and support I’ve received from the IBTM team have been excellent and I’m looking forward to returning next year!”

Shaping the future together

Insight, Innovation, Experience Design, Social Responsibility, Marketing, Careers and Advocacy came to the fore in a conference programme designed to feed the industry’s appetite for collaboration.

This was brought to life in three impactful keynote addresses. Five-time British Paralympic athlete, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, opened the Main Stage on day one with an inspiring conversation about the limitless possibilities that emerge when people are empowered, team spirit is nurtured, and inclusivity is championed.

Human connection specialist, Simone Heng, took to the floor on day two with an enthralling discussion about the importance of forging meaningful relationships across divides as humans move deeper into the age of artificial intelligence.

On the final day, Julius Solaris, Founder of Boldpush, was joined by Goc O’Callaghan, Global Experience Lead at Buro Happold, and Louise O’Connor, Managing Director at Seen Presents Ltd, to take a deep dive into how the events industry can create experiences that feel human in an increasingly tech-dominated world.

Putting the building blocks in place

2024 saw a host of new features introduced to the leading global trade show, exemplifying how working together has the potential to inspire ideas, progress and innovation. This included Exceptional Experiences, a programme specifically designed to support in-house event professionals and marketers create experiences that fuel business growth, and which welcomed speakers from industry giants such as Amazon, Tik Tok and Canva.

The Hotel Pavilion, a dedicated space for independent and small group hotels to showcase their offer, made its debut.

As did the Forum for Advocacy, an initiative bringing together senior leaders, politicians, policymakers, industry associations and academics to amplify the existing conversation around advocacy issues.

With a focus on communicating the economic and social impact of global business events, the forum debated, amongst much else, how business events can counterbalance the challenges of over-tourism and climate change by contributing positively to local communities. The group also discussed the importance of lobbying beyond the Minister for Tourism so that all government departments understand the impact of the business events industry on job creation, education and innovation.

Voices from around the world

Renowned for keeping its finger on the pulse of the industry, IBTM World launched its eagerly anticipated Trends Report on day one of the show. Authored by Alistair Turner, Managing Director of Eight PR & Marketing, the annual report underlines the importance of talent to the future of the industry and emphasises the emergence of a new type of event professional that has evolved to meet the changing dynamics of the sector.

The Business of Events, a leading global think tank for the events sector, launched its annual Global Destination Report. Highlights for 2024, amongst other insights, include a promising trend in budget stability in developed regions, as well as an ongoing call for alignment between the business events sector and government policy, including the need for increased advocacy and direct financial support. The report shed light on persistent disparities in economic benefit across regions, and drew attention to staffing concerns that could hinder the sector’s ability to meet demand and achieve long-term growth.

Enhancing relationships through technology

In its most sophisticated offering to date – and cementing its credentials as the industry’s leading smart event, a range of exciting new technology was implemented at IBTM World 2024. Ahead of the show, exhibitors were able to utilise Lead Booster, a targeted tool designed to enable exhibitors to attract more of the right leads through the promotion of exclusive offers. This was strengthened by the Lead Manager App, empowering exhibitors to capture, review and qualify leads in real time.

Ensuring attendance for visitors was more valuable than ever, Colleqt QR allowed attendees to capture information about exhibitors, sponsors and products without the need for brochure-laden bags. With the simple scan of a QR code, visitors received all the information they needed straight to their phones, and exhibitors received the contact details of any visitors who requested more information to ensure no leads were missed.

Leading the way

Claudia Hall, IBTM World Exhibition Director, said: “It’s been an absolutely thrilling three days, not least because we were celebrating a very special 20th anniversary in Barcelona, which only enhanced the feeling of camaraderie and togetherness.

“As they do every year, our wonderful IBTM World community arrived with a thirst for knowledge, a hunger for opportunities, and an enthusiasm to make connections that will take the global events industry from strength to strength.

“Our show didn’t disappoint. Between the phenomenal speakers with their captivating insights and ideas, our passionate exhibitors eager to engage, and the imaginative new initiatives designed to provide targeted and tangible support, it’s been an incredible gathering that reminds me just what a community we are in the events industry and how much we have to offer the world as a sector.”