IBTM has announced first details of Hosted Buyer and exhibitor sign-ups for IBTM World Virtual 2020, with some of the world’s largest and best-known destinations and suppliers attending to meet and do business with top calibre Hosted Buyers representing some of the biggest global corporations, associations and agencies.

Major exhibitors confirmed include Luxembourg Convention Bureau, Melbourne Convention Bureau, Latvia Convention Bureau, Visit Finland, Switzerland Convention and Incentive Bureau, Hungarian Convention Bureau, Arabella Hospitality Munich, Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau, Barceló Gestion Hotelera S.L., Hankyu Travel DMC Japan, San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Desert Islands Resort & Spa by Anantara.

Almost a quarter of Hosted Buyers signed up to date are completely new to IBTM World. Buyers so far confirmed include representatives from Associations including the European Society of Urology, the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific (ADFIAP), World Confederation for Physical Therapy, The International Ecotourism Society, International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy, and International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI).

Corporate buyers include NIKE, Leroy Merlin, BBVA France, Puma Brazil, Mundipharma International Limited, Hyundai, HORIBA Medical, and Schlumberger. Agency buyers include event planners from BCD Travel, Kenes Group, Paragon Group, CWT Meetings and Events, MCI and Cievents and HelmsBrisco.

Gerry Dawson of Destination Marketing BSL, who is attending IBTM World Virtual as a Hosted Buyer, comments: “As a hybrid business to business event agency owner and sports tourism specialist, IBTM World (real life or virtual) is the essential business to business event showcase I must (and always do) attend. Whether meeting new venues or suppliers or networking with industry contacts, it is an unmissable annual experience for my business!

Jon Bruno, Executive Director, The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), is also attending. He says: “IBTM for me is a professional and personal event. Many of my friends and colleagues attend the show, so it is a chance to catch up with people from every continent, many of whom I would never see otherwise. I’m looking forward to sharing knowledge on how events are coping with the pandemic and learning what initiatives different destinations have and are planning.

Hosted Buyers will carry out ten appointments over the three days of the event with exhibitors of their choice and at a time convenient to them and their geographical location. In addition, buyers and trade visitors will be able to request ‘walk up’ meetings with exhibitors via a chat function, with the option to convert directly into a video call if required. Hosted Buyers will be pre-qualified with a series of quality checks.

IBTM World Virtual takes place from 8 – 10 December 2020 and will incorporate three full days of one-to-one business meetings and a comprehensive programme of content. In addition, Hosted Buyers will benefit from dedicated content tailored specifically for them with the IBTM Inspire Masterclasses, a separate track which is all on demand – with sessions for associations, corporates and agencies. There will also be a new programme of exciting content tailored to those running experiential events in our Exceptional Experiences stream.

David Thompson, Event Director, IBTM World, said: “We are delighted that so many high calibre global Hosted Buyers and exhibitors have already signed up to join us at IBTM World Virtual. Our Hosted Buyer sign-ups have exceeded the expected number of Hosted Buyer registrations for this point of the event cycle, with many more sales in the pipeline. We are looking forward to an exciting and productive event, and we can’t wait for you to join us.

For further information, visit IBTM World web.