Success Means 2012 Baltimore Event Is Filling Up Fast
A mix of international and US regional exhibitors have re-booked their participation in the next AIBTM following this year’s inaugural event, and others new to the exposition are following suit.
On the back of business done at the show, Mark Theis of Starwood Hotels & Resorts was one of the first to re-sign. “This first US event was certainly appropriate. It was an exceptional, productive opportunity for us to meet first hand with potential business to business buyers.”
More than 20 US regional CVB’s, as many Tourism Bureaus and Authorities from around the world, plus Hotel Consortiums and Groups, join DMC’s and other suppliers to make up the largest re-booking of any inaugural meetings industry event launched by Reed Travel Exhibitions.
Mike Fegley, VP America Sales for Intercontinental Hotel Group said onsite
“We have an army of sales people here, hotels from all over the world and at opening we had 450 appointments on the books and we have added to that. It’s been a phenomenal event for us. None of this two minute speed dating stuff, our new property in Times Square has had every timeslot fully booked – it was rocking!”
Among those first time exhibiting at AIBTM 2012 will be Palm Springs CVB, Long Beach CVB and Seneca Niagara Casino who will be joining some of the global meetings industry’s biggest brand names including Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, Club Med, Crystal Cruises, Government of Dubai, Intercontinental Hotel Group, Marriott Hotels, Shangri-La Hotels, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Preferred Hotels, Royal Caribbean, as well as US suppliers to the sector including Chicago Convention and Tourism Board, Greater Boston CVB, St. Louis CVC, Visit Denver, NYC & Co, and New Orleans Metropolitan CVB – the full list is available on www.aibtm.com.
On the back of the Convention Industry Council’s Economic Impact Study that estimated the US meetings and events industry is the biggest in the world with a contribution to US gross domestic product of $106billion, the recovery of the sector is well under way. AIBTM Project Director Steve Knight commented, “Our first event this year marked a new era for the meetings industry in the US. The feedback from both suppliers and buyers has been amazing and proved that the business environment was right and early bookings show that our exhibitors want to come back for more. We intend to build on the first success to ensure that 2012 delivers new opportunities to maintain our poll position as the premier event in the US to deliver for all those involved.”
AIBTM 2012 will take place from Tuesday 19th to Thursday 21st June, 2012.
Photos of AIBTM 2011 are available online at http://www.aibtm.com/live. Join AIBTM on Linked in, facebook, Twitter (@steve_aibtm) and Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/user/AIBTM).
Notes to Editors
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1. AIBTM forms part of the RTE portfolio of Global Meetings and Incentives Events along with AIME (www.aime.com.au), CIBTM (www.cibtm.com), EIBTM (www.eibtm.com) and GIBTM (www.gibtm.com).
AIBTM (www.aibtm.com) is the annual global meetings and incentive exhibition held in Baltimore, USA.
2. Reed Travel Exhibitions organizes 12 events worldwide, including World Travel Market, Arabian Travel Market, EIBTM, AIBTM, CIBTM, GIBTM, AIME, International Golf Travel Market, International French Travel Market - Top Resa, International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM), La Cumbre and ILTM Asia.
3. For further press information, please visit the Reed Travel Exhibitions’ website on www.reedtravelexhibitions.com.
4.Reed Exhibitions (www.reedexpo.com) is the world’s leading events organiser, with over 440 events in 36 countries. In 2010 Reed brought together over seven million active event participants from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed events are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific, and organised by 34 fully staffed offices.
5.Reed Exhibitions is part of Reed Elsevier Group plc, a FTSE-100 company and world-leading publisher and information provider.
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