Nashville Rocks IBTM America 2016
June 21, 2016
IBTM America held June 15–17 in Nashville at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, connected the U.S. and international meetings industry through a mix of business, education and networking. More than 500 attendees experienced downtown Music City and the legendary Honky Tonks at Discovery Day. Approximately 5,000 one-to-one mutually matched business appointments and 18.5 hours of networking opportunities followed at the convention center.
Tailored to the U.S. market, the event was dominated by North America, Mexico, Canada and Caribbean suppliers that included hotel brands, convention centers, incentive destinations, CVBs, NTOs, cruise lines and tech suppliers. Each exhibitor had an all-inclusive, uniformed Meeting Pod, which just requires their own branding so that clients arrive, sit down and start their business meetings.
Cities represented included NYC & Company, Greater Miami CVB, Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Detroit Metro CVB and the Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB — the destination for IBTM America 2017. Nearly two-thirds of exhibitors returned from their success at last year’s event.
Alex Michaels, director of sales for Virginia’s Blue Ridge, “loved the privacy of the meeting pods” adding, “We have been non-stop since Wednesday. I have really had a chance to have enough time with each buyer to explain about us and who we are and all in private. The mutual match has given me real appointments and planners who are already interested in us. I really believe I have met some great contacts for my business”.
This year’s international exhibitors included Costa Del Sol Convention Bureau, Valencia Region Tourist Board, Busan, Visit Flanders (Belgium), India Tourist Office, Turespana and Dubai Business Events.
The hosted buyer program included 86 percent domestic U.S.and 14 percent international (based on the research among exhibitors) including Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, India, Mexico, Netherlands, Peru, Russia, Spain, Sweden, UAE and the UK. Exhibitors had requested planners from the corporate sector, as well as incentive planners as their priority — the first time this sector was represented at the event. Associations and agencies made up the rest of the participants.
The top five products of interest identified by hosted buyers for their appointments this year were conference and meeting venues, resorts and spas, destinations and non-hotel special event venues. Planners represented organizations including American Express, Colgate-Palmolive, National Association of African American Studies, Global Cynergies, Wells Fargo, The International Ecotourism Society, Herbalife International, Maritz and many others.
New features this year included a focus on technology, displayed around a central hub that also enabled more connections to be made over breaks in the appointment schedule. The TechCollective showcased emerging technologies, from start-ups and entrepreneurs highlighting new ideas for the industry through live demonstrations.
The Hilton Diplomat Resort & Spa in Fort Lauderdale will be the home of IBTM America 2017, which will take place June 14–16.