IBTM World 2024 was perhaps one of the best IBTM fairs I have experienced in my 20 years at the show. It surpassed last year’s success, with over 73,000 pre-scheduled meetings (an increase of over 19 per cent compared to 2023), but these figures should be taken with a pinch of salt as not all meetings in the stats are equal. Those invited as Hosted Buyers have to sign up for 50 meetings, of which at least 30 need to be carried out, which means that some meetings in the statistics may not be carried out with the utmost enthusiasm or even the intent of reaching a deal.

The total number of visitors was up 10 per cent from last year, and 18 per cent more Hosted Buyers from over 120 countries were present in 2024 than in 2023, coming to at least check out more than 2,350 exhibitors. 

With People Power Potential as its guiding principle, IBTM World showed what can be achieved when event professionals work together using the latest technological advances. At its core, the 2024 edition gave expression to the belief that unites everyone involved in events: that what people need to succeed, is other people.

“This is our first year as an exhibitor 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 7,000 square metres of meeting space, the business events market is critical to our business,” said Sue Baimbridge, Chief Commercial Officer, RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka.

“The quality of buyers, and the volume of meetings, over the past three days at IBTM has been brilliant. I am returning to Osaka with eight concrete leads and another five or six business opportunities to follow up in the coming weeks. The meeting booking system and the support I have received from the IBTM team has been excellent, and I look forward to returning next year.”

Shaping the future together

Insight, innovation, experience design, social responsibility, marketing, careers and advocacy were at the heart of a conference programme designed to feed the industry’s appetite for collaboration.

Three powerful keynote speakers brought this to life. Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, a five-time British Paralympic athlete, opened the Main Stage on the first day with an inspiring talk on the limitless possibilities that arise when people are empowered, team spirit is nurtured, and inclusion is promoted.

Simone Heng, a human connections specialist, took the floor on day two with a captivating discussion on the importance of forging meaningful relationships across borders as humans move ever 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 discuss how the events industry can create human-like experiences in an increasingly tech-dominated world.

Putting the building blocks in place

In 2024, the show introduced a host of new features, exemplifying how collaboration has the potential to inspire ideas, progress, and innovation. These included Exceptional Experiences, a programme specifically designed to help event professionals and marketers create experiences that drive business growth, which featured speakers from industry giants such as Amazon, TikTok, and Canva.

The Hotel Pavilion, a dedicated space for independent and small group hotels to showcase their offerings, debuted. So did the Forum for Advocacy, an initiative that brings together senior executives, politicians, policymakers, industry organisations and academics to amplify the existing conversation around advocacy issues. 

Focusing on communicating the economic and social impact of global business events, the forum discussed, among many other things, how business events can counter the challenges of excessive tourism and climate change by contributing positively to local communities. The group also discussed the importance of lobbying beyond the Ministry of Tourism so that all government departments understand the impact of the business events industry on job creation, training, and innovation.

Voices from around the world

IBTM World, known for keeping its finger on the pulse of the industry, launched its Trends Report on the show’s first day. Written by Alistair Turner, Managing Director of Eight PR & Marketing, the annual report emphasises the importance of talent for the future of the industry, and the emergence of a new breed of event professionals who have evolved to meet the changing dynamics of the business events industry. Remarkably, during Alistar Turner’s presentation on the last day, with over 100 in attendance, the audience consisted of approximately 80 per cent young women, and that is possibly what this industry will look like in the future.

The Business of Events, a leading global think tank for the events sector, launched its annual Global Destination Report. Highlights for 2024 include a promising trend of budget stability in developed regions, and an ongoing call for alignment between the business events sector and government policies, including the need for increased advocacy and direct financial support. The report highlighted persistent disparities in economic benefit across regions and human resource issues that may hinder the sector’s ability to meet demand and achieve long-term growth. We at Meetings International can add that Sweden doesn’t appear to be heading in this direction. Here, development seems to be at a standstill regarding politicians’ willingness to even understand the benefits of hosting international meetings and events in Sweden. The problem, as ever, is that the two political orientations in the country cannot even come to the comclusion that the issue isn’t even a political one. Surely we must all agree that meetings and events are a way to develop individuals, universities, colleges, companies, cities, and the whole country. We have the Nobel Prize in Sweden, but Swedish politicians do not appear to understand that it is at congresses and conferences that the world’s leading researchers meet and create new paths to new Nobel Prizes. And that it is at important events in sports, music, the broader culture, and with large companies, that the whole country is built. It is high time to rethink and get to the facts of the matter. We need a strategy and a long-term vision that rises above political party bickering. This is a matter of survival.

Leading the way

“It has been a fantastic three days, not least because we celebrated an exceptional 20th anniversary in Barcelona, which only reinforced the sense of camaraderie and togetherness,” said Claudia Hall, IBTM World Exhibition Director.

“Just like every year, our wonderful IBTM World community arrived with a thirst for knowledge, a hunger for opportunity, and an enthusiasm for making connections that will make the global events industry more robust and more vital.

“Our show did not 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 has been an incredible gathering that reminds me what a community we have in the events industry and how much we have to offer the world as an industry.”