USA - AIBTM, Reed Travel Exhibitions’ Americas meetings exhibition, is boosting to 2,000 the number of hosted buyers it is to bring in to its inaugural US event in Baltimore, 21-23 June 2011.
AIBTM project manager Steve Knight says the increase is to ensure the ideal buyer and supplier ratio is maintained.
Most of the 2,000 hosted buyers will be US-based meeting planners.
“The profile and importance of AIBTM has been considerably raised since the co-location announcement of PCMA’s annual education conference and CIC’s Hall of Leaders Gala which will run alongside AIBTM in Baltimore,” Knight says. “AIBTM will be the first truly large-scale hosted buyer event of 2011 in the US meetings industry.”
Knight also hopes AIBTM’s creation of a dedicated America Meetings Week will raise the profile of the industry to the wider business market and political community across North America. The week is to focus on the economic contribution which meetings and events make to the economy, the number of jobs supported and the benefits that effective meetings and events bring to business development and communication.
As well as the hosted buyers, AIBTM hopes to attract more than 13,000 meeting planners located in cities within three hours’ drive of Baltimore.
