We are working with HSMAI Europe to prepare the way for the HSMAI Meetings Exchange Pavilion at the Business Travel Show in London, February 7th and 8th 2012.
The HSMAI Meetings Exchange offers participants a dedicated meetings and exhibition space at the show, at a preferential rate for HSMAI members representing a saving of over 30%. This is a unique opportunity to connect personally with the corporate buyer community outside of the annual automated hotel RFP process, often cited as one of the most difficult communities to gain access to.
In the past corporate buyers have held the purse strings for transient (rooms) business, leaving small meetings spend diversified across many departments and making it difficult for hospitality sales executives to pin down the exact value of meetings spend in many corporations. This is now changing; 40% of travel buyers now have an active involvement in meetings spend, and this figure is set to increase as travel buyers seek to gain more control over their meetings programmes.
The Business Travel Show is Europe’s largest gathering of high quality corporate buyers, attracting over 5,000 corporate travel professionals in 2011. This year the show will feature its first Hosted Buyer Programme – inviting and hosting over 1,200 senior level travel managers and procurement managers with responsibility for buying business travel. Each of the Hosted Buyers commits to attending pre-scheduled appointments each day at the show. All participants in the HSMAI Meetings Exchange get the full benefit of the hosted buyer programme, making it a valuable opportunity to set up meetings and contract directly with buyers.
- HSMAI Meetings Exchange exhibitors have the opportunity to recommend hosted buyers. This entitles buyers to receive travel to the show and overnight accommodation
- Each of the Hosted Buyers commits to attending pre-scheduled appointments each day at the show, and HSMAI Meetings Exchange exhibitors gain access to the online diary to book pre-scheduled meetings.
- The HSMAI team will also be on hand to support exhibitors in optimising their time at the show, through suggesting contacts to meet and guiding exhibitors through the many opportunities to make contact with show attendees.
- The show also offers a programme of networking events open to exhibitors to further enhance the opportunity to create new relationships.
- Full details are available here HSMAI Meeting Exchange Pavilion
Please feel free to get in touch for more information or to talk about how you can maximise the opportunity for your hotel or group.
Look forward to talking to you, or seeing you in February!
