• Average number of events increases
  • Incentive Travel on the rise
  • Meeting planners expect to seek new meetings destination in the next 12 months
  • The Caribbean identified as offering good value
  • Technology expected to play an even bigger role in event planning in the future

Chicago (June 12) — The second edition of the IBTM Global Meetings Industry Research for the Americas was launched at this year’s AIBTM (www.aibtm.com), on Education Day, which took place in Chicago’s McCormick Place on June 11.

Key findings from the research highlighted thatthe average number of events organized by buyer/planner respondents increased to 25, compared to 20 last year. In addition to this, 44% of American buyers confirmed that they expect their volume of events to increase in the next 12 months andover 50% predict an increase in their attendance.

The research report, which was conducted by Reed Travel Exhibitions IBTM Event Portfolio and PCMA, in association with The Right Solution, also identified that meeting budgets for the next twelve months were expected to increase on average by 5.2% compared to a 3.7% increase over the past twelve months which is a positive indicator for the industry going forward.

A further positive indicator identified in the research was identified in the broad range of events types organized by buyers in the Americas. The results also identified a 2% increase in Incentive Travel events (rising to 40%, compared to 44% in 2012) and a 6% increase in Exhibition events (rising to 50%, compared to 44% last year).

The research also confirmed that although the Americas would remain the key destination for U.S. meeting planners over the next 12 months, 50% of Buyer respondents who attended AIBTM confirmed a direct interest in placing business in Europe and 40% confirmed an interest in Asia. UK, France and Germany were also identified as attracting significant numbers of events last year.

63% of respondents also predicted the use of new destinations for their events in the next 12 months with Anguilla, British Virgin Islands and Antigua Barbuda receiving the highest satisfaction ratings in terms of value delivered for money. Florida, California and New York were also identified as top states for volume of events.

The expected rise in the use of technology is featured in the research with 76% of planners predicting an increase in the use of new technology to shape event content and 73% confirming that they use social media to communicate with attendees before and during events. 47% of respondents also confirmed that they use smart phone apps to provide event delegates with information.

Visit www.ibtmevents.com/en/home/Global-Research/ to view the full AIBTM Americas Industry Research Report.

Join AIBTM on Linked in, Facebook, Twitter , Youtubeand i-MEET

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About AIBTM

The Americas Incentive, Business Travel Meetings Exhibition (AIBTM) is a leading global exhibition for the U.S. meetings and events industry. AIBTM delivers individually qualified Hosted Buyers and eligible Trade buyers from the U.S. and around the world.  Tailored to the U.S. market, AIBTM serves and guarantees the attendance of top-level decision makers.  The exhibitions provide time and business efficient matching services for buyers and sellers through unique Hosted Buyer Programs. For more information, please visit www.aibtm.com. AIBTM takes place from June 11-13, 2013.  Join AIBTM on Linked in, Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.

AIBTM forms part of the Reed Travel Exhibitions Meetings, Events and Business Travel Portfolio along with AIME (www.aime.com.au), GIBTM (www.gibtm.com), CIBTM (www.cibtm.com) IBTM India (http://www.ibtmevents.com/IBTM-India/)  EIBTM (www.eibtm.com) and Business Travel Market (www.businesstravelmarket.co.uk).

Reed Travel Exhibitions
Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE) is the world’s leading provider of exhibitions in the travel and tourism industry. Its wide-ranging portfolio of events around the globe covers leisure travel, luxury travel, meetings, incentives and business travel, as well as golf, ski and spa travel.
The 19 events are; World Travel Market (WTM), World Travel Market Latin America (WTM Latin America), Arabian Travel Market (ATM), International French Travel Market Top Resa (IFTM),  International Golf Travel Market (IGTM), International Ski Travel Market (ISTM), International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM), International Luxury Travel Market Asia (ILTM Asia), International Luxury Travel Market Americas (ILTM Americas), International Luxury Travel Market Africa (ILTM Africa), International Luxury Travel Market Japan (ILTM Japan), International Luxury Travel Market Spa (ILTM Spa), Asia-Pacific Incentives Meetings Expo (AIME) (owned by Melbourne Convention + Visitors Bureau), Global Exhibition for Incentive, Business Travel, and Meetings (EIBTM), Gulf Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings (GIBTM), Americas Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings (AIBTM), China Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings (CIBTM), India Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings (IBTM India) and Business Travel Market.
September 2013 will see the launch of IBTM India in Mumbai, India, and another exciting launch in the ski travel sector, with International Ski Travel Market in March 2014.
RTE is a business unit of Reed Exhibitions.

About Reed Exhibitions
Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading events organizer, with over 500 eventsin 39 countries. In 2011 Reed brought together six 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, Asia Pacific and Africa and organized by 33 fully staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions serves 44 industry sectors with trade and consumer events and is part of the Reed Elsevier Group plc, a world-leading publisher and information provider and a FTSE 100 company. www.reedexpo.com