Asia Special pavilion at GIBTM
The Gulf Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings Exhibition (GIBTM) for 2013 has a plan to create a specialist exhibitor pavilion on the show-floor, providing a dedicated area for exhibitors from the Asia Pacific region.
“The incorporation of the Asia Pavilion and networking event into GIBTM is a logical extension to the current show profile We have a lot of business with UAE, Saudi Arabia and see great potential in the Middle East
Martin Kim, Seoul Convention Bureau, exhibiting at GIBTM
The
post-show research, following last year’s GIBTM, confirmed that 46% of the hosted buyers who attended the exhibition in 2012, indicated that they were interested in placing business in Asia. GIBTM 2013 will also launch the Market Focus on Asia Networking event. The evening will allow exhibitors who are showcasing destinations in Asia to network with hosted buyers from the Middle East and globally who have expressed an interest in placing business in Asia.
According to Lois Hall, Exhibition Manager for the 2013 GIBTM, and as the outbound business to the region continues to grow – Qatar and Etihad Airlines now also offer airline routes in and out of Asia, delivering a direct link between the MENA (Middle East and Northern Africa) region and China, Malaysia and Thailand. Things are also looking positive for the next year with 65% of MENA buyers from our survey reporting an increase in events placed over the next 12 months. Thailand, Malaysia, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Japan have been specified as the top destinations to place future business.”
The new Asia pavilion will provide a meeting area for exhibitors to showcase their products to regional and international visitors as well as hosted buyers. Martin Kim, Seoul Convention Bureau, exhibiting at GIBTM commented, “We first exhibited in 2009 to learn about the market and the response was incredible – we had more than 60 meetings! We have a lot of business with UAE, Saudi Arabia and see great potential in the Middle East. Therefore, we decided to become a part of GIBTM this year.”