MICE CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE

IMEX knows its numbers: over 3,900 hosted buyers from 75 countries had attended the show (amongst an overall visitor total of nearly 9,000), 27% of them from long-haul markets, which is up from 25% in 2012. Day one had seen 3,000 hosted buyers in the halls doing business with exhibitors – another increase on last year – with almost 3,400 on day two. This is due to growing numbers of hosted buyers staying on at the show for between two and three days as part of the hosted buyer programme.

Ray Bloom, IMEX Group Chairman, revealed that statistics show that visitors are now coming into the show for two consecutive days as well, with at least half of those who came for the first day, also attending day two of IMEX.

At the show’s closing press briefing, Bloom also explained that changes to the design of the hosted buyer diaries, and the introduction of the single IMEX inbox for hosted buyers, had resulted in a new record of over 53,000 individual appointements between buyers and exhibitors – an increase of 33% on 2012. In all nearly 65,000 appointments took place, which included individual and group appointments and also stand presentations.

Summing up Bloom said he was extremely pleased with the way the 2013 show had gone. “From business appointment numbers, to hosted buyer growth and visitor numbers, this has been another strong year. Above all, we now have good technologies in place which support business growth for exhibitors and buyers and we look forward to building on this again in 2014.”