This is my fourth week as Hosted Buyer Manager for the Business Travel Show. The show’s new hosted buyer programme was only announced recently and already we’re getting our teeth stuck in and working hard behind the scenes to bring it all together.
Our target is to host 1,200 buyers from all over Europe to the show in February; a massive increase on the numbers we looked after in 2011. The programme will create an additional 6,000 pre-arranged meetings between buyers and exhibitors. The Business Travel Show is the biggest corporate travel event in Europe, which means our hosted buyer programme will introduce big budget buyers to the most comprehensive range of suppliers under one roof, and introduce our suppliers to a whole raft of buyers who are visiting the show for the first time.
It’s a massive investment in the show; not only for 2012 but more importantly for the long term and this long term view is what makes it so exciting to work on. With a project of this magnitude, no one’s saying it won’t be a challenge, but I’ll be bringing all my experience from working on the programme at EIBTM for Reed to the table, so I’m ready to take it head on.
Hosted buyers accepted on the programme will receive complimentary travel and accommodation during the show, networking opportunities, access to the best quality free-to-attend conference in the market place, with a choice of workshops, master classes and seminars and, importantly, the opportunity to use the hosted buyer diary to book pre-arranged meetings with exhibitors of their choice. These pre-arranged meetings increase the return on investment for the buyers but also for the exhibitors, who will know in advance of the show that they have a diary of meetings with great quality buyers.
The online diary facility will allow buyers to easily view their itineraries for the Business Travel Show, including their pre-booked meetings and also their travel arrangements, networking and social functions and all the education and conference sessions they’re planning to attend.
The Business Travel Show is on 7th and 8th February in Earls Court, London. If you’re exhibiting at the Business Travel Show then expect to hear from me any day now. If you’re reading this and you’d like to apply for the Hosted Buyer Programme, I’d be delighted to answer any questions or queries you might have. Simply drop me an email at graham.angus@centaur.co.uk.
Posted by Graham Angus, Hosted Buyer Manager of the Business Travel Show
No comments:
Post a Comment