MeetingsNet

With more than 12,000 buyers and suppliers gathering at Fira Barcelona Gran Via from November 18 to 21, IBTM World saw its strongest edition yet. The 73,000 buyer-supplier meetings that took place were the most ever, thanks to 18 percent more hosted buyers at the show than in 2023. IBTM World’s performance comes on the heels of the largest international meetings-industry event, October’s IMEX America show held in Las Vegas. There, more than 15,000 planners and suppliers engaged in 86,000 meetings.

Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development Store and/or access information on a device You can choose how your personal data is used.

Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development Store and/or access information on a device You can choose how your personal data is used.

Among the more than 80 hotels in the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts portfolio, many are true landmark properties—think, for example, of the Fairmont San Francisco at the top of Nob Hill, The Plaza in New York City, or the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise in the Canadian Rockies. With the mid-November opening of the Fairmont Breakers Long Beach, the Accor luxury brand aims to add another classic to its collection.

As more than 50,000 people arrived in mid-November to Baku, Azerbaijan, for the United Nations climate conference known as COP29, the irony of the situation was too prominent to ignore. First, the United Nations received much criticism for holding its annual carbon-reduction-strategy event in a nation that’s a major extractor and exporter of fossil fuels—and is preparing to increase its natural-gas extraction by 35 percent over the next 10 years.

If you looked up the word “versatile” in the dictionary, you just might come across a photo of Natascha Williams, HMCC. Since getting into event planning in 2001, Williams has handled logistical and strategic planning for meetings hosted by pharma companies, medical-device makers, physician societies, and a group that’s close to her heart: Women of Color in Pharma.

With so much technology at meeting planners’ fingertips every day, it can be challenging to decide which tools will help them work more quickly and effectively. Especially in the life-science events niche, technology is key to smoothing the planner’s workflow, improving the experience for HCP attendees, and boosting the return on investment for the event host. So says Kristen Hunter, HMCC, CED, a life-science event director for more than 20 years and principal at KH Conferences.

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This article was originally published in our sister brand, BizBash. A strong visual identity does more than just make an event look good—it creates an environment that fosters connection, generates lasting memories, and reinforces a brand's key messaging and values. But developing a cohesive visual identity involves more than choosing colors; it requires a strategic approach to design that resonates with your audience.

Vacant since 2002, the historic Illinois Building in downtown Indianapolis is expected to soon wrap up a $110 million restoration and reopen as the InterContinental Indianapolis. The 1926 office building, just three blocks from the city’s convention center and one block from the Indiana State Capitol building, will become a 170-room luxury hotel, complete with a 1,545-square-foot penthouse suite on a private floor and 5,000 square feet of event space.