International Confex and Meetings &
Incentive Travel have agreed a partnership that will create a Destination Village at the 2013 show.
The Destination Village
will represent the perfect opportunity for destination management companies
(DMCs) from around the world to represent their destinations to the lucrative UK outbound
market.
James Samuel, event manager at International Confex, said: ”The UK
market sits as either the first or second largest inbound market for the majority
of countries both within Europe and further afield in the US, Asia, and South
America. It is therefore crucial that we continue to satisfy this demand from
our buyers.”
The Destination
Village will consist of a
series of pods each representing a different destination, with one DMC limited
to each destination. Exhibitors using the area will have full use of the
distribution and connectivity features from International Confex, ensuring they
can seek, meet and qualify the right buyers for their destinations.
"We've already had an outstanding response to the new feature,
and some major destinations have signed up including Malta,
Italy, Spain, Germany
and Netherlands,"
Samuel added. "This is brilliant news for both exhibitors and buyers to
ensure this sector is vibrant and business focused."
Meetings & Incentive Travel magazine’s managing editor, Martin Lewis, said: “We are delighted to be
working with International Confex on this. The idea behind the project is to push the DMCs to
the front line to make them easily found by people organising overseas events. In
any destination, these are the people with the knowledge, the contacts, the
rates and the inventory to put an event together. Organisers will be able to
find them easily in one space rather than trawling the aisles.”
The feature will form part of the International sector and is the first
in a series of new experiences launching next year at the show, taking place 19-21
March 2013 at ExCeL London. International Confex and its sister show Live
Experience will form part of Confex Week, encompassing the full range of
events, education, and networking that will take place around the show.
