Sunshine Matters

VISIT FLORIDA and three of our Industry Partners recently attended IBTM World in Barcelona, Spain.  IBTM World, formerly known as EIBTM, is the leading global event for the meetings and events industry.  The three-day show provides a strong business environment, as well as professional education and networking opportunities, for exhibitors, hosted buyers and trade visitors.

This year, IBTM World hosted a marketplace with more than 15,500 industry professionals coming from 72 countries and 150 destinations.  Over the course of the three days, an astounding 78,000 one-on-one appointments took place with the 4,000 top decision makers in attendance.

VISIT FLORIDA and our Partners – the Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB, Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater and Universal Orlando – conducted more than 100 group and individual appointments with meeting planners from around the world.  Included in these appointments were planners from top markets such as the United Kingdom and Brazil, as well as new-to-Florida markets such as Poland and Azerbaijan.

One of the challenges to overcome when bringing a large or small meeting from other countries to Florida is the ever growing strength of the U.S. dollar.  However, as a meetings destination, Florida outranks the pack in measures such as “reasonable hotel room rates” and “good value for the money.”  With more than half of Florida hotels offering a total of 12 million square feet of meeting space, Florida is bound to have the perfect space for any planner.

Attending these events to network with meeting professionals around the globe plays a vital role in tourism to Florida and the U.S.  The United Nations World Tourism Organization acknowledges that developments in the meetings industry can be “an essential driver of a nation’s economy.”  In the U.S., the meetings industry contributes $907 billion to the economy and generates 6.3 million jobs, according to a study released by PricewaterhouseCoopers and an alliance of 14 meetings industry organizations.  In 2014, 10 percent of Florida’s 15.7 million international visitors traveled to the state to attend a conference, convention or trade show.

To learn more about our many international outreach opportunities, including the next MICE show IMEX Frankfurt, April 19-21, 2016, please check out the VISIT FLORIDA Marketing Planner or contact me at aabney@VISITFLORIDA.org.