Home NEWS The Meetings Show announces new format for 2018

The Meetings Show announces new format for 2018

Aug 31, 2017

The leading event for the inbound and outbound meetings industry in the UK, The Meetings Show, has announced a new two-day format for 2018, in what will be the show’s sixth edition. The show will return to Olympia London on Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 June 2018, providing focused networking, education and meeting opportunities for buyers and suppliers.

The new two-day format for the show follows extensive research carried out with exhibitors, visitors and hosted buyers. The evidence showed overwhelming support for condensing the show to achieve the best value from attending. Organisers will be using this feedback to continue to develop the key elements of the show: the hosted buyer programme, education programme and networking opportunities.

David Chapple, group event director for The Meetings Show, said: “Over the past five years The Meetings Show has grown to be an unmissable event for anyone working in the UK inbound or outbound meetings industry. After listening to feedback from exhibitors it was evident that whilst many achieved excellent results from the 2017 edition – our largest show to date – they would be able to achieve even greater ROI from a focused two-day show with more opportunities for networking in addition to appointments with hosted buyers. For hosted and visitor buyers, the research indicated that we should be creating a dynamic programme with more opportunities for learning, supplier appointments and excellent networking opportunities.”

“Over the next few weeks we will be working with our advisory board, focus groups, partners and exhibitors to refine plans for the show. Our aim is to build on all the achievements of the last five years and create a productive and rewarding experience for visitors, hosted buyers and exhibitors for the 2018 show.”

The announcement has been welcomed by some of The Meetings Show’s key partners and exhibitors. Sally Lopez, regional director of sales (Europe) for Hard Rock Hotels, said: “After exhibiting in 2017 and having a fantastic time at the show, we fully support the move to a two-day format as we believe a higher footfall and more appointments condensed into two days will generate a better return for exhibitors. The Meetings Show is a fantastic opportunity for Hard Rock Hotels to meet and network with relevant event buyers, and we are looking forward to returning in 2018.”

Further information on the hosted buyer programme, education programme and networking opportunities will be announced over the coming months.