The debut of Try Before You Buy by Conventa
Fam trips to destinations are an unmissable part of the annual Conventa trade show. The organisers named the fam trips Conventa Experiences. Yet, as the interest of hosted buyers exceeds the number of available spots each year, they decided Conventa will now organise tours throughout the year.
A new project thus came to life: Try Before You Buy by Conventa will allow event organisers to get a hands-on experience of Conventa’s partner destinations, evaluate their quality and versatility and whether the offer ticks their boxes.
One of the original solutions of the event is that hosted buyers explore destinations alongside local providers, who present their outpost, meeting venues and event organising possibilities first-hand. The organisers first tested the personalised concept during a pilot project named Incentives Alpe Adria. Both hosted buyers and the host destinations praised the engaging format.
Conventa’s organisers are famed for their guiding principle: quality over quantity. Thus, the project was in the works for some time. With several destinations interested in hosting the premier edition, the organisers decided to entrust colleagues from the Budapest Convention Bureau to organise the first edition. Their decision paid off, as the interest in attending the event exceeded all expectations. The curated event programme was tailor-made for 20 handpicked hosted buyers and 15 local providers. The organisers received over 70 registrations and selected only the top 20.
Gorazd Čad, the co-founder of Conventa, stressed: “The name of the event – Try Before You Buy by Conventa – discloses the essence of the event. The event focuses on promoting and experiencing a destination in a boutique and exclusive way. Tailor-made experiences focus on specific target groups that a destination wishes to host. We limit the group size to ensure the event provides an authentic and quality experience. Most importantly, the event connects two brands. In Budapest, twenty carefully selected event organisers from various European countries met with 14 local providers from superb hotels, venues and agencies based in Budapest.”
The attendees stated that the event merged the best of a familiarisation trip, incentive trip and B2B meetings at trade shows. Several said that the exclusivity and boutique size of the event makes it one of the most effective ways to promote a destination.
The organisers thus gave the green light to future host destinations. The list of host destinations of the event in 2024 will be announced at the end of October 2023.
To see the list of exhibitors attending the event, visit https://conventa.si/try-before-you-buy/.
FIVE REASONS WHY BUDAPEST HOSTED THE EVENT
1. The destination selects the focus groups
The host destination selects key markets and focus groups they wish to host at the event. As Conventa has one of the largest databases in the meetings industry, the entire marketing campaign can be tailor-made to the requests of the host destination.
2. The destination approves or dismisses hosted buyers
The selection of the most interested hosted buyers is in the hands of the host destination. They confirm those with the greatest interest. For the first edition in Budapest, over 70 hosted buyers registered, and only 20 were accepted.
3. Inclusivity
What makes the Try Before You Buy concept original is that providers and hosted buyers are all included in the event programme. Thus, they have countless opportunities to meet one another and strengthen business partnerships.
4. Pre-arranged meetings
The one2one platform for making business meetings enables a simple, fast and innovative way to make new connections.
5. Conventa co-branding
In sixteen years, Conventa has become a recognisable brand. The organisers believe the Try Before You Buy Event will help destinations improve their recognition, making them appealing to host the most demanding events in the region.
In Europe, Conventa is a trustworthy and reputable brand trusted by event organisers, guaranteeing the project’s success. To learn more about hosting the event, write to Natalija Bah Čad at: natalija@conventa.info.
Natalija Bah Čad, the organiser, emphasised: “Try Before You Buy by Conventa fosters greater recognition and prominence of a destination and additional promotion through all of Conventa’s channels before and after the event. Furthermore, it connects local providers with international event organisers. Conventa has been dedicated to this mission for the past sixteen years. The Conventa brand facilitates business opportunities.”
Find out more about the event here.
