Hello everyone!

In this report, we will cover the details and our experience at IBTM Barcelona 2023, where our company was represented by Mitsu Hatake, along with Ogawa, Murakami, and Matsumoto.

For those who have read our IMEX America 2023 Journal, it would be great if you could compare it with our previous experiences while reading this!

An Overview of IBTM Barcelona

IBTM (Incentives, Business Travel & Meetings) is a major global event for the meetings, incentives, conferences, and events industry, held annually in Barcelona. Similar to IMEX America, it offers three days of networking opportunities, where over 3,000 suppliers meet and network with more than 15,000 industry professionals from over 100 countries around the world.

And this time, as GP, we participated in our second international exhibition, IBTM Barcelona 2023!

Learnings and Insights from the Exhibition

At the Tokyo booth, which was conveniently located near an escalator, we experienced an influx of walk-in visitors for business discussions. Although we had 45 meetings scheduled through the IBTM official website, we actually conducted talks with 65 companies! The first day was hectic with numerous appointments, but it enabled us to connect with many people.

Insights from Day 1:

• Most Meetings Were with Buyers from PolandThe majority of the business talk visitors were from Poland. Upon inquiry, we learned that the substantial presence of Polish buyers was due to direct flights between Japan and Poland, and the numerous Japanese factories that collaborate with Poland.
• Murakami’s Second PresentationMurakami’s presentation was as successful as the previous one, drawing significant attention and interest.

Insights from Day 2:

• Demand for Highly Interactive ActivitiesThere was a notable demand for more interactive tourism experiences in Japan. We learned that it’s not just about traditional Japanese cultural activities like Kabuki and Japanese dance performances. Instead, there’s a growing interest in more interactive experiences, such as sake brewery tours or tours exploring the history of sumo wrestling.
• Client EventThis time, our client event was hosted at Nobu Hotel. It was not only an opportunity for exchanging business cards and networking with international buyers but also featured a live performance by an Okinawan team playing the sanshin. This event was more relaxed compared to our previous client event, offering a unique and enjoyable experience.

Insights from Day 3:

• Increased Participation of Students on the Third DayOn the third day of the exhibition, we observed a notable increase in student attendees. A student currently enrolled in a tourism school in Spain visited the GP booth. She expressed a strong interest in the event industry, which led to a broad discussion encompassing the event industry at large, as well as specifics about GP’s event planning and production. It was encouraging to see young individuals like her showing interest in the event industry, and we hope to see more young people getting involved in this field.

Time for a Commemorative Photo with the Buyers

Cool booths at IBTM

Entertainment Snap Photos!

Lastly…

This time, our participation was more organized and relaxed compared to the last IMEX America! The next AIME Australia is in February next year, so there’s a little bit of a gap, but we will use this time effectively to strive towards acquiring inbound projects!