From 29 November to 1 December 2022, over 3,000 exhibitors and 15,000 experts from the meetings and events industry from over 100 countries met in Barcelona, Spain. The World is one of the most important annual trade fairs for the meeting, incentive, conference and event industry. This year, the Munich Convention Bureau participated to present the diversity and special features of the Bavarian MICE metropolis of Munich and all the associated news from the state capital together with 13 partners.
The Munich Convention Bureau and its partners met numerous trade visitors and hosted buyers at the 35th edition of the world's leading trade fair for the MICE industry. During the three days of the trade fair, the stand of the Munich Convention Bureau was used to exchange information about current developments in the event and meetings industry, to discuss and present news and best-practice examples from the MICE metropolis.
The Munich Convention Bureau and its partners have also made a major contribution to IBTM World's self-imposed goal of inspiring the event world and offering customers extraordinary experiences.
The fact that Munich is very broadly positioned in terms of event culture is not only proven by this year's major events. From medicine to security politics, from sports to culture, from the automotive to the construction industry - organisers, planners and participants always feel at home in Munich. The Munich Security Conference, the European Championships, the Graphene Week, the Oktoberfest, the Bauma fair and numerous other events, meetings or conferences took place live again this year.
Stephanie Frühauf, who was in Barcelona representing the Science Congress Center Munich, and Oliver Sikora from the Pullman Hotel were particularly pleased about the personal exchange with customers and colleagues. "Face-to-face trade fairs and meetings are indispensable; it's often no longer the product that decides, but the good contact with the respective contact person, and that only works on a personal level. It is only at live events that you get a feeling for situations and what exactly the customers need," says Stephanie Frühauf. "With over 30 appointments in three days, we tried to do as much networking as possible to get multiple requests. In our beautiful courtyard, we can host events for up to 100 people, which the customers found interesting," said Oliver Sikora from Pullman Munich.
Dominik Enderle from the two Munich Ruby Hotels (Ruby Lilly and Ruby Rosi) was also satisfied: "We were very happy to participate in IBTM 2022 with the Munich Convention Bureau and that we had the opportunity to live and show our extraordinary Ruby spirit. In our current 16 hotels, we have enough capacity to also enable larger MICE groups to travel with Ruby." For Sylvie Lohr from PCO Interplan, IBTM is a highlight event for the industry. "Especially after the pandemic, the personal meeting with clients and partners is something we missed the most.“
The partners of the Munich Convention Bureau explained to trade visitors at IBTM World how events can look in concrete terms. A total of 13 partners were present, from representatives of hotels and special venues to planners from event agencies. Marriott International Munich represented seven very different Munich hotels. They all offer individual conference and accommodation options for smaller and larger groups.
Also present at IBTM World were the Infinity Hotel & Conference Resort Munich, the largest hotel and conference centre in southern Germany, located in Unterschleißheim near the airport, the 4-star Platzl Hotel at Marienplatz, which is already run by the third generation of the Inselkammer family, the Pullman Munich, a design hotel in Schwabing near the English Garden, the Roomers Munich, a lifestyle and design hotel with the popular Asian restaurant Izakaya, and the Ruby Hotels & Resorts GmbH with its two stylish Munich hotels.
Five popular event venues from Munich showcased themselves at the fair as well: At the BMW Event Forum, history and modernity meet and event organisers can book exclusive guided tours through the otherwise inaccessible vehicle collection. Those who organise an event with FC Bayern München AG can not only invite guests to attend a football match of Germany's most famous football club, but also hold meetings in the Allianz Arena and take a look behind the scenes of FC Bayern München.
Messe München scores with several, very different locations, such as the exhibition grounds, the International Congress Center ICM, the Event Center MOC and the Conference Center North CCN. Everyone will find the right venue here.
The Munich Olympic Park also offers various business areas, always with a view of the famous 1972 Olympic site with its impressive tent roof. In the north of Munich, the Science Congress Center Munich (SCCM) is located in an environment dominated by science. The SCCM has 14 event rooms - all with daylight - an Audimax with 1,300 seats and two directly connected hotels.
The fact that Munich-based conference and event management agencies are a good choice for organising events was proven by the two agencies that also travelled to IBTM World: Interplan Congress, Meeting & Event Management AG has been organising national and international congresses and conferences with a focus on medicine and science for over 50 years, also in cooperation with the Munich Convention Bureau.. The Professional Conference Organiser (PCO) K.I.T. Group Munich GmbH works with international associations and companies from the fields of science, business, politics, culture and sport.
Visitors to the trade fair and partners of the Munich Convention Bureau were equally enthusiastic about the presence of the Munich Convention Bureau at IBTM. "The Munich Convention Bureau has an excellent and far-reaching network, as well as a great trade fair stand" was how Stephanie Frühauf from SCCM summed up the trade fair, adding:. "In addition, the city of Munich is a magnet for international clients - great for creating synergies. We will be on the road with the Munich Convention Bureau at all major trade fairs in the new year as well; an international orientation is absolutely essential for us, due to the size and diversity." And for Sylvie Lohr of Interplan, "participation in trade fairs is also still essential". Oliver Sikora from Pullman Hotel also draws a positive conclusion from IBTM: "In my eyes, it is very important to actively engage in conversation and to remind people every now and then. The personal interaction with people simply connects. A big plus: The Munich stand is eye-catching and beautiful, that convinced me.“
