Reeds EIBTM in Barcelona had over 65,000 pre-scheduled appointments and over 3,127 exhibitors.  The levels of business activity had been very impressive and Samme Allen, Head of Sales Barbican Centre London, said that – it’s wonderful, the Corporates are back.
It also seems that many analysts predict that the demand for corporate events will continue to grow worldwide, according to Rob Davidson at the European Incentive Business Travel and Meetings show (EIBTM) last week.
Even with a subdued global economic environment, and growth predictions of around 4% during 2012, within the meetings and events industry, there is a greater degree of optimism than in the economy as a whole.
It is being suggested that the price differential between second and third-tier cities compared with top-tier destinations is expected to widen and so create more opportunities for second and third-tier cities in Europe and elsewhere. A developing trend of new specialist professions proliferate and new associations being created and formed to meet the demnds of niche groups also feed growth.
As te BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) economies continue to be the engine of the global recovery, their strong domestic demand and a healthy outflow of exports, even if growth softens in 2012, they are likely to achieve a soft landing.
A prime example is Brazil, which is set to overtake the UK to become the world’s sixth biggest economy this year. The sheer size of these growing economies point at opportunities for the MICE industry. Industry meetings alone will benefit as the volume of meetings held between Chinese companies and the those in regions supplying them with the commodities such as Africa and Brazil continues to grow.
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