Tourism New Zealand set to bring ‘kōrero’ and ‘kai’ to Barcelona for IBTM World

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12th Oct, 2018
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IBTM today announced that Tourism New Zealand is returning to IBTM World after an eight-year hiatus. The organisation is bringing four partners to Barcelona; including New Zealand International Convention Centre opening in Auckland in 2019; Te Pae convention centre, opening in 2020 in Christchurch; Te Puia, the centre for Maori culture and geothermal wonders in Rotorua and the New Zealand Maori Arts & Crafts Institute.

As part of the organisation’s drive to amplify the history and rich culture of New Zealand and its welcoming people, at the centre of the stand will be a stunning 300kg table, hand-carved from ancient reclaimed swamp kauri wood using traditional Māori techniques. A high-definition screen will showcase video and imagery for an immersive experience. Delegates will be invited to meet, converse and become friends over kōrero (a conversation) and kai (food).

Commenting on the event, Leonie Ashford, International Bids Manager from Business Events Tourism New Zealand, said: “As a destination we have some very exciting and significant new venues opening in the near future and IBTM World provides us with an unmissable opportunity to put them on a world stage. With our table we are bringing a genuine flavour of the uniquely Kiwi experience, manaakitanga – the notion that a stranger can soon become a friend after a conversation and a meal; something that is entirely relevant to us and our stand partners as we come to Barcelona to do business around the globe.”

Business Events Tourism New Zealand joins an exciting group of exhibitors already confirmed to attend IBTM World, which takes place from 27 – 29 November in Barcelona. New exhibitors for this year include Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau, Poland Convention Bureau, Regal Hotels International, San Francisco Travel Association, SIXT GmbH & Co., Global Passenger Network, Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc, Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism, Development Hong Kong Tourism, Alternative Athens, Standard Hotels and creative technology company Codemodeon.

Returning exhibitors include Hyatt Hotel Group, Hilton, Kempinski Hotels, Germany Convention Bureau, Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau, Slovenia Meetings, Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau, VisitScotland and partners, Barcelona Convention Bureau, amongst many others.

With Hosted Buyer recruitment underway, the team is on track to secure a high-profile group of event planners and buyers from across Europe, Asia & Australasia, Latin America, the Middle East, North America and Africa. Buyers already confirmed to attend include Netflix, Bayer US, AXA Financial Inc.,Diageo, Delta Air Lines - Worldwide Meetings and Events, HelmsBriscoe, InfoWatch, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Procter & Gamble, Siemens Ltd., Viacom and SONY.

In 2017 IBTM World welcomed almost 3,000 exhibiting companies from over 150 countries, 3,463 buyers and thousands of visitors for a packed schedule of meetings, networking and educational sessions. Over 74,000 pre-scheduled meetings between exhibitors and buyers were arranged over the three days

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