IMEX Frankfurt, one of the largest and most significant trade shows in the world, surpassed last year's figures in this year's edition, hosting 12,000 meetings professionals, including over 4,000 hosted buyers. From the 14th until the 16th of May, more than 60,000 pre-scheduled meetings were held between buyers and exhibitors, whose number also increased significantly this year – over 3,800 from 170 countries. The notable growth in exhibitor markets and thousands of buyers with long-term plans for event organization demonstrated that the global MICE industry is once again advancing on solid foundations.
The Dubrovnik Tourist Board’s Convention Bureau also participated in this specialized MICE fair as part of the Croatian stand organized by the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ). Croatia had a larger stand this year and twice as many co-exhibitors. A total of 28 Croatian tourism entities, including the convention bureaus of HTZ, Zagreb, Opatija, and Dubrovnik, all presented their offerings.
In addition to individual meetings, group presentations for pre-selected buyers were held at the Croatian stand, and the Welcome Party on the first day of the fair was particularly attractive, allowing participants to win prize trips and stays at co-exhibitor hotels. Additionally, each day featured the promotion of Croatian gastronomy, with top wines and gastronomic delicacies from all over Croatia available for tasting in collaboration with the Croatian Chamber of Economy, and a presentation on Croatian olive oils.
Specific Inquiries for Conferences and Incentives in Dubrovnik
At the Dubrovnik Tourist Board’s Convention Bureau's stand, a large number of meetings were held according to a pre-arranged schedule, as well as meetings arranged at the fair itself. The buyers' interest and inquiries were specific, both for conferences and incentive trips. The majority of inquiries for Dubrovnik were related to organizing incentive trips, conferences and business meetings for up to a thousand people. Besides capacity, there was also interest in activities that business guests could engage in during their free time, and the unique experiences that Dubrovnik offers.
Dubrovnik is traditionally an attractive destination for event organizers from distant locations such as the USA, South America, Australia, India, and Asia. There is a growing number of global event organizers representing and organizing events for clients worldwide, so the country from which the buyers come is often not indicative of a specific market.
Dubrovnik Convention Bureau at the Traditional City Destinations Alliance - CVB Cafe
Congress and event professionals from associations and the corporate world gathered for a specialized educational program the day before the opening of the IMEX Frankfurt. As part of this program, the City Destinations Alliance – Meetings Knowledge Group organized the now traditional extended working meeting “CVB Cafe”.
About forty representatives of convention bureaus from Europe, including Dubrovnik, participated in the meeting. In a special part of the program, discussions were held on pre-set topics in “Round table discussions: True or False”. The Dubrovnik Tourist Board's Convention Bureau participated and led the discussion on the topic “Sustainability is not at the centre of attention of associations; they only incorporate sustainable solutions out of obligation rather than genuine commitment”. After discussions on the pre-set topics, group presentations of the common conclusions followed.
