Leading North American Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Events (Mice) industry event, ibtm america, will be held this June at the newly renovated The Diplomat Beach Resort, in Hollywood, Florida.

The hotel has been reinvented in the spirit of South Florida following a comprehensive $100 million refurbishment.

During ibtm america, which takes place from June 14 – 16, an elite group of upwards of 370 Hosted Buyers and exhibitors will experience a taste of Florida’s legendary hospitality both at the hotel and by exploring the wider region.

Jaime McAuley, event director - ibtm america, said: “We’re very excited to be bringing our event to South Florida this year and to be working with The Diplomat Beach Resort and Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau to showcase the region to our delegates.

“Together we’ve created a fantastic itinerary which, along with two days of one-to-one business meetings, combines an experiential tour of Greater Fort Lauderdale, a familiarisation tour of The Diplomat Beach Resort as well as a luncheon in aid of ‘Clean the World’, where delegates will assemble hygiene kits for relief organisations.”

"The Diplomat Beach Resort is thrilled to welcome this elite group to experience all that our self-contained resort has to offer - including over 200,000 square feet of flexible function and meeting space, a collection of 10 bold culinary experiences led by Chefs Geoffrey Zakarian and Michael Schulson, as well as recreation entertainment options on-site” said Ed Walls, general manager of The Diplomat Beach Resort.

“Ibtm america gives us a great opportunity to connect with some of the international Mice industry’s highest profile meetings and event bookers and buyers. They will be able to see this brilliant oceanfront setting first-hand. Located just minutes from both Miami and Fort Lauderdale, we truly are South Florida’s premier resort for everything from small meetings to large-scale conferences.”

Taking place in a new location each year to showcase a different destination for events within North America and to attract a new pool of Hosted Buyers, ibtm america consistently attracts first-class global exhibitors and high profile Hosted Buyers with an average annual budget of almost $17 million.

Christine Roberts, vice president, Convention Sales and Services at the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, said: “Greater Fort Lauderdale is such a vibrant and diverse region and we’re very excited to be working with ibtm america to showcase its highlights to such a high profile international group. The destination’s offerings for the meetings and events industry is second-to-none. We are confident the event will be another great success for ibtm events and, longer term, for the Greater Fort Lauderdale MICE industry.”

The show’s ‘pod’ format means exhibitors and Hosted Buyers can meet on a 1:1 level and a bespoke matchmaking service ensures the best possible connections are made, with over 4,000 meetings held on average during the event and almost $10 million of business placed as a result of the 2016 show.

Attending 30 appointments over two days of the three day event, the select group of Hosted Buyers who qualify through the application process has access to a full itinerary of networking and immersive events curated specifically with the aim of making valuable business connections.
 
On the event floor, the format allows for meetings to take place around the event’s ‘Central Hub’ where attendees can take part in multiple breakout sessions with industry experts invited to share knowledge and best practices.  In addition, a full educational programme will include a host of speakers from across the industry delivering sessions designed specifically to support business success. - TradeArabia News Service