The Convergence of First-Time Exhibitors

Nearly three months ago marked the final day of our 49^th annual Convention in Boston. GBTA Convention 2017 featured over 400 exhibitors, including nearly 100 first-time exhibitors, giving both buyers and suppliers the unique opportunity to establish new relationships as well as fortify existing ones.

GBTA has long been a proponent of face-to-face meetings and communication, so we set out on foot to speak with some of our first-time exhibitors on why they decided to participate in the world’s largest gathering of business travel professionals.

“Even though our market is everyone, we’ve found that GBTA is a great place to exhibit as it allows us exposure to a diverse range of clients. We’re talking to everyone—both traditional buyers as well as other exhibitors. Basically everyone on the floor. Medieval Times offers business travelers a unique option for entertainment, for those seeking something outside the ordinary and we offer deals such as discount ticket programs for companies and their employees…free for anyone who decides to sign up.”

– Mario Barreiro, Medieval Times | First-Time Exhibitor

 

“This is the major leagues. What we’ve found is that GBTA is the perfect storm that brings together meetings and events clients and potential partners to collaborate with…we’re talking to everyone, suppliers who have their venues on our platform and corporate buyers who want to use their products. We bring them together in an easy to use platform. We decided to exhibit because we think our services fit a unique space in the meetings industry—typically, those meeting planners and organizations looking for smaller scale meetings that are typically invisible.”

– Richard Wilder, Bizly | First-Time Exhibitor

 

“[GBTA Convention 2017] is a great place to exhibit because it allows us to connect with existing clients, meet new ones, and meet with other suppliers to explore and develop partnerships. TripLingo helps companies support their international travelers with critical safety tools, language translation and culture guides, and tools that drive significant savings around international travel- particularly on roaming costs.”

– Jesse Maddox, TripLingo | First-Time Exhibitor