Hosted buyer registration opens for The Meetings Show 2023

The Meetings Show is encouraging senior meeting and event planners to register for its popular hosted buyer programme to optimise their time and take advantage of unmissable opportunities at the event when it returns to ExCeL London on 28 and 29 June 2023.

Hosted buyers attending the UK’s leading event for the meetings and incentives industry for either one- or two-days get access to a dedicated appointments diary to book pre-scheduled meetings with exhibitors and are supported with travel, accommodation and a host of other benefits.

Those opting to engage in the three-day programme will also be invited to attend a bespoke educational experience, providing targeted content for event planners on Tuesday 27 June, before being welcomed with an exclusive evening reception at an exciting new location in London. Hosted buyers will have the opportunity to discover a venue in the heart of the city, featuring stunning views of London's iconic skyline. The venue will be announced soon.

There are also opportunities to take part in post-show fam trips to destinations around the UK and Europe, including Destination Coventry, Bristol & Bath, Q Hotels and Malta. The tours highlight the best hotels, venues and attractions and give buyers valuable first-hand experience of the destinations for future event proposals.

Registration for the programme opens as The Meetings Show launches #takethetime, a campaign encouraging time-strapped event professionals who are dealing with multiple challenges, to attend the show.

By attending the show, event professionals will have the chance to discover cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternatives, reassess budgets, find ideal suppliers, stay ahead of current trends, and streamline the event planning process, all in just a matter of days.

Jack Marczewski, portfolio event director of The Meetings Show, TEAMS Europe and Business Travel Show Europe, said: “We are excited to be opening registration for this year’s hosted buyer programme, which not only facilitates those all-important face-to-face connections between our buyer and supplier communities, but also provides a wealth of opportunities to support buyers and gives them access to exclusive events.

“We welcome applications from both domestic and European event planners keen to hold valuable meetings with the show’s diverse list of exhibitors. We don’t make appointment matches, so it’s entirely down to the buyer who they want to meet with, and with the three attendance options it provides more flexibility for those tight on time.”

Kerry Hatch, MD at agency Hatch Events and a hosted buyer in 2022, added: “The Meetings Show is fantastic for connecting and catching up with lots of hotels and destinations all in one place. The great thing about attending as a hosted buyer is having those guaranteed appointments already scheduled in before you go and being able to book meetings with the exhibitors who are most relevant to our clients.”

All hosted buyers at The Meetings Show, including associations, agencies, PCOs, corporates, incentive houses, venue-finding agencies and charities, are pre-qualified to participate based on the number and scale of events organised, budgets held and decision-making power.

Registration for The Meetings Show’s 2023 hosted buyer programme opens today (14 March). To apply, click here.

There is also an option for exhibitors to form and bring their own buyer groups to the show. For more information on becoming a group co-ordinator, click here.