The challenge
Every year IBTM World brings buyers and suppliers from the meetings, incentives, conferences and events industry to Fira Barcelona. Hosted Buyers are buyers invited by the show organisers, who arrive from all over the world with packed appointment schedules.
Meliá wanted to welcome them the night before the opening at one of its Barcelona hotels. The challenge had a particular twist: the audience was made up of people who organise events themselves and see dozens of proposals a year. The evening had to be comfortable for people who had just arrived, make it easy for industry professionals to reconnect and show what the hotel can do as an events venue.
What we did
- Concept. We proposed a Great Gatsby party: the 1920s, glamour and swing, a theme easy for an international audience to grasp and well suited to an elegant staging.
- Venue. We worked in the Sky Room at the Meliá Barcelona Sky hotel, a high-rise space with views over the city.
- Theming and photo spot. Period décor, a branded photo spot and costumed performers to greet guests.
- Games and music. We included games and live swing music to break the ice between buyers from different countries.
- Food. The menu was created by a Top Chef contestant and designed to be served standing.
The result
Meliá welcomed the IBTM Hosted Buyers with an evening of reunions at its own hotel, showing a professional audience how the Sky Room works as an events space. Guests started show week with an informal first contact with the brand.
An event for the MICE industry is a demanding test: your audience knows exactly what to look for. In trade show events we explain how we approach these occasions, and in incentive travel, how we design programmes for groups of guests. We have also produced Meliá's 2025 Members Fest (see case study).
Is your company hosting buyers or clients during a trade show in Barcelona? Get in touch.
