With less than a week until the eagerly awaited IBTM World 2026 opens in Barcelona, the organisers expect to welcome nearly 12,000 international event professionals for an immersive three days of breakthrough innovations, serious business and quality connections.
With a host of new features designed to reflect the evolving needs of the business events industry, IBTM World will bring the global business events community together at the iconic Fira de Barcelona from November 17 to 19.
Centred around this year’s theme, ‘Meet the Moment’, the 2026 edition will introduce a range of new initiatives, experiences and opportunities designed to help attendees navigate industry change, explore emerging trends and make the most of their time at the show. There’s still time to be part of it, with visitor registration open ahead of the show.
Meet the Moment: event highlights
Delivered in partnership with allpoints and running across all three days of the show, IBTM Ignite is a unique programme connecting investors with the next generation of events industry businesses. Combining investment-ready support, live pitching and structured introductions to the global IBTM World community, Ignite creates a route from early potential to real commercial opportunity. 15 investors and 30 start-ups are expected to attend IBTM Ignite this year, bringing experience, networks and investment insight to a curated cohort of emerging businesses.
This year’s event places greater emphasis on event technology and services, and the expanded Event Tech & Services Zone features experiential and engagement-focused suppliers appealing to modern event planners and previous IBTM World exhibitors and event technology providers such as Cvent, vFairs, ACS Audiovisual Solutions, fielddrive, CrowdComms and Swoogo.
New for 2026 and delivered in partnership with Boldpush, AI for Events – Demo Day LIVE brings together leading AI and event tech start-ups alongside established solution providers for a curated, high-energy showcase of the technologies shaping the future of events.
As part of IBTM’s focus on creating more opportunities for people to connect, share ideas and solve challenges together, Braindate, the innovative event technology networking solution, will make its debut at this year’s event. Braindate taps into participants’ expertise and passions, helping them engage around shared topics of interest, make real human connections based on trust, and come away with unique insights and solid business partnerships.
Meanwhile, The Future Stage is where the most forward-thinking minds in the events industry come together to explore what’s next. Designed for event planners, buyers and strategists who want to stay ahead of the curve, this stage dives into up-and-coming products and services across technology, destinations, hotels and venues.
Reflecting the growing trend for more informal and interactive learning experiences, The Skills Exchange is a new collaborative learning experience where event professionals can put their ideas into practice. Whether joining a Lunch & Learn, Brain & Brew or Sip & Skills workshop, The Skills Exchange is a dynamic, community focused setting which blends curated learning with networking.
Conference highlights
This year’s conference programme centres on the theme, The Age of Disruption, with a range of sessions exploring the broader political, economic and societal landscape affecting the industry. Key content themes include AI, future trends, storytelling, branding, networking, skills exchange and event technology.
Delivering the event’s opening keynote will be historian, Sunday Times best-selling author and internationally recognised speaker Dr Eliza Filby. Filby will bring her distinctive perspective on the shifts transforming modern life in her session ‘Now and Next: Understanding People in a Changing World’.
Launching day two’s Exceptional Experiences programme, and taking place on the Main Stage so all visitors can attend, will be best-selling author and storytelling expert Will Storr, who will challenge audience expectations about how experiences are designed, remembered and shared.
Award-winning documentary filmmaker Deeyah Khan will join interviewer Oisin Lunny for ‘The Courage to Connect: How Listening Can Bridge Divides, Transform Relationships and Inspire Hope’, on Thursday 19 November at 9.15 where she will consider how her experiences can inform difficult conversations and help people find common ground.
Bringing together the business events community
Demonstrating the strong value exhibitors place on attending IBTM’s flagship show, more than 85% of this year’s suppliers are returning to the event, and multiple major business travel destinations are set to increase their presence.
Big-name returning destinations with larger representation this year include VisitScotland, Egypt, and the Italian National Tourism Destination, ENIT. Madrid, Majorca, Cyprus, Romania, the Basque Country, Switzerland, CzechTourism, Hungary, Austria and Poland are all expanding their footprint.
Reflecting its continued appeal as a dedicated showcase for the hotel and hospitality sector, the Hotel Pavilion is set to be bigger and more diverse than ever, convening a mix of returning and new brands including Gothia Towers, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, and UK hotel group Aviator.
Shaping what’s next
Claudia Hall, IBTM World Exhibition Director, said: “IBTM World offers three days like no other, bringing event professionals together in an inspiring environment filled with fresh ideas, exciting possibilities, meaningful connections and valuable business opportunities. It has always been a key date in the industry calendar, and this year we’re building on that even further, delivering more value and helping professionals prepare for what’s next through an enhanced focus on technology, innovation and the skills and insights they need to thrive in an evolving industry.”
Register to attend: https://www.ibtmworld.com/en-gb/select-tickets.html
