IBTM World 2026 — five lessons for the Benelux events market

IBTM World 2026 in Barcelona brought together more than 10,000 professionals. The five key lessons for Benelux event professionals: AI works as a tool rather than a replacement, sustainability is becoming contractual, delegate experience outweighs programme quality, hybrid continues to grow, and intimate formats are gaining prestige.

Context

IBTM World is, alongside IMEX Frankfurt, the largest international trade show for the meetings and events industry. The 2026 edition was the biggest to date, with strong representation from Asian markets.

Industry response

Dutch attendees highlighted the quality of the Spanish and Portuguese venue delegations as particularly impressive. Both countries are investing seriously in international event marketing at a level the Benelux has yet to match.

Broader perspective

International trade shows are valuable for networking and inspiration. They are less effective as a direct business tool — contracts are signed elsewhere. The real value lies in the context you take home, not the stands you visit.

Anyone attending IBTM or IMEX should know in advance who they want to meet and what they want to learn. Without that preparation, it amounts to an expensive introduction to the international events market.