The travel trade events calendar is usually busiest in autumn and in the first few months of the calendar year. Events are crucial to be able to forge the relationships on which this industry thrives. Visit West plan to attend many events throughout the year, promoting the whole region.
Events are usually hosted by industry bodies such as VisitBritain, UKinbound and ETOA and can be sales missions, networking events, exhibitions or pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings. There are also several shows enabling businesses to meet and interact with domestic group organisers, usually put on by specialist industry publishers.
Due to the global pandemic many events have either been postponed, gone entirely virtual or are planned to be a hybrid event for 2021. After a successful bidding process, Bristol was the host destination for the UKinbound annual convention in February 2020. This attracted many trade buyers and industry colleagues and enhanced the reputation and awareness of the city and its offer within the industry.
Regular major events include:
- ITB Berlin – the world’s biggest travel trade event taking place in Berlin each March. Major focus on buyers from the German-speaking markets
- Explore GB – Visit Britain’s flagship annual event each spring where UK businesses and destinations can meet hundreds of buyers from around the globe with pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings
- Destination Britain North America (DBNA) – a bi-annual Visit Britain event held in USA for North American buyers to have scheduled one-to-one appointments with UK suppliers
- World Travel Market (WTM) – huge event held at ExCel London each November attracting buyers from around the globe. The UK presence is usually managed by UKinbound.
Additional events include:
- UKinbound – annual convention, including B2B workshop, regular member meetings, showcases and educational seminars
- ETOA – Britain and Ireland Marketplace (BIM), City Fair, Global European Marketplace (GEM), China European Marketplace (CEN) and others
- England’s Great West Way Marketplace
Looking for information about Visit West membership? You can find out more about membership, apply to become a member, and make the most of your membership in this section.
Find out about what Visit West do, who we are and how we support Bristol, Bath and the region.
