IFTM Top Resa: between a return to normality and new horizons

The conference to present theIFTM Top Resa 2022 was held on Tuesday in the hushed and majestic setting of the Bibliothèque Musicale La Grange Fleuret (BLGF), the new address for the MICE in the 8th arrondissement. An opportunity for the event's new director, Laurence Gaborieauto take stock of her vision for the show, the changes she intends to make to it, and the " fundamentals "that we need to preserve. " There are quite a few changes, but the fundamentals are good and we haven't turned everything upside down.says Laurence Gaborieau. " IFTM Top Resa is a show apart We're all about emotion, and conviviality is in the DNA of the event. "she stresses. With the ambition of " putting visitors back at the heart of the show" Laurence Gaborieau had her ear to the ground: " I made a point of listening to travel agents, travel managers and business travel. It was important to hear what they had to say, and we're giving them a say in the 2022 edition″.. In addition to a buyers' programme that has been reworked to make it more attractive, this attention will also be reflected in the Conversations. This new format bringing together travel agents and experts is intended to be more intimate than a traditional conference (seating for around 70), even if the size of theAgora has been scaled back, and as a result these events will be held in a smaller format than in previous years. " We're all about co-construction and collaboration".says the IFTM Top Resa director. Objective: " breaking codes by presenting sensitive issues in a more humble way and raising awareness so that everyone can work together more effectively to achieve a common goal"..

Other new features this year 44th edition in the business travel sector: two new partnerships signed with the GBTA and theACOAwhich will therefore coexist with its historical ally, theAFTM. There will also be two new themed areas, the Attractiveness Village and a Sustainable Tourism Area. Another platform, Vimeet, will be used to organise business meetings in a dedicated area or on the relevant stands. " The sector has been hit hard, and we needed to provide it with effective tools to ensure a real return on investment.explains Laurence Gaborieau. She also points out that there has been no increase in stand prices this year.

Hybrids still the order of the day, a MICE zone in 2023

This Top Resa 2022 will mark the return to a "normal" trade show, in the sense that the regulatory constraints of the previous edition (masks, restrictions) will no longer apply this year in Hall 1. It will not, however, mark a return to pre-pandemic levels. The increase in the number of exhibitors (+41%) compared to last year's repeat edition will not be enough to make up the shortfall compared to a " normal year " : " We have not yet caught up with the 2019 level; we are more like minus 27%." says Laurence Gaborieau. However, the new management can pride itself on having had to turn down ten or so late destinations.. 170 destinations - including MoroccoThe country in the spotlight at Top Resa 2022 - and 1,060 brands are expected to attend. Porte de Versailles120 conferences will be held over the three days of the show (20 to 22 September): a tighter schedule and programme of conferences, with extended opening hours. It should be noted that the IFTM will retain a hybrid dimension, insofar as all the conferences and new Conversations will be streamed. All these factors are driving the new IFTM Top Resa management to promise " a very fine 2022 edition "Olivia Grégoire, Minister for Tourism, is expected to attend. while already looking to the future. From next year, Laurence Gaborieau plans toinclude a dedicated MICE zoneand further developments are under consideration.