“Now, more than ever, it is essential that we support and nurture innovation in the industry,” said IBTM World event director David Thompson.
Barcelona – IBTM World, which takes place in Barcelona from 1 to 3 December, has launched an investment and mentoring programme for event industry entrepreneurs.
Introduced in 2019, the Event Business Accelerator (EBA) offers participants with an idea, product or service related to the events industry the opportunity to be mentored via workshops, webinars and one-on-one sessions with industry veterans as they scale their ideas, before taking part in a live pitch to potential investors at the trade show.
This year’s mentors are Richard John, chief operating officer of Realise, a specialist events services and training agency; Giorgia Sanfiori, executive and team coach; Viona Terleth, a business and personal development expert in the international MICE Industry; serial entrepreneur Majbritt Sandberg; and Ingrid Rip, a certified event designer and trainer.
The panel who will be judging the live pitches includes Lori Pugh Marcum – co-creator of the IBTM EBA and head of meeting innovation for Meeting Professionals International; David Preston, CEO of Realise; Mark Riches, advisor, NED and SME Investor; and Jason Allen Scott, a serial entrepreneur, author and keynote speaker.
IBTM World event director, David Thompson, said: “Now, more than ever, it is essential that we support and nurture innovation in the industry and this initiative aims to do this in a comprehensive and sustained way... we’re looking forward to supporting more new ideas and businesses through this year’s scheme.”
Applications for the Event Business Accelerator opened on 1 July 2020 and will close on 31 August 2020. Finalists will be selected and announced in mid-September. Visit https://www.ibtmworld.com for more information.