VIP Hosts
Those entitled to receive VIP Hosted Buyer status must be nominated by sponsors, exhibitors, partners and others, designated by BTM as VIP Hosts.
VIP Hosts can be sponsors, exhibitors, suppliers, media owners or consultants. In fact, anyone with a network of corporate travel buyers.
VIP Hosts receive security-protected access to the BTM registration system to monitor their invited groups’ registrations, and must commit to the following.
- To deliver at least 10 qualified buyers registering for Hosted Buyer status (10 buyers = 1 group)
- To co-ordinate all responses and administer their hosted group(s)
- To help ensure that all information relating to their hosted buyers is complete & accurate
- To ensure their hosted buyers are aware of all programme arrangements
- To be aware of and advise Business Travel Market immediately of any cancellations
VIP Host incentive programme
VIP Hosts receive €50 for each VIP Hosted Buyer invited by that Host who registers for, and attends Business Travel Market. Payment can be taken as a cash (cheque) payment or a pro-rata reduction in cost of pre-booked exhibition space.
Hotels and serviced apartment providers who accommodate VIP Hosted Buyers in their own properties, at their own cost, also receive a discount on their exhibition space.
1 complimentary place for each Group Host (based on 10 hosted buyers attending).
Hosted Buyer invitation process
VIP Hosts must submit their lists of proposed VIP Hosted Buyers to Business Travel Market for approval by 1st December 2009.
All nominations will be de-duplicated and verified, with an approved list of buyers to be invited being supplied to each host in January 2010.
Each VIP Host will be given password-protected access to the BTM system, through which all invitations must be issued, and through which all VIP Hosted Buyers register for the event.
VIP Hosts are responsible for issuing invitations to their nominated VIP Hosted Buyers, suggested text for which will be sent to each Host. VIP Hosts may personalize their invitations, but may only issue them via the BTM system.
Each VIP Hosted Buyer will complete an online registration using their Host’s unique reference number. It is not possible to transfer Hosted Buyers between groups.
After registering, each VIP Hosted Buyer is sent a unique login and password to access the registration system, review or amend their details and request or accept meetings using the appointments diary.
Appointments diary
When registering, a profile of each hosted buyer is created including demographic information about managed spend by sector, region and so on.
These profiles are fully compliant with EU data protection legislation and are visible only to sponsors, exhibitors and the Hosted Buyer. No direct contact details are visible.
The profiles allow Hosted Buyers to request meetings with exhibitors, and vice versa. Meetings are only confirmed if both parties agree to meet. Confirming a meeting automatically closes out that time slot in the Hosted Buyer’s appointments diary.
Official travel & accommodation partners
Buyers invited by VIP Hosts who are hoteliers, airlines or transport providers will normally travel with, or be accommodated by that partner (i.e. hosted buyer X is invited by Y Hotels, and stays in Y Hotels’ London property).
Others will be hosted by official partner hotels, and will travel on official carriers. Whilst every attempt will be made to accommodate a Hosted Buyer’s wishes, it may be necessary to allocate an alternative hotel or carrier to that initially requested.
More information
More information can be obtained from Loraine Holdcroft, VIP Hosted Buyer Programme Director
loraine@businesstravelmarket.co.uk
Tel. +44 (0) 7767 470318
