Event guide

IBTM World 2026: Connect Every Venue Contact to an Event Brief

IBTM World 2026 runs November 17–19 in Hall 3 at Fira Barcelona Gran Via. For an event planner, a venue contact becomes useful when it stays linked to dates, delegate numbers, room layouts and the proposal still to come. This guide covers the practical access details and a Habsy workflow for keeping that brief with each supplier, so the first follow-up can move a venue or destination discussion forward.

Habsy11 min read

IBTM World event guide, November 17 to 19, 2026

IBTM World at a glance

IBTM World key factsChecked Nov 4, 2026
Dates
November 17 to 19, 2026Tuesday to Thursday
Exhibition hours
Nov 17: 08:45–18:00; Nov 18: 08:45–19:00; Nov 19: 08:45–17:00Published show hours, local time
Venue
Fira Barcelona Gran Via, Hall 3Accés Sud; L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona area
Entry
Relevant professional/business visitors; register aheadBadge required. Under-18s need prior written organiser approval; buyer programmes have separate terms.
Official website
ibtmworld.comConfirm details before you travel

Who exhibits and who attends IBTM World?

A corporate planner may be comparing meeting rooms and hotel capacity, while an association or agency may need a destination partner and a longer proposal process. Record the event brief before sorting a contact as promising: dates, delegate numbers, room setup, accommodation requirements, decision owner and the document or availability check requested. This makes the next message specific without turning the follow-up template into a long form.

Who exhibits

  • Convention bureaus and destination teams
  • Hotels and meeting venues
  • Destination management companies
  • Event-technology providers
  • Event services and hospitality suppliers

Who attends

  • Corporate meetings and events planners
  • Association event teams
  • Agency and incentive-travel buyers
  • Venue sourcing professionals
  • Event-technology decision-makers

The organiser lists Hall 3 and the Accés Sud entrance. Group appointments by destination or supplier type, and allow time between meetings using the current floor plan. Keep your own registration category separate from Hosted Buyer qualification, and note that Wednesday’s published show hours extend later.

How to prepare for IBTM World with Habsy

Most of the work happens before you reach Barcelona. Set up Habsy once and every conversation at the show ends with a saved contact, the context you need and a next step.

If you are visiting

Before you fly

  1. 1

    Create your Professional digital card

    Share your details by QR code, NFC or link instead of paper cards.

  2. 2

    Add your Business digital card

    Your company profile and brochures, for partners and suppliers you meet.

  3. 3

    Create a IBTM World category

    Plus the visitor intent signals below, to sort vendors by fit later.

  4. 4

    Turn on Send my digital card back

    Everyone you scan gets your card automatically.

If you are exhibiting

Before you fly, for every rep

  1. 1

    Install Habsy on every rep's phone

    Give each rep a digital card, plus one Business digital card for the company.

  2. 2

    Set up intent signals and templates

    Every rep qualifies and follows up the same way, by email or WhatsApp.

  3. 3

    Add an enquiry form to your card

    Print its QR code on the booth so visitors leave details when you are busy.

  4. 4

    Create a IBTM World campaign

    Bringing several reps? Every scan lands in one live list.

How to set up Habsy before IBTM World

Five steps, in the order the app walks you through them. Visitors need steps 1 to 3. Exhibitors should do all five.

1. Create your digital business cards

Every Habsy account includes two free digital cards under MyQR: a Professional digital card for you and a Business digital card for your company, with your services and brochures. Habsy's AI builds them from your LinkedIn profile and website, or from a photo of your own business card. Share them by QR code, NFC or link. The person you share with opens your card in their browser, with no app needed, and saves your contact in one tap. Add an enquiry form so visitors who scan your card leave their details and are saved as a new contact.

Create your digital business cardsHabsy
  1. Professional digital card in Habsy, ready to share at IBTM World

    1Your Professional digital card

  2. Business digital card in Habsy with the company profile, ready to share at IBTM World

    2Your Business digital card

  3. Sharing a Habsy digital card by QR code, NFC or link at IBTM World

    3Share by QR code, NFC or link

2. Add intent signals

Intent signals are tap-to-answer questions you fill in for every contact, so every rep records the same details in seconds. In Settings, open Manage Intent Signals, then tap Create with AI to get suggestions from your website, or Create Manually to add the set below.

Set up intent signalsHabsy
  1. Manage Intent Signals in Habsy, set up before IBTM World

    1Open Manage Intent Signals

  2. Reviewing the intent signals Habsy suggests for IBTM World

    2Review the signals Habsy suggests

  3. Tapping intent signal answers after scanning a contact at IBTM World

    3Tap the answers after each scan

Intent signals for IBTM World
Organization typeSingle choice
  • Corporate buyer
  • Association
  • Event agency
  • Incentive agency
  • Venue operator
RoleSingle choice
  • Event director
  • Meeting planner
  • Sourcing manager
  • Association manager
Interested inMultiple choice
  • Meeting venues
  • Destinations
  • Incentive programmes
  • Event technology
  • Event services
Buying timelineSingle choice
  • Within 3 months
  • 3 to 6 months
  • 6 to 12 months
  • Researching
Meetings in scopeNumber
Enter a number
Next stepSingle choice
  • Request a proposal
  • Send venue details
  • Arrange a site discussion
  • Introduce a colleague

Add them in Settings, Manage Intent Signals, with Create Manually, or start with Create with AI and adjust the options to match what you sell or what you are looking for.

3. Create a IBTM World category

Create a category called IBTM World and set it as your default for the days of the event, so every contact you scan at the show is filed under it automatically. After the show, use it as a filter to export only your IBTM World contacts to Excel, CSV or VCF in one step. Exhibitors on Habsy Platform can also use the IBTM World category to track how the event performed: contacts captured, companies reached, intent signals and each rep's results.

Create and add a categoryHabsy
  1. Creating a IBTM World category in Habsy

    1Create the category

  2. Choosing the IBTM World category when saving a contact

    2Pick it when you save a contact

  3. The IBTM World category shown on a saved contact

    3Find it on every contact

4. Set up your email and WhatsApp templates

Connect your email account or WhatsApp Business account in Settings before the show. Then, with Send email or WhatsApp template turned on in your Card Preferences, your follow-up goes out from your own account the moment you save a scanned contact. The visitor often has your message, and your digital card, before they leave your booth. It shows you are organized and quick to respond, and it puts you ahead of every exhibitor who follows up next week. To write the template, open Email Templates or WhatsApp Templates in Settings, describe the message, and Habsy's AI writes it. Add variables such as the contact's name and company so every message is personal. Here is a template you can copy for IBTM World:

IBTM World follow-up template
NameIBTM venue and event-brief follow-up
SubjectFollowing up from IBTM World: venue information and your event brief

Hi {{recipient.name}},

It was good meeting you at IBTM World in Barcelona.

I would be happy to share venue and destination information to help {{recipient.company}} review options for its meetings and events.

Would room layouts and accommodation details be useful first, or would you prefer a short discussion about your dates, delegate numbers and proposal requirements?

Best regards,
{{user.name}}
{{user.company}}

Words in braces are variables. Habsy fills them in from each contact and from your profile when you send.

Set up your templatesHabsy
  1. AI writing a follow-up template for IBTM World contacts in Habsy

    1Let AI write the template

  2. WhatsApp follow-up templates saved for IBTM World contacts

    2Save your WhatsApp templates

  3. Email follow-up templates saved for IBTM World contacts

    3Save your email templates

5. Set your Card Preferences

Choose what Habsy does each time you save a contact, once in Settings or per save. It runs in the background while you move on to the next conversation.

Set onceDefaults in Settings, or change them per save
Runs in the backgroundNo waiting between conversations
Works for every saveSingle scans, batches and manual entries
Card PreferencesAfter every save
Company and profile details (AI)Look up the company and the person automatically
Send email or WhatsApp templateYour follow-up template goes out right after save
Send my digital card backThey get your card while you are still talking
Sync to CRMPushed to Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho CRM, Dynamics 365, Odoo, Zapier or any of the 10+ CRM integrations

Elena Torres saved at IBTM World · 4 steps running in the background

Email, WhatsApp and CRM steps need the matching integration.

How to capture every contact at IBTM World

Use one app for every contact you make, wherever you make it: at the booth, in a session, at a reception or over dinner. Every rep and every visitor captures contacts on their own phone, free and with no scan limit, and every contact lands in one list with your category, intent signals and notes.

Capture every contactHabsy
  1. Scanning a business card with Habsy at IBTM World

    1Scan a business card

  2. Scanning an event badge QR code with Habsy at IBTM World

    2Scan a badge QR code

  3. Typing in a contact with manual entry in Habsy at IBTM World

    3Type it in with manual entry

  • Badges: point the Habsy scanner at a badge and Habsy reads the attendee's details from its QR code. If a badge holds only a registration number, scan the person's business card or type them in.
  • Business cards: scan each card in seconds, or switch to Batch and scan up to 150 cards in about 5 minutes without leaving the camera. Habsy reads cards in 200+ languages.
  • QR codes: scan digital business cards from any provider, LinkedIn QR codes and contact QR codes.
  • NFC: turn on NFC on the scan screen, then hold an NFC business card or an NFC event badge to the back of your phone. Habsy reads the contact and saves it, with no camera needed.
  • Manual entry: no card and no QR code? Choose Manual and type the details in.
  • Offline: capture continues when the hall Wi-Fi is busy, and contacts process once you reconnect.

IBTM World also offers official lead retrieval through Lead Manager App, ordered through the exhibitor services. Habsy works on its own or next to it. For more, read lead capture vs lead retrieval.

How to add context while you talk

A contact without context is hard to follow up. Before the next conversation starts, add what you discussed and what you promised.

  • Intent signals: tap the answers on the review screen after each scan.
  • Voice notes: tap Add Voice Note and say what they need. Habsy turns it into a searchable transcript.
  • Text notes: type a quick note, such as "Venue layouts and dates for 3 meetings".
  • Reminders: in 1 hour, in 4 hours, tomorrow at 9 AM or any date and time, with a repeat and an alarm. All of them appear in My reminders.

Here is what a contact from IBTM World looks like with context added:

ET

Elena Torres

Event Director, Blue Lantern Events

IBTM World

Intent signals

  • Corporate buyer
  • Event director
  • Meeting venues
  • 3 to 6 months
  • 3 meetings
  • Request a proposal

Notes

Sourcing venues for 3 meetings; needs room layouts, availability and a proposal discussion.

0:42 · "Send layouts and availability for our 3 meetings, then we can agree a proposal call."

Reminder

Friday, 9:00 AM · Send venue layouts and availability

Illustrative example: fictional person, company and buying requirements; not an actual attendee record.

Going to IBTM World?

Your digital card and lead capture in one app.

Unlimited scanning, text notes, reminders and exports are free. Categories, voice notes, intent signals and templates require Habsy Plus. Habsy Platform is separately priced for teams.

What to do in Habsy after IBTM World

The show ends on Thursday, November 19. What you do in the next 48 hours decides how many of those conversations turn into meetings, partners or deals.

If you visited: pick up the conversations you started

  • See who looked at your card: open QR analytics to see how many people viewed and saved your digital card, how they engaged and where.
  • Save and call back: save vendors to your phone contacts, and set a reminder to call back the ones you want to hear more from.
  • Drop a message: Habsy writes a short email or WhatsApp message for any contact, mentioning where you met.
  • Export and share: export your IBTM World category to Excel, CSV or VCF, by date range, with a copy sent to your email, and share the shortlist with your team.
QR analyticsYour card at IBTM World
186Card views
64Contacts saved
21Enquiries
47Link clicks

Top locations

Barcelona142
Madrid18
London11

Example numbers.

Pick up after the showHabsy
  1. Exporting IBTM World contacts from Habsy to Excel, CSV or VCF

    1Export to Excel, CSV or VCF

  2. Setting a call-back reminder for a IBTM World contact

    2Set a reminder to call back

  3. Sending a quick follow-up message to a IBTM World contact

    3Send a quick message

If you exhibited: follow up within 48 hours

  • Thursday evening: batch scan any cards left in your pockets and check that every contact has a note.
  • Friday: filter by intent signals, such as "Book a demo" and "Within 3 months", and send your IBTM World template to the hottest contacts first.
  • Send at scale: select several contacts on the home screen, choose email or WhatsApp and a template, and send to all of them.
  • Next week: work through the rest by reminder, sync qualified contacts to your CRM, and export the list to Excel, CSV or VCF.
Follow up within 48 hoursHabsy
  1. Writing a personal follow-up with AI for a IBTM World contact

    1Write the follow-up with AI

  2. Picking an email or WhatsApp template for each IBTM World contact

    2Pick a template for each contact

  3. Selecting several IBTM World contacts to send one follow-up

    3Select several contacts and send

For more message ideas, see our follow-up email templates.

Exhibiting with a team? Run IBTM World on Habsy Platform

When several reps work the booth, the hard part is not capturing leads. It is knowing, during the show and after it, who met whom, who is hot and who follows up. Habsy Platform is the web dashboard for that, at app.habsy.ai. Reps keep scanning in the app, and the manager sees everything in one place.

app.habsy.ai

Habsy Platform campaign dashboard with total cards, companies, enrichment, engagement score and intent signals, as a team sees it for IBTM World
A Habsy Platform campaign dashboard: totals, enrichment, engagement and intent signals for one event.
  • One campaign for IBTM World: every rep's contacts land in one live list, by rep and by day.
  • Clear ownership: assign contacts, set reminders, and get alerts when two reps meet the same person.
  • Follow-up from one place: sync to your CRM and run email sequences, WhatsApp and LinkedIn outreach for the whole team.

The IBTM World post-event report

When the show ends, Habsy turns your IBTM World contacts into a post-event report: what your team captured, who you met, what they told you through your intent signals, and a dossier on every company with how well it fits your business. Use it to decide who to call first and whether the next edition is worth the booth. Here is what it could look like for IBTM World, with example data:

Post-event report · IBTM World

IBTM World post-event report overviewEvent details, totals, capture quality and key observations for an example report.POST-EVENT REPORTIBTM WorldExport all dataVENUEFira Barcelona Gran ViaDATESNovember 17 to 19, 2026TYPETrade show · B2BREPS8 reps scanning186COMPANIES212CARDS205/212CONTACT ON CARD57REQUEST A PROPOSALCAPTURE QUALITYEmail on card201/212Phone on card188/212Named person209/212Intent signals filled164/212Voice notes72/212KEY OBSERVATIONS64 of 186 companies are corporate buyers.Meeting venues is the top interest.41 contacts plan to buy within 3 months.38 contacts hold C-level titles.Tuesday, November 17 was the busiest day at the booth.

Overview: what your team captured at IBTM World, how complete it is, and what stands out.

Habsy Platform has one team price, with no per-event or per-lead fees. See Habsy for teams or explore the platform.

Bottom line

Save the event brief, space requirements, decision date and proposal owner with each venue or destination contact so IBTM World meetings lead to useful follow-up. Visitors: create your digital card and scan every card and badge you collect. Exhibitors: set up intent signals and templates before you fly, capture every contact in one app, and follow up within 48 hours. See event lead capture with Habsy.

Bringing a team to IBTM World and other events this year? See how Habsy works for sales teams, or book a demo of Habsy Platform.

Habsy is not affiliated with RX. Event details come from the official IBTM World website and can change.

Keywords

  • IBTM World 2026
  • IBTM Barcelona
  • IBTM venue and hours
  • event planner contacts
  • venue sourcing
  • IBTM supplier follow-up
  • Lead Manager IBTM

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where is IBTM World 2026?
What are the daily IBTM World opening hours?
Who is eligible to attend, and can under-18s enter?
Is a visitor registration the same as Hosted Buyer approval?
What information should accompany a venue or destination contact?
How should I compare venue enquiries after the show?
What official contact-capture tools does IBTM World offer?
Does Habsy provide access to IBTM badge records?
What should an IBTM World follow-up message focus on?
Which Habsy features are free or paid?

Going to IBTM World?

Capture every contact you make in Barcelona.

Keep the event brief, venue requirements and proposal owner with each contact, so your next message advances the meeting you actually had.