You’ve booked your ticket for World Travel Market, now you need to plan meetings with key contacts. Follow our guide on how to get the most out of this year’s event.
Planning a meeting
The most efficient way to ensure you meet key contacts is by signing up to the Personal Event Planner.
When you pre-register to attend WTM, you will receive literature asking you to give details about your business interest by product, sector and geographical location.
WTM then sends out a PEP, with details of exhibitors matching your preferences.
Log-in details to access your PEP will be sent with your badge. This enables you to make appointments online. If you forget your PEP on arrival, you can access it from one of the terminals in the central boulevard.
There’s also exhibitor-to-exhibitor PEPs. The advanced Super PEP makes it even more convenient for exhibitors to conduct business with other exhibitors. It works by matching visitors’ business interests, preferences of sector, product categories and geographical regions with exhibitors and their products.
Meeting venues
Quick coffee
Costa Coffee at the west entrance is perfect for a quick catch-up, and there are plenty of places dotted around the halls to wet your whistle.
Business lunch
There’s no shortage of places to eat at ExCeL to take associates for lunch. Try Caribbean Scene (020 7511 2023; nearest tube: Royal Victoria Station DLR) in the nearby Royal Victoria Dock for traditional island cuisine prepared by ex-Ivy chef Anthony Cumberbatch.
Sample some pan-seared saber fish at the new Kombu Japanese restaurant (020 7474 1459; nearest tube: Royal Victoria Station DLR), also in the Royal Victoria Dock.
Over drinks
If you’ve tried the bars near ExCeL, venture into town for cocktails. Try the Barcelona Tapas Bar in Lime Street (020 7929 2389; nearest tube: Monument) or, for late night drinking, try funky Mangos on Pennington Street in St Katherine’s (020 7488 9000; nearest tube: Tower Hill).
Formal dinner
From ExCeL, the City is the most accessible part of London. Try Aurora at the Great Eastern Hotel in Liverpool Street (020 7618 7000; nearest tube: Liverpool Street) or Le Coq d’Argent on Poultry (020 7395 5000; nearest tube Bank/DLR).
Booking a meeting room
At ExCeL
Meridian Club members can use the Meridian lounges dotted around the venue. You can also book private meeting rooms near the lounges, although not before WTM week.
Exhibitors can book meeting rooms at ExCeL by using the forms sent out with the exhibition manuals. To organise press conferences, contact Karsalie Hervey on 01580 201 178.
Elsewhere
To book a meeting room outside ExCeL but close by at the Royal Victoria Dock, try the Premier Travel Inn (020 7540 2266), which has one meeting room suitable for 12 to 15 people priced at £220 per day.
Alternatively, the Crowne Plaza has a choice of nine meeting rooms, the smallest of which seats 14 people and costs £400 for the full day. Call 020 7055 2112 to book.
If you want to book a meeting room by the hour, try the Novotel (020 7055 1906), which charges £65 for a meeting room suitable for 10 people.
