The 16th edition of the Meeting and Incentive Travel Market took place with flying colors in this city that for a second time hosted this event –the first time was back in 2006- by invitations issued by the Empresa Metropolitana Quito Turismo, the nation’s Ministry of Tourism and the Quito Conventions Bureau.

The fair accepted 240 requests from congress and event planners to attend the meeting that eventually netted a massive turnout of MICE experts, thus beefing up its world-class character. These meetings have been held in Europe, North Africa and America (Mexico, Guatemala, U.S., Cuba, Ecuador, Brazil and Colombia). This year’s edition featured exhibitors from companies and organizations out of 16 nations, including 22 entities from Quito and the rest of Ecuador, plus reps from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Chile, Ecuador, U.S., El Salvador, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama and Peru. At the request of visitors and exhibitors, MITM held a thousand meetings between offer representatives and potential customers. On the offer side there were airlines, hotels, convention centers and governmental offices from the region, while the demand side featured some 58 companies, associations and travel agencies, mostly from European countries. The Palacio de Cristal at the Itchimbia Park was the setting for this event that, according to its Ecuadorean organizers, should generate approximately $20 million for the city of Quito alone in terms of accommodations, meals, shopping and tours organized by would-be MICE groups. In an exclusive conversation with Excelencias, Cecilia Perez-Balladares, head of the Panama Conventions Bureau, underscored the important presence of buyers from markets that are reaching out to Latin America, like Russia, the Czech Republic and Poland, that «must really get to further know our offers and, above all, be fully aware of what this region can guarantee to business travel».