The Buzz in Baltimore

On Monday afternoon, the exhibition floor at the Baltimore Convention Center was filled with the smell of sawdust and the beeps of heavy machinery on the move, as exhibitions staff readied the show floor for the inaugural The Americas Meetings & Events Exhibition (AIBTM). When it opens Wednesday, it will be the first large-scale hosted buyer event in the U.S.

AIBTM show floor under construction

In the sea of wooden packing crates, stacked furniture, and prefabricated walls and ceilings, there were lots and lots of ladders -- of hundreds of booths, many are two-story creations.

Scott Smith, an exhibits technician for Brede Exposition Services, was at work Monday on  the Visit Baltimore booth. The company builds booths of all sizes, Smith said, but was taking the elaborate construction surrounding him as a very good sign of the health of the international meetings industry.

Also noted: the record-breaking attendance at the PCMA Education Conference, co-located with AIBTM this year.

In total, approximately 3,000 meeting planners will be in Baltimore this week. Convene will be here, too -- follow us on @pcmaconvene. If you are not in Baltimore, attend virtually here.