IBTM has revealed human connection specialist and award-winning author, Simone Heng, will be a keynote speaker at its flagship IBTM World event. Simone is part of an electrifying line-up of speakers at the leading global trade show who will amplify the unparalleled power of events to offer personal experiences.

With a mission to inspire people to connect, Simone has shared her wisdom with organisations including the United Nations, Harvard University and Google.

Her book, Let’s Talk About Loneliness, is the winner of the 2024 Silver Nautilus Book Award for Social Change & Social Justice.

Opening the Main Stage on day two of the show, which celebrates its 20^th anniversary at the iconic Fira de Barcelona from November 19 to 21, Simone will deliver an enthralling session on ‘The power of human connection’. In today’s diverse and often polarised world, attendees will have the opportunity to discover techniques for forging meaningful relationships across divides, and why these connections are imperative as humans move deeper into the age of artificial intelligence.

Expert insight

In a compelling conference programme which champions the idea of ‘People Power Potential’, a range of pioneering speakers will exemplify the connection that unites all event professionals: a belief that what people need to succeed is other people. Reflecting this, the conference programme features fascinating tracks on Experience Design and Marketing, amongst others.

This includes speakers such as Heather Gallagher, Former Chief Technology Officer & Head of Design at Burning Man, who will lead a scintillating talk on the Main Stage exploring how Burning Man grew from a small gathering into a global cultural movement, without the use of traditional marketing. Taking place on day one and titled ‘From gathering to global: the transformational journey of Burning Man’, Heather will use vivid images and playful interactive elements to guide attendees through personal and collective experiences that ignite deep connections, lasting memories and a fiercely loyal community.

In a riveting session as part of IBTM World’s new Exceptional Experiences programme, Jameka Pankey, Head of Experiences for Artist at Amazon Music, will explore ‘Turning events into cultural experiences’. Featuring on the Main Stage on day two of the show, Jameka will share her insight into reframing briefs through an experiential lens to elevate events from the ordinary to the extraordinary.

Industry heavyweights Jimmy Knowles, Global Head of Experiential at Canva, and Madolyn Grove, Creator Community at TikTok, will follow and share their experiences of creating strong global brand propositions. Titled ‘Building and expanding a world-class event brand – what differentiates good from great?’, the captivating session will and delve into the importance of brand equity as an intangible asset, and its impact on creating events which are market-leading.

Delving deeper

Goc O’Callaghan, Global Experience Lead at Buro Happold, will take to the Main Stage to deliver a stimulating session on ‘The global shift towards experientialism’. Taking place on day one, Goc will bring to life new research and understanding about how experience design is changing the way people live and work around the world. This is as well as how the experience economy is adapting to revolutionary technological changes, and how all this filters into experience design in the meetings and events world.

Leading a thought-provoking session on the subject of consent is Intimacy Coordinator at Sam Murray On Set, Samantha Murray. Having worked on some of the world’s most high-profile film sets, Samantha will share her expertise to support event organisers and delegates to create safer, respectful and more inclusive spaces. The absorbing session, which is titled ‘The importance of common consent, from a Hollywood intimacy coordinator’, will run on the Main Stage on day one of IBTM World. 

Sharing her insights on the psyche of modern-day delegates is Jules Griffith, Director of Sales & Marketing at mccglc. Titled ‘Behavioural psychology and how it impacts people and events’, Jules’ engaging session will feature on the Main Stage on day two of IBTM World and consider how event professionals adapt to changing audiences and create events that resonate in this new landscape.

Claudia Hall, Exhibition Director at IBTM World, said: “This year’s conference programme is an uplifting and exhilarating tribute to people, the power of working together, and the limitless potential that can be achieved when we do so. We’re delighted that so many incredible speakers are prepared to share their wisdom with our wonderful community who are always so eager to learn, so ready to be inspired, and so prepared to engage.

“All sessions are carefully curated to ensure maximum benefit for attendees, and I can’t wait to watch our industry come together and put the building blocks in place to create an even greater, more dynamic and thriving events industry of the future.”

For more information on the 2024 conference programme, please visit: https://www.ibtmworld.com/en-gb/whats-on/conference-programme.html#/sessions/day/1.