Thompson has spent the last 14 years in the industry producing award-winning events for the likes of Haymarket Exhibitions, BBC, Informa, Daily Mail Group and Clarion Events. He brings with him an international perspective having organised exhibitions and conferences across Europe, the Middle East and the US. In his previous role at Clarion, Thompson ran a portfolio of security events which each year played host to over 15,000 attendees from more than 100 countries, building strong relationships with government and industry.

Shane Hannam, portfolio director, IBTM, comments: “We are delighted to have David join us as Exhibition Director for IBTM World. David has an excellent track record of delivering commercially successful customer-focused events and I’m excited to work alongside him as we continue to build on the success of last year’s record-breaking event.”

Thompson commented: “I’m thrilled to join IBTM World and look forward to working with the team and the global MICE community both of whom are integral in building this incredible event. With the event now just six weeks away, I’ll be supporting the team as they reach the climax of the event cycle and will be immersing myself in the sector to engage with as many of the stakeholders as possible. I am keen to bring my global experience and passion for innovation in events to the role and I’m excited about building for the future.”

IBTM World 2018 takes place from 27–29 November at Fira Gran Via in Barcelona. This year the event will welcome around 3,000 exhibiting companies from 150 countries, over 3,500 buyers.