The travel industry's leading media event ran online in the UK from 17-19 May 2021

TravMedia UK today revealed key outcomes from a highly productive IMM Virtual 2021, the three-day online event connecting the global travel industry with the UK media.

Over 175 top journalists and influencers joined the event (17-19 May 2021, www.travmedia.com/immuk), holding more than 2500 one-to-one meetings with 120 travel brands.

IMM Virtual 2021 also saw two press conferences and a travel editors' panel session, with the events attracting on average 230 delegates. Each day concluded with a networking power hour, giving delegates a free networking opportunity with large numbers of attendees. 

The entire day was delivered to delegates' PC screens with just one button click. PR representatives held meetings from branded exhibitor spaces, featuring destination backdrops, introductory videos, and downloadable media assets.

For this year, the event replaced the traditional face-to-face IMM which had been scheduled for 17-18 May at IMM's long-term home, the QEII Centre in London. 

The 'IMM Virtual' technology has now operated successfully across the world during the last year, with virtual IMMs organised by TravMedia in North America, Asia, Germany, Australia and now the UK. Tourist boards and industry bodies have also harnessed TravMedia's technology for their own meetings events.

Organisations attending included headline sponsor Tourism Australia, Meetings Manager sponsor Tenerife Tourism Corporation and organisations such as Atout France, Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, Croatian National Tourist Board, German National Tourist Office, Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, Tourism British Columbia, VisitDenmark, Visit Portugal, HF Holidays, Musée de la Romanité, and Rocky Mountaineer.

Media delegates represented titles including The Sun, Daily Mail, The Telegraph, The Guardian, Metro, The i, Evening Standard, Conde Nast Traveller, Wanderlust, National Geographic Traveller, Food & Travel, Fabulous, Bradt Travel Guides, BA High Life, France Magazine, loveEXPLORING, Lonely Planet, BBC, TTG, Selling Travel, Travel Weekly, ABTA Magazine.

Said Stuart Fyfe, Tourism Australia Public Relations Manager, International – UK and Northern Europe: “Thank you to the TravMedia team for another successful IMM. It was a highly productive few days of catching up with familiar faces and meeting new ones. The travel industry has endured such a challenging year but it was heartening to hear a lot of positivity about the future from those we met with. See you at IMM 2022!”

Added Pia Louw, Travel Industry Director, Tenerife Tourism Corporation: “IMM delivered a fantastic three-day programme with great contacts and a lot of networking and has produced excellent results already. We absolutely enjoyed participating at IMM, we've had a very positive experience talking with journalists, especially during these times when the recovery of tourism is such an industry priority. We have so many unique stories to tell about our destination and we did not miss the chance to share them during IMM. The event also gave us the chance to discuss all the exciting activities we have coming up later in the year. We will carry on working closely with UK media and make them feel inspired about our beautiful destination. We cannot wait to welcome British travellers to the island! Thanks to IMM for the opportunity!”

Said Henry Hemming, Managing Director of TravMedia UK: “Thanks to all brands and media involved, as they made this a virtual event to remember. Hopefully IMM Virtual 2021 will be remembered as the event that signalled the countdown to the resumption of travel and the return of our industry to normality.”

TravMedia also announced during the event that The TravMedia Awards, launched in 2020, will now be held this Autumn, and separated from IMM.  Amongst the most hotly contested awards will be Travel Journalist of the Year, PR Professional of the Year, and Influencer of the Year. The evening also features an Outstanding Contribution Award. The site and entry process will be launched soon, TravMedia confirmed.

Added Hemming: “We've received some wonderful feedback from delegates and look forward to seeing them face-to-face later this year for the TravMedia Awards, and then of course at the 'real' IMM next March at the QEII Centre in London.”

Since its creation in the UK in 2013, IMM has grown to become the leading global event connecting the travel industry and media, with shows held annually worldwide. Last March in London, IMM hosted almost 400 journalists and influencers, who met with over 160 travel and tourism brands.

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For information on IMM Virtual 2021:

Louise Napier

Regional Director, TravMedia

T: +44 (0)20 3440 8915 (land) and +44 (0)7817 243842 (mobile)

E: louise.napier@travmedia.com

Ends

IMM VIRTUAL 2021 EXHIBITORS:  Alabama Tourism, Amiens Tourist Board & Convention Bureau, Antibes Juan-les-Pins Tourism & Convention Bureau, Arizona Office of Tourism, Association des Parcs et Jardins de Picardie, Atlantic Loire Valley, Atout France, Aurora Expeditions, Australian Wildlife Journeys, Austrian National Tourist Office, Auvergne Atout Volcans, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Tourisme, Banff & Lake Louise Tourism, Bavaria Tourism, Blacklane, Blenheim Palace, Bonjour Québec, Brittany, Canary Islands Tourism, Cannes, Catalan Tourist Board, Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, Centre des Monuments Nationaux, Château of Chantilly, Cite du Vin, Club Med, Côte d'Azur France, Crans Montana, Croatian National Tourist Board, Cultural Attractions of Australia, Cultural Heart of Germany, Destination British Columbia, Destination Canada, Destination New South Wales, Destination Occitanie, Discover New England, Dusseldorf Tourist Board, Eurasia Trains & Tours, Floriade Expo 2022, Fredericksburg, German National Tourist Office, Glasgow Life, Golf in Northern France, Gran Canaria Tourist Board, Grenada Tourism Authority, Hauts-de-France Tourisme, Hello Lille, HF Holidays, Hong Kong Tourism Board, Inghams, IPW / U.S. Travel Association, Isere, Italian National Tourist Board, Jungfrau, Kentucky Tourism, La Vienne, Western France best kept jewel, Louisiana and Tennessee, Luxury Lodges of Australia, Marketing Manchester, Marseille Tourist Office, Medoc Atlantique - Tourism Board, Memphis & Mississippi, Musée de la Romanité, NewcastleGateshead, Nice Côte d'Azur Tourism, Normandy Tourism, Northern Territory, Nouvelle-Aquitaine Tourism Board, Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau, Orléans Val de Loire Tourisme, Pas-de-Calais Tourism, Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, Port of Seattle, Porto and North of Portugal, Preferred Hotels & Resorts, Pure Michigan, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, Raymond Gubbay, Regional Agency for Tourism Promotion "In Liguria", Rocky Mountaineer, South Australia Tourism Commission, Switzerland Tourism, Tarn-et-Garonne Tourisme, Tenerife Tourism Corporation, The Florida Keys & Key West, The Lake Geneva Region (Canton of Vaud), The Royal Commission for AlUla, This Is Durham, Tirol Tourist Board, Toulouse, Tourism & Events Queensland, Tourism Australia, Tourism New Zealand, Tourism Nova Scotia, Tourism Saskatoon, Tourism Western Australia, Tourism Whistler, ToursByLocals, Travel Alberta, Uganda Tourism Board, Universal Parks and Resorts, Vaucluse – Provence, Visit Czech Republic, VISIT FLORIDA, Visit Isle of Wight, Visit Jyväskylä Region, Lakeland Finland, Visit Leeds, Visit North Carolina, Visit Phoenix, Visit Portugal, Visit Tucson, Visit Victoria, Visit Wales, VisitDenmark, VisitEngland, VisitScotland, Zurich Tourism

EDITORS NOTES

The first-ever IMM was held in London in March 2013 and has since expanded to all corners of the earth, with annual events now taking place in countries including the USA, Australia, Germany, and France.

The technology used by TravMedia has become an essential tool for journalists and PR professionals in their day-to-day activities, as they connect and share information in their working lives. 

TravMedia was originally created by a travel journalist seeking a better way to research and report travel news and is dedicated to creating thriving online communities of travel journalists and travel PR professionals.