From 17 to 19 November, IBTM World brings the entire events and business-travel industry together at Fira Barcelona. Thousands of professionals, hundreds of stands, and the same question for every exhibitor: how do I get people to stop at mine? The answer is almost always the same — audiovisual production. A screen you can see from across the aisle, lighting that sets the mood, and content anyone understands in five seconds are what turn a stand into a must-visit.
But your presence at IBTM doesn't end at the stand: many companies and agencies use the show to host gala dinners, award ceremonies or networking events — and your brand is on the line there too. In this guide we explain how to prepare the technical audiovisual production of all of it — stand and parallel events — to stand out, with the timelines and the details that truly make the difference.
At a trade show you compete for attention with everything around you. A strong audiovisual set-up does three things for you: it makes you visible in the crowd, it communicates your brand without anyone reading a brochure, and it creates an experience people remember and share. It isn't an add-on — it's what makes your investment in the show pay off.
Every stand is different, but most combine these elements. What matters isn't the spec sheet, but what each one achieves:
LED screens: visibility and impact. They draw the eye from the aisle and show your message with a quality that doesn't go unnoticed.
Lighting: mood and focus. It sets your brand's tone and guides attention to what matters.
Sound: clarity without the noise. Your message is heard clearly at your stand without invading your neighbour's.
Content and video: your pitch in seconds. A good video explains what you do before anyone asks.
Interactivity (3D or VR): turns passers-by into participants.
Structure and rigging: safety and height. Gaining height means gaining visibility — and doing it safely is non-negotiable.
Streaming: reach beyond Barcelona. What happens at your stand also reaches those who couldn't attend.
The key to a stand that works is planning. These are the timelines we recommend:
3-4 months before: define the stand's goal and core message. Everything else follows from there.
2-3 months before: technical design and 3D render. Seeing the stand before building it avoids surprises and budget shocks.
6-8 weeks before: lock in equipment and produce the audiovisual content.
The week before: build and testing at Fira Barcelona, with everything running before doors open.
During the show: technical operation and support, so you focus on your clients, not the technology.
Afterwards: measure results and reuse the content and video for your social channels and next edition.
Less is more: one clear message beats ten at once.
Height and light: raise the eye line and guide attention with lighting.
Movement: video attracts far more than static displays.
Brand consistency: screen, light and content should speak the same language.
A local team that solves problems on site: at a show, responsiveness is everything.
Many of the moments that actually close business at IBTM don't happen at the stand, but at the gala dinner, the awards ceremony or the networking event afterwards. These are occasions where your brand has to shine — and where a technical glitch really shows. Novelty also produces these parallel events: lighting that sets the atmosphere, flawless sound for speeches, screens and content for the key moments, staging and, if you need it, streaming for those who couldn't attend.
Running the stand and the dinner with the same team gives you a doubly strong result: a consistent brand image from start to finish and a single point of contact who owns it all. We typically handle the technical production of:
Gala dinners and client events.
Award ceremonies and product presentations.
Networking, afterworks and closing parties.
Press conferences and institutional acts.
A real example: we produced the Point S gala dinner in the Oval Room of the MNAC in Barcelona, with large-format lighting, a Yamaha RIVAGE PM5 console and an L-Acoustics sound system, 4K projection, LED screens and rigging for aerial performers.
We have been producing events and trade shows for over 40 years, with our own 28,000+ m² warehouse and 13,000+ pieces of equipment a step away from Fira Barcelona. That means fast response, no reliance on third parties, and a team that knows the venue inside out. Our clients rate us 4.9 out of 5. If you're exhibiting at IBTM, we can handle the entire technical side: design, build, operation and dismantling. You focus on your clients; we take care of the technology.
And we don't just build stands: at Novelty we cover the entire technical audiovisual production of an event — audiovisual production, video mapping, live streaming & broadcast, staging & booth design, content production, 3D & virtual reality, AV consultancy and venue AV management — plus equipment rental and its equipment catalogue.
Exhibiting at IBTM World 2026? Book a meeting with our team and we'll prepare a tailored proposal for your stand.