ILTM Americas finished up on Wednesday, Oct. 3, after providing a new forum for luxury travel suppliers to meet with top luxury travel buyers, including travel agents based across the Americas. The new show, which took place for three days, Oct. 1-3, at the Fairmont Mayakoba on Mexico’s Riviera Maya, featured vendors offering some of the most exclusive luxury travel experiences available globally.

In seminars, a special forum and one-on-one meetings, the event focused on identifying key new luxury travel trends and introducing buyers and exhibitors from 40 countries in an agenda of pre-scheduled meetings.

More than 400 industry professionals from the international luxury travel industry met at this inaugural event to explore business opportunities between the leading luxury travel buyers from North, Central and South America and a selection of the world’s most exclusive luxury travel experiences.

“We believe that the luxury travel market will develop by promoting growth globally,” Dario Flota, director of the Trust Fund for the Riviera Maya. “ILTM Americas is a great platform to showcase what Mexico has to offer to the world.”

ILTM Americas also unveiled a new definition of luxury travel: “Luxury travel is not what it used to be. Although we all have become global citizens, nowadays the luxury traveler does not seek ostentation, but instead a sense of personal value such as understanding and supporting local communities.”

For their part, buyers praised the first ILTM Americas. “ITG has been participating in ILTM in Cannes for nine years,” said Paula Gamas, CFO of International Travel Group (ITG) in Mexico. “It is an extraordinary event because of the incredibly high level of networking opportunities with luxury travel suppliers both known to us and new. We always meet with the decision makers of each company, ensuring efficient and effective business. I am very happy that ILTM has chosen Mexico as its host country for ILTM Americas, because it is the geographic center of the Americas region. This first ILTM Americas was very successful: both suppliers and buyers have had the opportunity to reach out to the highest level of luxury travel market resources.”

“ILTM Americas was a great opportunity to meet new suppliers,” said Eduardo Brett of Blue Travel, Viagens e Turismo in Brazil. “I will definitely be back in 2013.”

 “ILTM Americas was very well organized, everything ran well and we met with great contacts,” said Mariza de Aizenstein, a Brazilian travel advisor with Shilton. “Most of all, everything was close by and it was an incredibly effective few days.”

 “ILTM Americas has broadened my horizons,” said Suzan Nemati of Willett Travel. “It was incredibly informative and has helped me explore territories where I have not previously had business opportunities.”

 “ILTM Americas was the perfect size and excellently delivered,” said Eric Sheets of LatinExcursions. “Most importantly, the show allowed America’s buyers to interact intimately with the world’s new luxury suppliers. I hope to attend the show in 2013.”

Luxury suppliers at ILTM Americas also praised the show. “ILTM Americas has our commitment for the following years,” Diego Assis CEO of Exclusive by TLC in Portugal. “Congratulations to all the team that have made this such an amazing show!”

Another exhibitor, Corinne Tateossian of Deluxe Argentina, said ILTM Americas offered a great opportunity to meet new suppliers. “The event has exceeded my expectations and I am definitely coming back in 2013,” she said.

“ILTM Americas has given us the opportunity to meet several new travel partners across the region, as well as rekindle our relationships with many other contacts and friends,” said Shaun Strydom of &Beyond. “Well done ILTM on another extremely successful show.”

International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) and ILTM Asia are the leading annual business to business events for the global luxury travel community, bringing together the world’s most sought after destinations, luxury accommodation, elite transportation and unique travel experiences showcased for discerning luxury travel buyers via a pre-scheduled appointment system, networking and information opportunities. ILTM Asia, which selects buyers from across the Asia Pacific, takes place in Shanghai every June. ILTM is set to take place in Cannes, Dec. 3-6, 2012. ILTM Americas, a summit designed for the Americas travel agents, took place for the first time in Mayakoba, Oct. 1-3.