How IBTM World gave out 10,000 reusable bottles at its trade fair
IBTM World Barcelona 2024 gave every visitor a reusable Join the Pipe bottle: about 10,000 white sugarcane-based City Bottles, plus a mobile refill station rented for three days to fill them. The show ran 19-21 November 2024 and marked 20 years in Barcelona. It is organised by RX Global, which sets the pace on sustainable events: less single-use plastic, less food waste.
What IBTM World handed out
Each bottle carries a one-colour red IBTM World print on the front (event name, "Barcelona, Spain, 19-21 Nov 2024" and a "20 years" badge) and an embossed Barcelona skyline on the lower half. They are made of 99% sugarcane bioplastic, are BPA-free and food-contact compliant (EU 10/2011), and can be washed in a dishwasher up to 65 °C. A standard 0.5 L bottle weighs about 30 g, so 10,000 bottles come to roughly 300 kg of material, calculated from those two numbers.
Thank you, IBTM World, for distributing our reusable bottles at your anniversary edition and for backing the Join the Pipe Foundation. For every bottle sold, one is donated to a schoolchild in Africa.
Why a bottle alone is not enough at a trade fair
A branded bottle only replaces single-use plastic if visitors can refill it on the show floor. That is why the order came with a mobile refill station for the full three show days. It is rented, so it arrives for the fair and leaves with it.
| Question an event organiser asks | What IBTM World did |
|---|---|
| How many visitors get a bottle? | All of them, about 10,000 bottles |
| How is it branded? | One-colour screen print, event logo and dates |
| Where do visitors refill? | Mobile refill station on the show floor, 3 days |
| What about lead time? | Printed bottles take about 10-12 working days after proof approval, plus delivery |
What other trade-fair organisers can take from it
- Print one colour. A single Pantone colour keeps the bottle clean and the order simple; 3-colour screen print needs at least 2,500 units. Minimum for printed bottles is 100.
- Plan refill points with the bottles. Details on renting refill points are on our page for water tap rental for events and trade fairs.
- Venues that want a permanent point instead of a rental can look at the Street Tap, an outdoor drinking water tap in AISI 316 stainless steel with KIWA and WRAS approved water-contact parts.
More event cases: read how IMEX Frankfurt and Booking.com's Click conference did it. Want to see a similar order for your event? Browse branded bottles or request a quote.