Congrex Switzerland rejoins IAPCO

Congrex Switzerland rejoins IAPCO

After the successful realignment of Congrex Switzerland in the past 12 months the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO) decided to resume Congrex Switzerland as a member. Michel Neijmann, President of IAPCO, says “We are delighted that Congrex Switzerland is joining IAPCO again. The company has 32 years of history and excellent references”.

“We are very proud to rejoin the IAPCO family and to share our knowledge and long term experiences with our colleagues. IAPCO plays a major role in our industry and we would like to actively get involved in its future journey”, said Alain Pittet, Managing Director of Congrex Switzerland.

MEETINGS LEADERSHIP SUMMIT BRINGS MORE THAN 200 INDUSTRY LEADERS TO EIBTM 2014

MEETINGS LEADERSHIP SUMMIT BRINGS MORE THAN 200 INDUSTRY LEADERS TO EIBTM 2014
American Express Meetings & Events to present 2015 industry Forecast</strong>

Oktober 2014 – The EIBTM Meetings Leadership Summit, which takes place pre-EIBTM, has attracted over 200 heads of companies and influencers from across the international events community. Set to deliver an exclusive by invitation only experience, the Summit will take place at the Modernista Sant Pau Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Barcelona on the evening of Monday 17th November.

Jose-Antonio Ruiz, European Head of Meetings & Events and Saskia Gentil, Director France & Switzerland at American Express Meetings & Events will, for the first time in EMEA, present a deep dive into the Global Meetings and Events Forecast 2015. This will be followed by an opportunity for all attendees to join a Q&A session facilitated by Nadine Dereza. A Keynote from Rasmus Ankersen, the acclaimed leadership and performance expert and “high performance anthropologist”, who has trained some of the world’s best athletes to understand and contribute to how they work, will look at leadership and high performance from a different perspective.

The evening will also include a presentation of the JMIC Power and Profile Award, by Philippe Fournier – President Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC). This was established by the Council as a way of recognising individuals who have made significant contributions to advancing the awareness and influence of the Meetings Industry in their respective communities (www.themeetingsindustry.org/the-profile-and-power-award).

Finally, the evening will close with the EIBTM Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of services to the global events industry, presented this year to Pere Duran Vall-Llossera, Director General, Turisme De Barcelona.

“EIBTM is the annual global industry meetings place and it deserves an event of this calibre aimed at giving the leaders of this industry an evening of peer-to-peer networking, an exceptional programme of speakers and all set in this unique World Heritage Site of Barcelona. We are grateful to Black Boot Communications for their expertise in delivering this event for us,” said Graeme Barnett, EIBTM Senior Exhibition Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions.

The EIBTM 2014 Meetings Leadership Summit is sponsored by Pacific World and Barcelona Tourism.

For information on how to attend the EIBTM Meetings Leadership Summit go to http://www.eibtm.com/leadership or email joanne.rago@reedexpo.co.uk

National Geographic World Legacy Awards gibt Juroren bekannt

ITB Berlin
4. bis 8. März 2015

PRESSE-INFORMATION

National Geographic World Legacy Awards gibt Juroren bekannt
18 Experten im nachhaltigen Tourismus umspannen die Welt

Washington/Berlin, Oktober 2014 — Die National Geographic Society hat heute eine Liste mit 18 Reiseexperten aus aller Welt veröffentlicht, die bei der Vergabe der ersten World Legacy Awards als Juroren fungieren werden. Die Awards sind eine Partnerschaft zwischen National Geographic und der ITB Berlin und sollen Reise- und Tourismusunternehmen, -organisationen und Destinationen auszeichnen — von Fluggesellschaften bis Ecolodges und von Städten bis hin zu Ländern —, welche den positiven Wandel in der Reiseindustrie auf der Basis nachhaltiger Tourismusprinzipien und -praktiken vorantreiben.

Das Beurteilungsverfahren umfasst drei Phasen. Es beginnt mit der Auswahl der Finalisten in jeder Preiskategorie, dann folgt eine eingehende Beurteilung vor Ort, die das Ziel hat, die Nachhaltigkeit der angewandten Praktiken anhand der Kriterien des United Nations Global Sustainable Tourism Council zu prüfen, und schließlich werden die Gewinner ausgewählt.

Unter der Leitung von Costas Christ, einem der weltweit bekanntesten Experten für nachhaltigen Tourismus, Vorsitzender der World Legacy Awards und Editor-at-large für das National Geographic Traveler Magazin, beurteilen die Juroren die Bewerbungen in fünf Kategorien:

· Earth Changers (Erdveränderer) — Prämiert wird die innovative Marktführerschaft im Bereich umweltfreundlicher Geschäftspraktiken und grüner Technologie – von erneuerbarer Energie und dem Schutz des Wassers bis hin zu Null-Abfall-Systemen und der Verringerung der Kohlenstoffemission.

· Sense of Place (Erhaltung der Bedeutung eines Ortes) — Prämiert werden hervorragende Leistungen zur Aufwertung der Atmosphäre eines Ortes und dessen Authentizität, wie etwa dem Schutz historischer Monumente, archäologischer Stätten, kultureller Ereignisse, dem indigenen Erbe sowie künstlerischer Traditionen.

· Conserving the Natural World (Erhaltung der natürlichen Umwelt) — Prämiert werden außerordentliche Leistungen zur Erhaltung der Natur, zur Wiederherstellung natürlicher Lebensräume sowie zum Schutz seltener und bedrohter Arten, sowohl auf dem Land als auch im Meer.

· Engaging Communities (Preis für gesellschaftliches Engagement) — Prämiert werden direkte, konkrete wirtschaftliche und gesellschaftliche Leistungen, die zur Verbesserung der Lebensgrundlage vor Ort beitragen, dies umfasst die Schulung und den Kapazitätsausbau, gerechte Löhne und Sozialleistungen, die Gesundheitsfürsorge und die Bildung.

· Destination Leadership — Prämiert werden hervorragende Leistungen auf dem Gebiet des Destinationsmanagements, dies betrifft Städte, Provinzen, Bundesstaaten, Länder oder Regionen, die Best Practices im Bereich des Umweltschutzes, der Erhaltung des Kultur- und Naturerbes, bei der Schaffung von Vorteilen für örtliche Gemeinschaften und der Information von Touristen über die Grundsätze der Nachhaltigkeit anwenden.

Die 18 Juroren für die National Geographic World Legacy Awards sind:

· Eric Ricaurte, Gründer, Greenview, Singapur

· George Stone, Editor-Artikel-Large, National Geographic Traveler Magazine, Singapur

· Gopinath Parayil, Gründer, The Blue Yonder, Indien

· Hitesh Mehta, Vorsitzender, HM Design, USA

· Jessica Hall Upchurch, Community Liaison, Virtuoso Ltd., USA

· Judy Kepher-Gona, Mitbegründerin, Sustainable Travel & Tourism Agenda, Kenia

· Karma Tshering, Leiter von Nature Recreation and Ecotourism, Bhutan

· Keith Bellows, Editor Emeritus, National Geographic Traveler Magazine, USA

· Laura Turner Seydel, Vorsitzende, Captain Planet Foundation, USA

· Mahen Sanghrajka, Vorsitzender, Big Five Tours and Expeditions, USA

· Manal Kelig, Executive Director Nahost, ATTA, Ägypten

· Martin Krediet, Geschaftsführer, Francis Ford Coppola’s Turtle Inn, Belize

· Matthew Humke, Direktor Lateinamerika & Karibik, Solimar International, Guatemala

· Pegi Vail, Associate Director, Center for Media, Culture and History, New York University, USA

· Richard Weiss, CEO, Strategic Travel Consulting, USA

· Rika Jean-Francois, CSR Beauftragte der ITB Berlin, Deutschland

· Tony Charters, Geschäftsführer, Tony Charters and Associates, Australien

· Tony Williams, Berater für Tourismusentwicklung, Tourismusbehörde Qatar, Qatar

Christ sagt: „Das Besondere an den World Legacy Awards ist das einzigartige Team der Juroren. Denn sie investieren ihre Zeit und Mühe in die Auswahl der Visionäre, die den nachhaltigen Tourismus und die Arbeit der National Geographic Society am besten verkörpern, nämlich die Menschen anzuregen, sich für die Erhaltung der Erde einzusetzen.“

Die Finalisten werden am Mittwoch, dem 29. Oktober, auf der ITB Asia in Singapur bekanntgegeben und die Gewinner – bei der Preisverleihungsgala im März 2015 auf der ITB Berlin. Die Gewinner und Finalisten werden zudem im National Geographic Traveler Magazin und anderen Medien von National Geographic veröffentlicht, die ein weltweites Publikum von mehr als 600 Millionen Menschen erreichen.

Die Sponsoren der World Legacy Awards sind Adventure World, Nomadic Expeditions und TreadRight Foundation.

Weitere Informationen zu den World Legacy Awards finden Sie auf: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/worldlegacyawards/.

Über die National Geographic Society
Mit ihrer Mission, zu begeistern, aufzuklären und zu informieren, ist die National Geographic Society eine der weltweit größten gemeinnützigen Einrichtungen für Wissenschaft und Bildung. Die von ihren Mitgliedern unterstützte Gesellschaft, die daran glaubt, dass die Welt durch Wissenschaft, Erforschung und Erzählen verändert werden kann, erreicht durch ihre Medienplattformen, Produkte und Events monatlich mehr als 600 Millionen Menschen. National Geographic hat über 11.000 Forschungs- und Erhaltungsprojekte finanziert und fördert durch ihre Programme die geographische Bildung. Mehr Informationen finden Sie unter www.nationalgeographic.com.

LEADING INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS TO ATTEND EIBTM

LEADING INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS TO ATTEND EIBTM
MY ASSOCIATION | MY CLUB ATTRACTS GLOBAL ATTENTION

OKTOBER 2014 – A new initiative launched for the Association Sector by EIBTM has garnered support from the industry across the world and attracted a global representation of Buyers who are now registered to attend EIBTM 2014. My Association | My Club was announced in the summer to give a more flexible option to an Association Planner’s business and networking agenda at this year’s event in Barcelona from 18-20 November.

Association Buyers with average budgets between US$1m & US$5m and some as high as US$20m, have joined the programme which will see 20 countries represented including US, China, UK, Canada, Russia, Switzerland, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and France. The key elements of My Association | My Club have been designed in consultation with Association Planners through research and a dedicated Focus Group meeting.

Commenting on the new approach to the Association sector, Patrick Debus, Permanent Secretary World Federation of Consuls said: “I can only congratulate the EIBTM Team for having launched “MY ASSOCIATION / MY CLUB“, this new initiative is fully answering and definitively taking more care of the Association Planner’s expectations and I can only congratulate the team for such a useful and highly appreciated concern.”

Another participant from the Association Focus Group commented: “The new My Association | My Club programme is unique, as it is specifically tailored to the Association Executive, allowing optimal networking while offering maximal flexibility. The Club Lounge on the show floor and the Educational Sessions will allow to maximise interactions with fellow Executives and Exhibitors. No doubt this will enhance the return on investment of Exhibitors as well as Association Buyers.”

Richard Holmes, International Director of Meetings of International League against Epilepsy, added: “I am delighted to see that many of the suggestions from the Association Focus Group have been taken on board and incorporated into the planning of EIBTM 2014. By hosting Buyers at the same hotel and benefits such as the Association Hub, I expect to have greater opportunities to meet with other Association Buyers whom I might not get a chance to catch up with on the show floor. I hope that more flexible scheduling will allow me to maximise my limited time, meeting with more partners and suppliers at the show.”

Priority has been given to “flexibility” a key request that came out of the research. Each Association Planner can now control their own itinerary, through choosing what they do, allowing time to explore the show, choose their own meetings and appointments and add to them as they wish in their own Association Hub – a dedicated Club Lounge on the show floor. With dedicated networking, and their own host hotel, the Association Club also means that the attendees get to be together throughout their attendance at EIBTM 2014.

Whilst the Association Planners will continue to have their own dedicated education sector sessions, they will also have the flexibility to attend any of the EIBTM Knowledge Programme, defining which best suit their own business – another request that was made from those who participated in the research.

“We are delighted by the response from the international Association sector, since we announced the launch of My Association | My Club. It was clear from the Focus Group held to determine and discuss what they wanted from their industry event, that we needed to think big and make some fundamental changes. We have, and we hope that EIBTM 2014 will be exactly what they want from their stay with us in Barcelona, and that our suppliers will obviously benefit as well from this more flexible approach,” said Graeme Barnett, EIBTM Senior Exhibition Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions.

“More than ever, EIBTM is definitively the key Event for Associations Meeting Planners to meet the World, and their world, in the most enjoyable and fruitful conditions,” added Debus.

For more information on My Association | My Club, please go to: http://www.eibtm.com/Hosted-Buyers/Dedicated-Programmes/My-Association-My-Club

To find out more about the Hosted Buyer Programme and to apply for your place, please visit: www.eibtm.com/hbregister

EIBTM 2014 will take place from 18th – 20th November.

ITB BuchAwards 2015 der Messe Berlin

ITB BuchAwards 2015 der Messe Berlin

<strong>Auftakt mit Kalender-Auszeichnung im Dezember 2014 – DestinationsAwards zur Mongolei, dem Offiziellen Partnerland der ITB Berlin 2015

Berlin, Oktober 2014 – Die ITB BuchAwards 2015 sind in Vorbereitung und starten wie im Vorjahr zur Einstimmung in die Reisesaison im Dezember 2014 mit einer Auszeichnung für den schönsten Reise-Kalender des kommenden Jahres – ausgewählt von der ITB Berlin in Zusammenarbeit mit der Friedrichshafener Buchhandlung RavensBuch. Die DestinationsAwards 2015 sind dem Offiziellen Partnerland der ITB Berlin, der Mongolei, gewidmet.

Der Kalenderpreis wird mit den Jury-Prämierungen für die besten klassischen Reiseführer, Reisebücher, Reisebildbände sowie für touristische Sach- und Fachpublikationen im Rahmen der weltweit größten Reisemesse im März 2015 in Berlin verliehen.

Der Jury 2015 gehören an:
Eckart Baier (Redaktionsleiter Buchjournal)
Cornelia Camen (Redaktion, BuchMarkt)
Armin Herb (Sprecher der Jury, Redaktionsbüro Armin Herb)
Martina Kraus (Filialleiterin RavensBuch)
Burghard Rauschelbach (freier Berater Nachhaltiger Tourismus, GIZ)
Gerd W. Seidemann (Reiseredaktion, Der Tagesspiegel)
Astrid Zand (Vorsitzende der Jury, Pressereferentin ITB Berlin)
Michael Zehender (Chef vom Dienst, dpa Themendienst)

Assoziierte Jurymitglieder für die Kategorien
Destination Mongolei: Karl Mertes (Journalist)
Destination Mongolei, Kartografie, Touristisches Sach-/Fachbuch: Regine Kiepert (Inhaberin Schropp Land & Karte)
Reisebuch, Reiseliteratur, Reisekochbuch und
Lebenswerk: Margrit Philipp (Redaktionsleitung, Büro Philipp)

Die Preisverleihung der ITB BuchAwards 2015 wird moderiert von Mary Amiri und findet statt am Freitag, 6. März 2015, 16 Uhr,
im Cinema im Marshall-Haus (Messegelände Sommergarten).

Kontakt, Titeleinreichungen, Organisation:
Büro Philipp
Schanzstraße 5
88045 Friedrichshafen
T. +49-7541-37 48 635
F. +49-7541-37 48 636
Cell +49-0-170-4 57 91 83
E-Mail: info@buero-philipp.de
www.itb-berlin.de/buchawards
www.buero-philipp.de/itb_buchawards.html

International Convention Centre Sydney Appoints

International Convention Centre Sydney Appoints
Human Resources Director

Oktober 2014 – AEG Ogden today announced the appointment of Mathew Paine as the International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) Human Resources Director.

A senior practitioner with more than 14 years in human resource management, Mathew’s career has covered private and not for profit sectors and he has held roles in Australia, Japan and England. He joins ICC Sydney’s leadership team after four years as the Director of Human Resources with Sofitel Luxury Hotels and Resorts and leadership roles at YWCA NSW, Mindworx UK and Hilton Worldwide.

Chief Executive Officer of ICC Sydney and AEG Ogden Group Director for Convention Centres, Geoff Donaghy said Mathew’s appointment was timed perfectly to support a customer-focused culture at ICC Sydney, as it prepared for its next wave of recruitment.

“AEG Ogden is recognised as a trusted organisation across the world. We are known for more than our deep industry knowledge and global reach; we are recognised for the steady and creative solutions that deliver success time and time again for our clients. At ICC Sydney, we are shaping a team of people that will continue to build on that trust and Mathew will play a key role in our success.

“Mathew’s extensive experience in fast paced, client-focused environments will be critical in this important team moulding role. We are now set to embark on the next phase of recruitment to complement the growth in our industry presence and build on our customer-centric, team culture,” Mr Donaghy said.

Mathew is accredited as a Chartered Member of the CIPD and a Certified Professional of AHRI.

IMEX America’s growth story powers on with biggest show yet

IMEX America’s growth story powers on with biggest show yet

Las Vegas, Oct 14 2014 – IMEX America opened for business today at the Sands Expo® in Las Vegas with the announcement that the fourth edition of the trade show for the international meetings, incentive travel and events industry is the biggest yet.

With a total of 2,900 companies exhibiting representing 150+ countries (2013: 2,694 from 150 countries) the number of exhibitors joining the show has risen by 8 percent. By the time IMEX America closes on Thursday, the number of hosted buyers and other attendees is also expected to be higher than previous years.

As a result of over 70 new exhibitor booths and 83 existing exhibitors increasing the size of their booths the show floor has also enlarged by 13 per cent.

Some of the global regions that have expanded this year are the USA & Canada, which is 16.5 percent bigger; Latin America (6.5 percent); Europe, which is bigger by 3 percent and Asia-Pacific, which has grown
by nearly 8 percent.

Other sectors within the market have shown significant growth too. Space taken by the hotel groups is up by 26 percent; private sector company booth space has increased by 37.5 percent; space taken by technology suppliers is up by 20 percent and incentive products have risen by 50 percent.

Says IMEX Group Chairman, Ray Bloom: “We are delighted with the industry’s continued strong response to IMEX America. Every year we set out to add more value, fresh ideas, new partnerships and more choice while maintaining a sharp focus on high quality all round – and that covers the quality of hosted buyers attending as well as the education and networking events on offer. We want every single participant to leave in no doubt that IMEX America provided them with an unparalleled business experience.”

With buyers able to use the unique IMEX appointment system to preschedule appointments with exhibitors before the show opens, IMEX has developed a reputation as an efficient and buyer-friendly trade show that also satisfies the needs of exhibitors. Buyers pre-arranged 53,000 one-to-one appointments and booth presentations prior to today. In addition a total of 1,200 group appointments are also scheduled.

Smart Monday – powered by MPI – kicked off the week of IMEX America yesterday with a stronger than ever program that combined an opening keynote with a day of intensive professional development. This included the first ever PCMA Business School plus the show’s annual Association Focus for association executives.

Before the show opened at 10am Pacific time today 12 other events had already taken place,
including several sets of industry certification programs, the CIC Hall of Leaders Gala, Association Evening,
Site Nite North America, the first ever CEIR IMEX America Golf Classic, the Site Young Leaders Conference and the IMEX Challenge.

ICC Sydney showcased on international stage at IMEX America, Las Vegas

Oktober 2014 – International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney), Australia’s first fully integrated convention, exhibition and event precinct, has received a glowing response at IMEX America, one of the world’s largest meetings, events and incentive travel industry shows.

Chief Executive Officer of ICC Sydney, and AEG Ogden Group Director of Convention Centres, Geoff Donaghy said IMEX America provided the perfect platform to showcase Sydney to the world and meet face to face with influential industry stakeholders.

“Decision makers and selected IMEX attendees have received a special preview of ICC Sydney’s developing brand and new website today and we are delighted with the response,” said Mr Donaghy from the show in Las Vegas today.

“Our positioning of Sydney’s premier, integrated convention, exhibition and events precinct has received an overwhelmingly positive reaction from IMEX delegates, further reinforcing the growing excitement and global interest in this landmark project,” he said.

Managed and marketed by AEG Ogden, ICC Sydney benefits from the extensive global experience and connectivity of the group and its representatives’ collective industry knowledge.

“ICC Sydney’s marketing and business development activities are in full swing and I encourage you to make contact with the team at any time and to come along and meet with us at upcoming industry events,” said Mr Donaghy.

ICC Sydney Director of Business Development, Beverley Parker is meeting with delegates at Stand 2633 today alongside Business Events Sydney, the city’s business events bureau.

Find out more about the exciting waterfront venue located in the heart of Sydney and a thriving dining and leisure precinct by visiting iccsydney.com today.

ICC Sydney’s key features include:
• Convention facilities capable of hosting three fully separated, self-sufficient, concurrent events

• Total exhibition capacity of 35,000sqm, including 2,500sqm of flexible space

• An open air event deck of 5,000sqm, including a bar and lounge featuring spectacular city views

• A premier red carpet theatre with a capacity of 8,000 suitable for international entertainment acts and major convention plenary sessions

• A grand ballroom to provide Sydney’s premium banqueting space for more than 2,000 people which, at almost double the previous capacity, will become Australia’s largest ballroom

• 40+ meeting rooms that link to both the convention and exhibition areas

• World’s best practice technology throughout, including wireless connectivity across ICC Sydney

• Prime waterfront location on Darling Harbour in an activated dining and leisure precinct

• A renewed and upgraded public domain, which will include an outdoor event space for up to 27,000 people and improved pedestrian access from Chinatown, Central Station, Ultimo, Pyrmont and the city centre

• Adjacent luxury headquarters hotel with 600+ rooms.

About ICC Sydney
Opening in December 2016, ICC Sydney is Australia’s premier convention, exhibition and event precinct. The showcase international venue presents Australia’s largest and first fully-integrated convention, exhibition and entertainment centre, underpinning Sydney’s place as one of the world’s most desirable meeting and major events destinations. ICC Sydney is the epicentre of a 20-hectare transformation of Darling Harbour by the NSW Government to highlight Sydney as the first choice in Australia and the Asia Pacific region for the major events industry. ICC Sydney is being delivered by Darling Harbour Live, comprising Lend Lease, Hostplus, Capella Capital, AEG Ogden and Spotless, in partnership with the NSW Government.

Infrastructure NSW is the NSW Government agency managing the 20-hectare transformation – Darling Harbour’s most exciting renewal in 25 years. Darling Harbour and the new convention, exhibition and entertainment venues will continue to be publicly owned through Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, which is presenting a dynamic calendar of events during the redevelopment to keep the precinct active and vibrant.

ICC Sydney is operated by globally acclaimed and leading venue manager AEG Ogden, joining the group’s exceptional stable of world-class venues.

About AEG Ogden
AEG Ogden is an Australian controlled joint venture between Australian venue management interests and AEG Facilities of the United States.

AEG Ogden manages venues throughout the Asia Pacific region, including convention centres in Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Kuala Lumpur, Hyderabad (currently in design), Oman (opening 2016), ICC Sydney (opening December 2016) and the Sydney Exhibition Centre @ Glebe Island; Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane; arenas including the Brisbane Entertainment Centre and the adjacent Sports Centre, Sydney’s Allphones Arena, the Qantas Credit Union Arena (formerly the Sydney Entertainment Centre), the Newcastle Entertainment Centre and Perth Arena; and live theatres including Perth’s His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth Concert Hall, the WA State Theatre Centre, Albany Entertainment Centre, and Subiaco Arts Centre. http://www.aegogden.com

In addition, AEG Facilities was recently announced as operator of both the Los Angeles Convention Centre and Hawaii Convention Centre.

IBTM AFRICA PARTNERS WITH MICE ACADEMY TO SUPPORT THE CPD

IBTM AFRICA PARTNERS WITH MICE ACADEMY TO SUPPORT THE CPD
INVESTING IN THE NEXT GENERATION OF EVENT PLANNERS IN AFRICA

Oktober 2014 – IBTM Africa, part of the IBTM Global Events portfolio of meetings industry events, is to partner with the MICE Academy to help support the advancement of the next generation of industry professionals in Africa.

The MICE Academy (www.miceacademy.co.za) has created the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Programme for all sectors of the events and meetings industry through its subscriber based web portal. IBTM Africa will be giving the first 20 contracted exhibitors at next year’s event, an annual subscription funded by Reed Travel Exhibitions and the IBTM Portfolio of Events. Each of these exhibitors will select a member of their staff to undertake the CPD programme through their subscription.

At the same time, those individuals who will undertake the year’s CPD programme will also be invited to attend the IBTM Africa Forum education sessions as well as the networking events.

Helen Brewer, founder of MICE Academy commented on the importance of this new partnership for the industry in Africa and beyond. “This is a significant partnership in that the added value enhances the international ground swell – underway at this time – of determining the experience and knowledge-base of all individuals practicing within the various sectors of the MICE industry.

“CPD (Continuing Professional Development) is the name of the game with more and more seasoned practitioners being tested simply and effectively without leaving their screen with CPD programme accessibility 24/7. Irrespective of the type of established certification programme out there, both acceptance and recertification credits are required in one form or another to gain or retain the specific acronym. Hence whether the Academy’s CPD on-line programme is used as a free-standing credit score accumulation process with recognition and reward or as the most authentic means of credit substantiation for established certification programmes – the MICE Academy’s CPD programme will be a major advantage for IBTM Africa’s exhibitor’s nominated personnel.” She added.

Shinu Pillai, Exhibition Manager for IBTM Africa of the initiative: “We are excited to be partnering with the MICE Academy’s CPD programme which has so many important advantages for the next generation of meeting professionals in this region. The IBTM Global Events portfolio is passionate about its global education programme and empowering individuals with knowledge. IBTM Africa is the most cost effective business platform for African suppliers who are looking to do inbound business from the rest of the world, by helping develop the industry alongside our event, this is the beginning of a journey together.”

The second edition of IBTM Africa taking place in Cape Town (13-15 April) as part of Africa Travel Week, will bring together 60 African suppliers and international buyers for 3 days of business, networking and education.

IMEX America hits a four year high

IMEX America hits a four year high

Las Vegas, October 16 2014 – IMEX America’s fourth edition came to a close earlier today at the Sands Expo®, Las Vegas, with IMEX Chairman, Ray Bloom, declaring the trade show the biggest to date with growth in all key areas.

He confirmed that the number of exhibiting companies taking part had once again risen, going up from 2694 in 2013 to 2900 in 2014. This was reflected in a 13 percent increase in the size of the show floor.

In addition Bloom described the continued expansion of the hosted buyer program: “Numbers climbed from 2000 at launch to reach 2700 last year. This year we’ve hit over 2900 for the first time,” he said.

He also mentioned that total participants for IMEX America 2014 were 10,000 and that total downloads of the IMEX App had also risen by 22 percent to 5450 compared to last year. “I am delighted with the reception the upgraded IMEX app has received. It’s a valuable tool and a real asset to everyone who uses it,” he said.

As a result of this year’s all round growth, the number of one-to-one business appointments and booth presentations taking place at the show rose to 53,000, compared to 50,000 last year. Bloom also revealed that 1250 group appointments were attended by 10,600 hosted buyers, an increase of 12% on last year. He added that a higher proportion of hosted buyers are now coming into the show from further afield and staying in Las Vegas for longer to take full advantage of the show and other industry events.

Speaking at the show’s closing press conference he talked about the huge number of co-located events and industry meetings now taking place around IMEX America, with 10 events completed even before the show opened on Tuesday morning. The IMEX Challenge, Site Young Leaders Conference and various industry fundraisers such as Site Nite, the first ever CEIR IMEX America Golf Classic, the CIC Hall of Leaders Gala plus the MPI Foundation Rendezvous were named as just some of the week’s highlights.