Valuable solutions to key question ‘How to Remain Relevant’ to be revealed at IMEX Association Day

Valuable solutions to key question ‘How to Remain Relevant’ to be revealed at IMEX Association Day

Association executives from 40 countries will be discovering and developing solutions to the vital industry question – ‘how to keep your association relevant’ – to potential and existing members at this year’s IMEX Association Day. This unique annual event is taking place on Monday 18 April 2016 at the Sheraton Frankfurt Airport Hotel. From the packed programme of discussions, presentations and networking they will gain valuable insights from peers and expert speakers about the ways that associations are tackling this issue, including demographic, financial and technological perspectives. For the first time this year, the Day will open with a keynote session. The engaging speaker will be Charles Leadbeater, a leading authority on innovation and creativity who advises major internationally known organisations such as the BBC, Vodafone, Microsoft and Ericsson. A number of the sessions have been designed and will be co-delivered by leading industry associations including ICCA  and ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership and the programme has been developed in conjunction with the International Association of Facilitators. After a networking lunch and the keynote speech, delegates will choose between four topics in each of the two afternoon sessions. The full day will conclude with relaxed drinks and dinner with invited industry guests at the popular Association Evening at the Marriott Hotel, Frankfurt. As a result of a new partnership between the Association Management Companies Institute (AMCI) and IMEX, AMCI will for the first time hold a co-located educational programme, ‘Association Management Companies – A Focused Look at Challenges & Solutions!’, on the morning of Association Day. The programme is aimed at existing AMCI members and potential members. Tina Wehmeir, CEO of the AMC Institute said, “We are delighted to have the opportunity to partner with IMEX to provide exclusive association management company-focused education on IMEX Association Day. We have assembled a powerful line-up of thought leaders to facilitate the transfer of knowledge based on years of experience working in the association management company industry.” More than 300 association professionals who have registered as either a Hosted Buyer or a Visitor for the IMEX trade show are expected to attend the day which is exclusively open to association executives. The event’s host sponsors are the Marriott Frankfurt and Starwood Hotels & Resorts and its supporting sponsors are Business Events Australia, Vienna Convention Bureau, Jerusalem Conventions & Visitors Bureau  and Your Singapore. Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group commented; “At Association Day 2015 we asked all participants during the opening plenary session “what is the biggest challenge associations face?” The resounding message was relevancy.Association Day 2016 is a unique opportunity for these dedicated professionals to come together with their peers and share experiences on such a vital subject. The comprehensive, highly collaborative programme will provide valuable answers to help them to tackle this major issue. “This new partnership with AMCI is an exciting initiative for IMEX and we are very happy that AMCI and many of its international members will be joining us in Frankfurt. I am sure that AMCI members will take away valuable new knowledge and benefit greatly from the experience, not only the superb speaker sessions arranged for the morning and Association Day but also from visiting the IMEX show itself, with its extensive range of suppliers, education and networking opportunities.”

 

Der IMEX Association Day beantwortet die Schlüsselfrage ‘wie kann mein Verband relevant bleiben?’ und präsentiert wertvolle Lösungsansätze

Der IMEX Association Day beantwortet die Schlüsselfrage ‘wie kann mein Verband relevant bleiben?’ und präsentiert wertvolle Lösungsansätze

Der diesjährige IMEX Verbändetag steht im Zeichen der Relevanz. Fach- und Führungskräfte bei Verbänden aus 40 Ländern werden gemeinsam Ideen erarbeiten und Wege entdecken, wie ein Verband für bestehende und potenzielle Mitglieder relevant und damit attraktiv bleiben kann. Diese einzigartige Veranstaltung findet am Montag, den 18. April 2016 im Sheraton Frankfurt Airport Hotel statt. Das umfangreiche Programm voller Diskussionen, Netzwerkmöglichkeiten und Präsentationen gibt wertvolle Einblicke von Experten und Gleichgesinnten in die Art und Weise, wie Verbände mit diesem Thema in demografischer, finanzieller und technologischer Hinsicht umgehen. Dieses Jahr beginnt der Verbändetag erstmals mit einer Keynote Rede, präsentiert von Charles Leadbeater. Der anerkannte Experte für Innovation und Kreativität berät Konzerne und international führende Unternehmen wie BBC, Vodafone, Microsoft und Ericsson. Ein Teil der Aus- und Weiterbildungseinheiten wurde mit führenden Verbänden, darunter ICCA und ASAE, entwickelt und wird gemeinsam mit diesen durchgeführt. Das ‘Center for Association Leadership’ und das entsprechende Programm wurden gemeinsam mit der ‘International Association of Facilitators’ entwickelt. Nach einem Networking-Mittagessen und der Keynote Rede haben die Teilnehmer die Auswahl zwischen vier Fokusthemen in jeder der beiden Nachmittagseinheiten. Der abwechslungsreiche Tag klingt mit dem beliebten Association Evening im Marriott Hotel Frankfurt aus, zu dem auch ausgewählte geladene Gäste und Branchenvertreter geladen sind. Als Resultat der neuen Partnerschaft des ‘Association Management Companies Institute (AMCI)’ und der IMEX wird das AMCI erstmals mit der Einheit ‘Association Management Companies – A Focused Look at Challenges & Solutions!’ am Morgen des Verbändetags einen Teil des Programms mitgestalten. Das Programm richtet sich an bestehende und potenzielle AMCI Mitglieder. Tina Wehmeir, CEO des AMC Instituts bemerkt dazu: “Wir freuen uns sehr über die Möglichkeit, mit der IMEX zu kooperieren. So können wir ein exklusives Weiterbildungsprogramm, welches speziell auf die Bedürfnisse der ‘Association Management Companies’ zugeschnitten ist im Rahmen des Association Days anbieten. Wir haben führende Experten und Meinungsführer mit jahrelanger Erfahrung auf diesem Gebiet vereint, um den optimalen Wissenstransfer in diesem Spezialbereich zu garantieren.” Mehr als 300 Fach- und Führungskräfte aus Verbänden, die entweder als Hosted Buyer oder als Besucher der IMEX registriert sind, werden zu dieser außergewöhnlichen Veranstaltung erwartet, die exklusiv Verbändeplanern vorbehalten ist. Die Host-Sponsoren des Verbändetags sind das Marriott Frankfurt Hotel sowie die Starwood Hotels & Resorts, die weiteren Sponsoren sind Business Events Australia, das Vienna Convention Bureau, das Jerusalem Conventions & Visitors Bureau und Your Singapore. Carina Bauer, CEO der IMEX Gruppe erläutert: “Am Verbändetag 2015 haben wir alle Teilnehmer während der Eröffnungsveranstaltung befragt, welches für sie die größte Herausforderungen darstellt, mit denen sich Verbände auseinandersetzen müssen. Die meistgenannte Antwort war ‘Relevanz’. Der Association Day 2016 ist eine einmalige Möglichkeit für diese spezielle Zielgruppe, sich mit Gleichgesinnten zu treffen und ihre Erfahrungen mit einem solch entscheidenden Thema zu teilen. Das umfassende und partizipative Programm wird wertvolle Antworten liefern und den Teilnehmern helfen, diese Herausforderung zu bewältigen. „Die neue Partnerschaft mit dem AMCI ist ein spannendes Projekt für die IMEX und wir sind glücklich darüber, dass das AMCI und viele seiner internationalen Mitglieder bei uns in Frankfurt sein werden. Ich bin sicher, dass die Mitglieder des AMCI wertvolles Wissen mit nach Hause nehmen. Sie werden sowohl von den Sessions am Morgen, vom Verbändetag selbst und auch von der Messe IMEX mit ihrer ganzen Fülle an Aus- und Weiterbildungsmöglichkeiten und ihrer Vielzahl an Leistungsträgern profitieren.”

IMEX America | Protection, promotion or policy-making?

Protection, promotion or policy-making?
U.S. Travel Association’s Roger Dow, Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman, and Rossi Ralenkotter of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to Speak at First Ever IMEX America Political Advocacy Forum

Continuing its efforts to raise the political bar of the meetings industry and build broader awareness of its strong role in creating jobs and economic growth, the U.S. Travel Association will host a session at IMEX America 2012 October 9th, from 4:00 – 5:30 pm at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas.

Lead speakers will feature Roger Dow, CEO of U.S. Travel, Rossi Ralenkotter President and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) and Chair of U.S. Travel, together with Las Vegas Mayor, Carolyn Goodman.

Heading the panel discussion, Geoff Freeman of U.S. Travel will speak about the meetings and business travel industry as a critical asset to the nation and provide an update on the success of recent political advocacy efforts. He comes to this issue as a well-versed member of the Washington DC community having been a key driver behind the “U.S. Travel Meetings Mean Business” campaign and the Travel Promotion Act. He was also recently made a member of the Passenger Advocacy subcommittee of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee (ASAC) of the Department of Homeland Security.

Ralenkotter, as both Chair of U.S. Travel and President of the LVCVA, will provide an inside look into how Las Vegas excels at hosting more than 19,000 meetings annually – an industry that makes a $6.3 billion impact on the local economy and supports 58,000 jobs.

Adding even more leadership power to the session, Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman – a champion for tourism as the “lifeblood” of the Southern Nevada economy – will also address attendees. Her remarks will focus on efforts to keep Las Vegas on the cutting edge of the travel and tourism industry, and the evolution of Las Vegas as a destination already offering 150,000 hotel rooms and 10.6 million square feet of meeting space.

“IMEX’s recent “Power of 10” global study showed that one of the most pressing challenges for our industry in the next decade is to measure and effectively communicate the strategic and economic value of events and meetings to local, national and global economies,” said Ray Bloom Chairman of the IMEX Group.

He continued: “This new political advocacy session will provide an update on how far the industry has come in making sure that this true value is fully understood, especially in the US. It builds on the efforts we have made over the past 10 years with the Politicians Forum in Frankfurt, but will also offer a distinctly North American perspective. Everyone involved understands that we must keep acting, keep talking, and keep working in unison to achieve meaningful and positive change by policy-makers. IMEX America is proud to play its part in helping to drive this effort and in providing a global platform for the continuing debate.”

“Building a Stronger Meetings Industry – in Washington and your Community” will take place from
4pm – 5.30pm on Tuesday Oct. 09 at IMEX America. It will be open to all IMEX America attendees and exhibitors and will include several US destination CEOs who will also contribute their views and experience.

About IMEX America
IMEX America is America’s worldwide exhibition for incentive travel, meetings and events and is already the largest trade show for the industry in the USA. The second edition will take place at the Sands Expo, Las Vegas, (which is connected to the show’s Headquarters Hotel, The Venetian®|The Palazzo®), Oct 9 – 11, 2012.

The show’s strategic partner and premier educational provider is MPI, who power “Smart Monday” – Oct. 08 – a full day of education on the day prior to the tradeshow. Smart Monday also includes a range of high level education delivered by other partners and associations; including Association Focus – a conference within a conference for association meeting planners – delivered by ASAE, ICCA and PCMA.

IMEX also has an exclusive partnership with the US Travel Association and is endorsed by DMAI and Site, has an Industry Partnership with PCMA and is an ICCA Business Partner. Other supporting associations include: ACTE Global, ADME, AIPC, AMCI, ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership, Association Forum of Chicagoland, CIC, CSAE, ECM, FICP, GMIC, IACC, IAEE, IAPCO, ISES, JMIC, PATA, SKAL, Spin. A list of industry and media partners can be found here.

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Final program announced for IMEX America’s 2012 Association Focus

Final program announced for IMEX America’s 2012 Association Focus

Conference within a conference’ promises to put association planners ahead of the rest with new market-leading professional development education.
With a full day of professional development lined-up plus business leadership expert and author, Mark Sanborn, confirmed as keynote speaker, IMEX America’s Association Focus event will make a high-powered start to the award-winning Las Vegas trade show this October.

The ‘conference within a conference’, sponsored by host venue The Venetian®|The Palazzo® and Sands Meetings, will take place as part of IMEX America’s ‘Smart Monday – Powered by MPI’ – on Monday Oct. O8 – the day before the three-day trade show gets underway. This event is unique in being exclusive to association planners only. Keynote speaker, Mark Sanborn, is a member of the prestigious Speakers Roundtable, a society comprising 20 of the top speakers in the world today. Aside from the quality of the free Association Focus event, Sanborn’s presence is already proving a strong attraction.

This year organizers, the IMEX Group, have worked with ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership, ICCA and PCMA to provide an extensive learning program for association executives keen to improve their professional skills and knowledge. The new education program is provided free of charge and has been designed with tracks tailored to suit different levels of seniority and career development including a choice of ‘executive’, ‘global’ and ‘meetings’ track sessions throughout the day, each with content devised and delivered by one of the three partner associations.

Senior panels
For meeting planners looking to place association business internationally, the global track will offer ICCA-led sessions on “Entering new markets” and “Planning Global Meetings with a Focus on Asia.” At the executive-level, ASAE will run a three-hour deep-dive on “Managing Through Change”. The senior panel will comprise Robin Lokerman, CEO-Institutional Division, MCI Group; Peter O’Neil, CAE, Executive Director, American Industrial Hygiene Association; Patrizia Semprebene Buongiorno, Vice President, AIM Group International and Robert Waller, CAE, President, Association Headquarters, Inc and will be moderated by Brian Riggs, Vice President, Association Headquarters Inc.

Within the meetings track, PCMA have devised two 1.5 hour afternoon sessions – “The science and fun of creating effective learning”, which will be led by Kathleen Edwards, CAE and President of The Learning Evangelist and “Meetings Go Mobile” with Bob Vaez of EventMobi. ASAE’s afternoon sessions include a “Sustainability Safari” with a detailed, behind-the-scenes look at how the Venetian® manages its sustainability program to support green meetings and events. There will also be a session by Tammy Blosil, Vice President, Online Learning for ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership on “The Strategic Impact of Digital Events on Meetings.”

Expert-led round tables
Later in the afternoon Association Focus will offer delegates a choice of over 20 different round-table discussions across all three tracks.

Come 7pm all Association Focus buyers have the chance to attend the Association Evening reception sponsored by Sands Meetings to meet and network with exhibitors and association partners.

As Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group explains: “Following our debut event we took on board a lot of feedback from the US market – Association Focus is just one of the building blocks of IMEX America that has been redeveloped since last year to improve and enhance the show. We are really excited to be welcoming around 200 association executives to Las Vegas for this event come October 08 and are especially grateful to our sponsors – The Venetian®| The Palazzo® and Sands Meetings for making this possible.”

Registration for the IMEX America Association Focus on Smart Monday Oct.08 is now open. Participants are invited to attend either as part of the show’s hosted buyer program (subject to qualifying criteria) or as a buyer attendee.
http://www.imexamerica.com/associationfocus.html#HowToAttend

About IMEX America
IMEX America is America’s worldwide exhibition for incentive travel, meetings and events and is already the largest trade show for the industry in the USA. The second edition will take place at the Sands Expo, Las Vegas, (which is connected to the show’s Headquarters Hotel, The Venetian®|The Palazzo®), Oct 9 – 11, 2012.

The show’s strategic partner and premier educational provider is MPI, who power “Smart Monday” – Oct. 08 – a full day of education on the day prior to the tradeshow. Smart Monday also includes a range of high level education delivered by other partners and associations; including Association Focus – a conference within a conference for association meeting planners – delivered by ASAE, ICCA and PCMA.

IMEX also has an exclusive partnership with the US Travel Association and is endorsed by DMAI and Site, has an Industry Partnership with PCMA and is an ICCA Business Partner. Other supporting associations include: ACTE Global, ADME, AIPC, AMCI, ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership, Association Forum of Chicagoland, CIC, CSAE, ECM, FICP, GMIC, IACC, IAEE, IAPCO, ISES, JMIC, PATA, SKAL, Spin. A list of industry and media partners can be found here.

Follow us on Twitter Facebook LinkedIn and (German) XING Use #imex12 to follow both shows. http://www.imexamerica.com/social.html