Far from business as usual: revamped education programme offers innovation and inspiration for planners at IMEX in Frankfurt

Press Release
27 March 2017
Far from business as usual: revamped education programme offers innovation and inspiration for planners at IMEX in Frankfurt

“We don’t believe in ‘business as usual’ – and are always seeking engaging and effective ways to further our industry,” explains Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group.

One of the ways the IMEX team has done this for IMEX in Frankfurt 2017 is through its education offering: a comprehensive programme of free education running across all three days of the trade show, 16 – 18 May, combined with its brand new EduMonday, 15 May.

Brand new – EduMonday
EduMonday will combine contemporary learning styles with hot industry topics and the latest personal development teachings. With registration free of charge and open to all, the day will provide insights into event design, future trends and hot new technologies. IMEX’s EduMonday will feature experts from the new Zeus Eventtech Academy, the German Convention Bureau (GCB), Meetology® Masterclasses and Play with a Purpose. IMEX is also offering the Event Design Certificate Programme Level 1 of Mastery as part of a three-year agreement with the Event Design Collective. This allows 30 English and 30 German-speaking event professionals to take their career to the next level by taking the certification free of charge on the day.

Event Design training
The Event Design training will be delivered by Roel Frissen and Ruud Janssen, from the Event Design Collective. Roel explains: “Events can be demanding for the event owner and the team responsible for delivery. Event Design should be fun, democratic and engaging for everyone involved in order to deliver events of high quality. The Event Design Certificate programme level 1 of Mastery equips teams with a methodology to do just that.”

Healthcare specialism
Also on EduMonday, meeting professionals in the healthcare sector can gain valuable credibility by participating in the accredited Healthcare Meeting Compliance Certificate (HMCC) programme, delivered by MPI. The HMCC provides a foundation in healthcare disciplines, designed for planners and suppliers who need an understanding of regulations, in particular new regulations and laws in healthcare reporting.

A wider programme of free education runs across the three days of the show with close to 150 seminars, including workshops, campfires and bite-sized show-floor education. Participants can choose from carefully selected tracks to create their own bespoke schedule, all designed to help them keep a finger on the pulse of the industry.

Many sessions have a firm eye on the future covering topics such as Visioneering the future of meeting spaces delivered by the IACC plus MPI’s Deep dive into the industry’s business trends.

The second phase of your career that no one knows about will help attendees of all career levels understand what it means to mindfully and purposefully set their career path and achieve goals, part of Purposeful Meetings, IMEX’s new Talking Point.

Guided Tech Tours
Back by popular demand are the IMEX Tech Tours, in both English and German. These provide a guided tour of the show floor and a chance to discover new products, services and gadgets in the field of event technology.

Event risk in a changing world will guide attendees through the steps to create their own safety action plan. Security is explored further in Event security challenges in an elevated security climate by Pete Murphy from Priavo Security and security and risk consultant Angelique Lecorps.

Security expertise
Pete has over 20 years’ experience across the government and private security sector following commendable service within UK Special Forces. He explains why security should remain a key consideration: “Despite the enormous increase in attention to security after recent major international incidents, too many organisations are already slipping back into complacency and cutting corners. Security is considered by some to be an ‘invisible cost’ but this doesn’t make it any less vital.”

IMEX in Frankfurt takes place at Messe Frankfurt from 16 – 18 May 2017. EduMonday (separate registration required) is on 15 May.
Registration is free of charge and open online – https://portal.imex-frankfurt.com/register.php?login=1
EduMonday registration – http://www.imex-frankfurt.com/events/education/edumonday/

#IMEX17

IMEX – Corporate events and meetings

Corporate events and meetings: IMEX offsets planner’s isolation and training drought with new ‘Exclusively Corporate’ programme

Exclusively Corporate at IMEX, the dedicated event for event and travel planners (corporate), has been redeveloped for IMEX in Frankfurt 2017. The IMEX team has collaborated with planners from across the globe to gather views and experiences, creating a new, free of charge, one day programme for the show.

Some of the challenges raised by event and meeting executives included the need to create a fresh event experience be it through new technology, emerging destinations or unique venues – all on an ever-decreasing budget.

The newly bespoke programme for Exclusively Corporate at IMEX reflects these issues with speakers drawn from companies including Cisco, GSK, Lego, Dell, AstraZeneca, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Estée Lauder, EY, BNP Paribas and Barclays. All will share their experiences in a series of in-depth 45-minute sessions. The case study focused panel sessions then lead to opportunities for attendees to brainstorm and generate ideas with their peers.

New, two stream education programme
The dedicated education and networking programme begins on Sunday 14 May with a networking dinner hosted by Hilton. Attendees then begin Monday 15 May with breakfast hosted by Dubai followed by a full day of free education on topics such as delivering ROI, creative event formats, new technologies, security risk and emerging destinations and trends. After a series of group sessions, the education then splits into two streams with sessions on strategic global programme management for senior event professionals and operational issues for event managers.

Planners can then explore IMEX in Frankfurt, which takes place 16 – 18 May at Messe Frankfurt. With 3,500 exhibitors from 160 countries under one roof, the show enables visitors to discover new destinations and suppliers and see the latest technologies designed for the events industry.

Attendees find Exclusively Corporate at IMEX an invaluable opportunity to meet and share ideas with other executives in the same role, as Alise Long, CMM, Manager Strategic Meetings & Events at DSM in the Netherlands, who took part last year explains:

“Exclusively Corporate at IMEX is one of the pinnacles of IMEX in Frankfurt. There are three or four times a year when I can step away from my office and this is one that I value. I like to get together with my peers.”

Alise Long returns this year as one of the speakers who’ll discuss how to build and manage a global team as well as exploring which technology trends are shaping the future of events.

Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group, summarises: “This year’s agenda has been researched and developed with much more detail and input from past attendees. We’ve focused on the biggest challenges that in house marketing, travel and event executives are facing in 2017 and developed an extremely current and detailed programme for them. This is a great opportunity for professionals to benefit from a high quality, free of charge education programme – something which is particularly valuable in the face of decreasing training budgets across many organisations.

“As with every aspect of our shows, we collaborate closely with our attendees to ensure our offering remains relevant and provides the support and inspiration our various audiences need to have the best possible experience. We’re also supported by some fantastic sponsors. Their contributions are vital as they allow us to serve this influential group of buyers and planners with a unique programme that also recognises the fact these planners rarely ever have the chance to meet or talk to each other.”

Full details at http://www.imex-frankfurt.com/events/education/exclusively-corporate-@imex/ or contact Donna Fung Donna.Fung@imexexhibitions.com

#IMEX17

IMEX America research reveals the untapped potential for event technology

IMEX America research reveals the untapped potential for event technology  

61.3 per cent of meeting professionals agreed that currently available event technology makes event management much easier and that it will develop and change dramatically in the next 10 years, but 92 per cent admit that meeting planners are not making the most of such technology solutions.

These were among the key findings of new research carried out for IMEX America by Meeting Professionals International (MPI) providing fascinating insight into the views of meeting professionals on event technology.

It also revealed that when buying event technology products and services, only 21.2 per cent of those surveyed approached the project with confidence.

Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group said: “Event technology is a fast growing sector that offers vast untapped potential to help with the planning and efficient operation of events”.

“We believe that having technology demonstrated by experts face to face is a highly effective way for buyers to get to grips with technology and discover how it could help them. At IMEX America we have facilitated this through guided tours and demonstrated such technology in dedicated educational areas. In addition, the many event technology suppliers at the show will be happy to explain the capabilities and benefits of what they offer at their booths.”

Among the initiatives that IMEX America has introduced to meet this need is the EventTechTours. Taking place throughout the show, they will be led by Tahira Endean, who was recognized in 2015 as one of the Top Five Women in EventTech and who now specialises in explaining the integration of technology into our lives, businesses and events.

Innovation Tours are also planned for Tuesday and Wednesday, led by Glenn Thayer of Emcee Squared. They will demonstrate how tech, innovation and trends can be implemented into general sessions, as well as examining the future of meeting experiences.

IMEX America also features the TECHknowledge Area, powered by The Meeting Pool, where experts will deliver targeted technology sessions, TECHbytes, answering questions on hot topics such as Snapchat, Slack, OneNote and wearable technology, and guide buyers through the latest tech in the Gadget Lab. More information is available here.

The survey also asked “what problems do you face in your day-to-day work that you would like technology to solve for you, that isn’t currently covered?” The responses revealed a strong widespread demand for ’consolidation, integration, ‘one-stop’ complete solutions and consistency.’

Typical of these views were requests for ‘the compilation of information from various sources/modules into a single flexibly formatted report;’ ‘a one-stop, affordable complete event management solution, from exhibitor management to budget reconciliation’; and ‘one SMMP system consolidating everything including event management and procurement’.

Carina Bauer concludes by adding “The industry is clearly seeing the tip of the iceberg in event technology at present. We expect there to be much more to come and we believe that by visiting the event technology area at the show and making the most of our Tours and TECHknowledge Area, buyers can learn so much that will be valuable to them in planning and running their events more effectively now and in future.”

IMEX America 2016 takes place from 18 – 20 October in Las Vegas. For more information about the show please visit http://www.imexamerica.com.

Technology and business grow together at IMEX America

Technology and business grow together at IMEX America
Budding technology companies to compete for business boost

Meetings industry professionals at IMEX America this year can discover the latest innovations set to impact the way they do business. Many of these innovations will come from the technology sector according to nearly 40 per cent of meeting professionals.

The survey of nearly 1200 respondents by the IMEX Group revealed that 40 per cent of hosted buyers, 34.5 per cent of visitors and 37.5 per cent of exhibitors thought technology would deliver the next big innovation. New apps, virtual meetings and meeting room technology were all cited as examples of how event technology innovation is making an impact across the industry.

Meeting professionals can preview some of the technology set to make waves in the industry at the #IMEXpitch taking place 18 October at IMEX America. Event technology start-ups have the opportunity to showcase their products to an audience of event professionals at the show, which is held 18-20 October in Las Vegas. Applications are now open for the #IMEXpitch, culminating in five finalists competing in a live head-to-head pitch competition.

Each company has five minutes to put forward its product, including the concept, features and unique selling points, to a live audience. The winner, chosen by an expert judging panel, will receive a free space on the Technology Pavilion at next year’s show in addition to press and marketing exposure.

The independent expert judging panel all work with event technology on a daily basis and are always looking out for the latest developments as one of the judges, Tara Thomas, co-founder of The Meeting Pool, explains:

“IMEX has a long history of being at the forefront of showcasing event tech. The competition is truly where the industry looks for the latest innovations changing the game for event professionals and is also an amazing opportunity for startups to attract significant attention and buzz around their products. I’m excited to be involved this year, and to see what I know will be an incredible lineup of companies.”

The Meeting Pool is also powering the TECHknowledge Area at IMEX America where experts will deliver targeted technology sessions, TECHbytes, answering questions on hot topics such as Snapchat, Slack, OneNote and wearable technology, and guiding visitors through the latest tech in the Gadget Lab.

Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group, commented:

“Technology has long led the way in innovation, particularly in the meetings sector. This innovation often comes from start-ups entering the industry and we see many interesting ideas from new businesses through our #IMEXpitch competition and across the showfloor.”

Buyers at IMEX America can meet the experts behind the latest innovations in a series of TechTours running throughout the show. By meeting with selected exhibitors on the show floor, they can discover some of the companies who are leading the way in technology impacting the meetings and event sector.

For more information about the #IMEXpitch and to submit an application please visit http://www.imexamerica.com/events/imexpitch/

For more information about the TECHknowledge Area at IMEX America, please visit http://www.imexamerica.com/events/education/show-floor-education/techknowledge-area/

IMEX America 2016 takes place 18 – 20 October in Las Vegas. For more information about the show please visit http://www.imexamerica.com

IMEX Politicians Forum brings government and leaders together

IMEX Politicians Forum brings government and leaders together

The increasingly valuable contribution that meetings can make towards national and regional economic development, employment and education and how this will progress over the next 15 years will be the central subject of discussions at the 14th annual IMEX Politicians Forum when it takes place at Hotel Villa Kennedy Frankfurt on Tuesday 19 April.
This unique high-level event will once again bring together up to 40 politicians, including national and regional government ministers, and political influencers with around 80 industry leaders. They will exchange knowledge and best practice on how governments, regions and cities can make the most of the wide-ranging benefits that investment in conferences and meetings can bring, from income and employment to inward investment, education and scientific advancement.
This year the keynote speaker will be Hon Minister Stuart Ayres, Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events for New South Wales, Australia. In a speech entitled: ‘How Meetings and Events Can Fulfil Political Optimism’, he will focus on several key areas including the importance of matching business events with trade, investment and export policies.

Minister Ayres said: “I’m excited to address the Politician’s Forum at IMEX in Frankfurt on the major issues affecting our industry. Business events are key drivers for our State – stimulating the knowledge economy; supporting trade and investment; talent acquisition and retention; and fostering sustainable future growth.”
The event is a full day programme with an exclusive VIP guided tour of the IMEX trade show and visits to delegates’ own national or regional stands before and after attending the Opening Ceremony.

The afternoon Forum will open with a Global Exchange of Best Practice at national and regional levels. The Hon Minister Ragnheidur Elin Arnadottir, Minister of Industry and Commerce, Iceland will chair the national level meeting while John Greenway, former Member of Parliament in the UK will lead the regional discussions.
All the delegates will then join together for the main Forum, a Global Exchange of Future Practice, moderated by Michael Hirst OBE, in which all the politicians, government officials and industry leaders will discuss how destinations are preparing for the challenges over the next 15 years and sharing new ideas and thinking.
The IMEX Politicians Forum has over the years proved to be a major catalyst in advancing the understanding of the critical role that the meetings industry plays in many aspects of national and regional development.

As Hon Ragnheidur Elin Arnadottir, Minister of Industry and Commerce for Iceland commented after taking part in the IMEX Politicians Forum 2015. “There is tremendous economic value and intellectual capital gain associated with a strong meetings and conference industry. Therefore it is crucial for governments to respond with a focused strategy to make the most of these business opportunities to benefit their destination. The IMEX Politicians Forum provides a unique platform for governments wishing to improve their competitiveness.”
Carina Bauer, CEO of The IMEX Group said: “The many senior politicians and government officials from across the globe attending the Politicians Forum this year are testament to the increasing recognition of the important role that the meetings and incentive travel industry plays in driving economic development particularly in knowledge economies. We are pleased with the strong programme that is set to develop further understanding and relationships between the industry and governments around the world.”

http://www.imex-frankfurt.com/
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#IMEX #IMEXFrankfurt #IMEX16 #IMEX2016

Go green at IMEX

Go green at IMEX
Submissions now open for IMEX-GMIC Green Awards 2016

Organisations across the globe can celebrate their green activities at the IMEX-GMIC Green Awards. Applications are now open for the prestigious awards which recognise outstanding achievement in green meetings planning, sustainability and corporate social responsibility. Jointly run by IMEX and the Green Meetings Industry Council (GMIC), these awards are presented at the prestigious IMEX Gala Dinner and Awards ceremony on 20 April 2016 in Frankfurt.

The awards span three categories covering key aspects of the green meetings sector: Green Meeting Award, Green Supplier and Commitment to the Community Award. Applicants are required to submit information on their environmental and social business practices taking into consideration environmental impact, economic indicators, leadership and innovation.

Environmental awareness among meeting organisers is recognised by the Green Meeting Award (large and small meetings), which judges a specific event based on a planner’s efforts to prevent and reduce environmental impact. The Green Supplier Award recognises a meeting supplier that has made innovative efforts to reduce the environmental impact of their operations. Finally, the Commitment to the Community Award honours those who have demonstrated innovative efforts to benefit a charitable initiative.

Previous winners include Destination Unlimited, Authenticore and Delta Lloyd who together scooped the Commitment to the Community Award in recognition of their eco-incentive trip working with an island community in Norway. Visit the IMEX website for further information and details of how to enter the awards.

Sustainability and corporate social responsibility is hugely important to the IMEX Group who also run their own programmes in Frankfurt (Germany), Las Vegas (USA) and Brighton (UK) – where the company is based. In 2015 alone, over US $10,000 was raised for IMEX’s nominated charities in each city through the tradeshows. In addition, at IMEX America 2015 2,000 hygiene were made and donated through a partnership with Clean the World, which will extend to IMEX in Frankfurt for the first time in 2016.

Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group, comments: “As an industry it’s important that we demonstrate how we can support the goals of the recently held COP 21 Conference in Paris, by reducing the environmental impacts of the meetings and events that we run. Through the IMEX Green Awards programme we are able to shine a light on the ‘best in class’ events and suppliers that fulfil their business objectives at the same time as supporting the environment and communities in which they take place. Our industry can and should play a huge role in driving forward this positive agenda and IMEX is pleased to play its part.”

IMEX in Frankfurt hosts inaugural PCMA Business School in Europe

IMEX in Frankfurt hosts inaugural PCMA Business School in Europe

Developing the mindset of an ‘outthinker’ will be the focus of the first ever PCMA Business School Session at IMEX in Frankfurt next April.

Taking place on Monday 18 April 2016, the day before IMEX in Frankfurt, PCMA is bringing its prestigious Business School to Europe for the first time.

As part of the show’s comprehensive education programme, PCMA Business School is aimed at those in executive positions and offers insight for both buyers and suppliers in the market.

Dr. Kaihan Krippendorff, renowned business strategist, consultant and best-selling author, will lead an interactive session on ‘The Outthinker Playbook – Devising Disruptive Strategies’.

This will explore how to cultivate new approaches to business thinking and how to adopt a fresh “outthinkers” approach in response to changes in business. Kaihan will help delegates to develop new strategic thinking habits for solving real challenges and reach “strategic clarity”. The innovative class is also CMP certified.

“In our industry it is important that we seek provoking outside perspectives, so we don’t fall into the trap of developing our strategies with the same myopic lens,” says Deborah Sexton, PCMA President and CEO. “The goal of each PCMA Business School session is to challenge our participants to consider different perspectives that will ultimately enhance their business acumen.”

Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group, explains: “Following the success of PCMA Business School at IMEX America, bringing it to Europe enables us to bring a high level of powerful industry education to a wide audience. The programme is part of our comprehensive education programme and focuses on innovation and strategic thinking, enabling professionals – both buyers and suppliers – to develop core business skills which are crucial across many sectors”.

Dr. Kaihan Krippendorff is a recognised expert on innovation, business strategy, and creativity and works with organisations including Microsoft, Johnson & Johnson, Citibank, L’Oreal, Kraft, and Experian. He regularly conducts programs as a faculty member of Wharton Executive Education and is an Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship and Strategy at Florida International University.

PCMA Business School is being provided free of charge to all participants, although pre-registration is required due to the anticipated demand for the programme. Registration will be available via the PCMA website – www.pcma.org – in the New Year.

IMEX in Frankfurt takes place at Messe Frankfurt from 19 – 21 April 2016.

Association Focus & Evening offer superb education

Association Focus & Evening offer superb education and networking opportunities at IMEX America 2015

Increasing revenues, designing better meetings and using mobile technologies in meetings are among the engaging subjects to be explored at Association Focus, a key part of IMEX America’s Smart Monday education program on 12 October 2015 in Las Vegas.

This special educational event, designed by IMEX together with ASAE and ICCA, is packed with fascinating discussions and insightful presentations led by an inspiring group of engaging speakers including industry professionals and independent specialists.

Taking place at the Venetian®| The Palazzo® Congress Center, the free event is exclusively for association executives. More than 180 association professionals from over 15 countries are expected to attend.

The day will be packed with motivating sessions where delegates can boost their knowledge and gather valuable insights and advice from peers and experts that will be helpful both in running associations as well as their events. The event also offers superb opportunities for association executives to network with peers and experts from across the globe.

After a networking lunch, delegates will first have a choice of three tracks. The ICCA session is ‘What’s Your Story?’ Led by Betsy Bair of Penton Media, Lisa Astorga, CMP of the International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis and Martin Sirk, CEO of ICCA, it starts from the premise that every association meeting is a chance to tell a great story – so how can associations make the most of these stories and opportunities?

At the same time, Willis Turner, CEO of Sales & Marketing Executives International Inc and Shelly Alcorn, Principal of Alcorn Associates will explore the potential role and opportunities to use gaming to increase loyalty and engagement.

Dedicated Executive Track
The dedicated ASAE Executive Track will open with ‘The Journey to Great Governance’, presented by Susan Robertson, CAE, Executive Vice President, ASAE, highlighting best practice in how non-profit boards of directors can fulfil their roles in living up to public and stakeholder expectations. This will be followed by Amy Hissrich, VP Web Strategies & Communications at ASAE explaining how mobile technologies can be used to maximise results from meetings.

Meanwhile delegates can also choose to learn about increasing non-due revenues in international markets from Faris Abouhamad of the International Advertising Association and Steen Jakobsen of Dubai Business Events. Alternatively, they can hear from John Folks and Katie Callahan-Giobbi of Mindingyourbusiness on measuring the attendee experience – and how different approaches can help to design a better meeting.

A packed day of education will be followed by a superb social event – Association Evening – which will feature Cocktails and Canapés at the stunning ‘indoor-outdoor’ Foxtail Nightclub, SLS Las Vegas; a fantastic opportunity to network with peers and invited exhibitors in a relaxed environment.

Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group says: “Association Focus is a unique event in North America – bringing together association executives from around the US and the world to network and learn with each other in a private environment. We work hard with the market to ensure that the education sessions are highly relevant and delivered by first class educators. The Association Evening is a great culmination to the day and we are excited this year to be at a beautiful new poolside venue – it promises to be spectacular.”

For more details about IMEX America’s Association Focus and Evening and to register http://www.imexamerica.com/events/education/association-focus/

Please click here to download the Association Focus & Evening Brochure and to apply.

To attend Association Focus, delegates must first be registered as either a Hosted Buyer or a Visitor for the IMEX America trade show taking place on 13 – 15th October at Sands Expo® and The Venetian®| The Palazzo® Las Vegas. The Association Evening is also open to exhibitors who are members of one of the supporting industry associations – ICCA, ASAE, AIPC, IAEE, IACC, DMAI, PCMA, IAPCO. More information on the evening can be found at: http://www.imexamerica.com/events/networking-events/association-evening/

The education providers for Association Focus are ASAE and ICCA. SLS Las Vegas is the evening host sponsor.

Leading corporate meetings executives to collaborate at IMEX America 2015 Forum

Leading corporate meetings executives to collaborate at IMEX America 2015 Forum
New executive report shows market growth and ROI demands on the rise

April 13, 2015 – With the 5th IMEX America set to take place in Las Vegas from October 13 to 15, the IMEX team is creating even stronger opportunities for buyers and exhibitors to develop business, network, and learn from experts and their peers.

One of the highlights of IMEX America for high level corporate executives is the Executive Meeting Forum (EMF). The two-day event on October 13 and 14 will bring together senior professionals in a peer-to-peer setting to share best practices, discuss issues and generate new ideas.

The discussions at the event also provide fascinating insights into the views of a cross-section of today’s industry executives. Last year’s Forum was especially revealing as the participants were from major organizations such as Microsoft, Coca Cola and Cisco Systems and almost two thirds had at least 10 years experience in the industry.
Among the many significant views that they collectively expressed were:

• Meetings Growth & ROI – there is shared optimism that the meetings market is back on track but also shared knowledge that the demand for more and more meetings ROI continues to grow too.

• SMM/SMMP – there is a keen interest in defining more “mature” models for Strategic Meetings Management (SMM) and Strategic Meetings Management Programs (SMMP), especially with smaller and distributed meetings. Creating more comprehensive policies and taking SMM more global in scale and practice is also of importance.

• Going Global – getting a stronger handle on managing resources, virtual teams, budgets and policies across borders is key.

• Performance Punishment – there is a strong awareness that successful planners should not be “rewarded” with lower budgets and less staff.

• Technology Buy-In – the need to build more internal support and budget for Business Intelligence and Data Mining technologies is shared by many.

Offering more creative and experiential hooks for sponsors was also discussed in–depth, as was the need to build more technically savvy, open and collaborative meetings designs to increase delegate engagement.

All the findings and insights are published in The IMEX America 2014 Executive Meeting Forum Summary Report, sponsored by Dubai Business Events, which is now available to download.

This year’s Forum is sure to generate more valuable discussion and knowledge sharing. Among the important topics and significant themes likely to be covered are:

• Sharing the unprecedented ways in which the value and benefits of meetings and events are now being held to account.

• Creating deeper attendee engagement.

• Capturing ROI and its power to build stakeholder support.

• Gaining insight into industry best practices around agency, hotel and vendor management, internal key metrics and SLAs.

• Exploring how meetings and events are impacted by new economic, political and financial realities.

Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group commented: “We are once again putting together a superb, comprehensive program of key issues for the 50 plus senior executives who take part each year in the Forum. It is always one of the highlights of our educational program as it enables us to provide these high level professionals with a unique and tailored tradeshow experience, access to valuable knowledge to take back to their organizations, and important networking time with their peers.”

To download a copy of the 2014 Executive Meeting Forum Summary Report and for more information on the 2015 Executive Meetings Forum visit: http://www.imexamerica.com/events/forums/executive-meeting-forum/.

Skills, networking and marketing – IMEX helps with business through education

Skills, networking and marketing –
IMEX helps with business through education

Buyers at IMEX in Frankfurt will acquire many valuable business skills and extensive marketing knowledge through the show’s wide ranging education programme at The Inspiration Hub.

New early morning deep dive sessions on Business Networking and the other on Building Confidence are among the latest additions to the vast choice of business skills seminars and workshops at the event, which takes place on 19 to 21 May.

Effective Negotiating, Ten Business Skills that Never Go Out of Fashion, Engaging Today’s Audiences Differently, You Don’t Want a Meeting You Want an Outcome and Cultural Differences Beyond Behavioural are some of the 30 engaging and inspiring business skills sessions.

The Marketing and Communications programme is also extensive and will cover key subjects such as increasing the ROI of marketing events, content marketing, audience engagement and using storytelling techniques.

The overall Inspiration Hub programme covers all aspects of business with 10 tracks and more than 170 sessions designed for the meetings industry, from Technology & Social Media, Risk Management & Compliance, Trends & Research, Health and Wellbeing, Diversity and Sustainability, Creative Learning and General Education to Business Skills and Marketing & Communication. The education sessions, 30 of them in German, will also be divided into strands for the Young Professional and Senior Professional.

Creative Thursday is another innovation within the education programme this year and the sessions will be delivered in a variety of formats including interactive hands-on workshops, seminars, campfires, the research pod, hot topic tables and meet the expert.

Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group says: “While business meetings on stands are the centre point of IMEX, education is an essential element as we aim to inspire buyers and exhibitors and fulfil their needs. The comprehensive Inspiration Hub programme will be valuable to buyers whether they want to refresh their knowledge, or acquire CMP/CEU and ISES Points or are looking for new ideas.”

To find out more about the educational tracks, please search http://portal.imex-frankfurt.com/events.php