AS THE meetings industry gears up for this year’s Imex in Frankfurt, TTN speaks to group chairman RAY BLOOM about the show’s history and what is in store for 2011.
How long has Imex been running and what have been the main changes over the years?
Imex in Frankfurt is now in its ninth year and the show has continued to grow every year since inception. Imex 2011 will grow again this year. There will be an increase in the number of exhibitors plus our largest ever hosted buyer programme. We will also have another strong turnout from the hotel sector.
The desire to network and to do business face-to-face remains as strong as ever among professionals within the global incentive travel, meetings and events industry. Our goal is, and always has been, to create the best possible environment in which people and organisations can do more business; whether this involves incorporating more technology, such as our new Imex app; new online facilities, or QR codes which are another great innovation for 2011.
We have also increased the scope of our education programme and New Vision initiatives. This year there will be a record 90-plus seminars and workshops available, all free of charge. In addition, unrivalled networking opportunities such as the Imex Association Day and evening reception plus the Politicians Forum ensure that Imex will deliver much more than a ‘normal’ trade show.
What new additions can visitors expect at this year’s event?
Visitors can expect to see hundreds of new exhibitors from across the world plus an enormous range of educational events across the show.
Other additions include a new mobile phone app, developed in partnership with Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and QuickMobile, will allow Smartphone users to access additional information about the show plus have a direct link to their Imex online diaries as well as links to the Imex social media pages.
Imex has also been quick to develop QR codes (also known as 2-D codes or mobile tags) which we will use to share event and seminar information at point of delivery and also on information boards around the halls. The codes are easy to use. Most Smartphone users can download a free QR reader from their provider or apps store.
For the first time also the Imex i-Meet Group will be open to all IMEX attendees including hosted buyers, visitors and exhibitors to help them make direct contact and connect with peers, prospects and suppliers in advance of the show.
This year hosted buyers will also have access to free Wi-Fi throughout the halls as a result of a new service courtesy of Destination Frankfurt Rhein-Main.
Among our new green initiatives will be a ‘Share Your Spare USBs’ scheme which will allow us to recycle USB sticks to school children in India. We will also be running our Green Team initiative again, which allows exhibitors to promote their green credentials by wearing a green lapel ribbon if they have completed a number of ‘green’ tasks during the show.
As usual we will also be presenting the Imex Awards, including our high profile green awards and Commitment to the Community Award.
How many exhibitors are expected?
Imex 2011 will see more than 3,500 companies exhibiting, representing 150 different countries.
Are there any new countries/organisations/companies taking part?
We have many new exhibitors appearing for the first time. Among the new participants to look out for are: Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, The Balearics, Syria, Tanzania, H10 Hotels from Spain, Gdansk Convention Bureau, Malla Travel & Trek Services Nepal and Dragonfly Africa. Other new exhibitors include: Louvre Hotels, PS Network, Kakaw & Sapphire Guatemala, Q4 Travel, Top Voyages Morocco and Harty Tours Egypt. Returning to Imex 2011 are Latvia, Hyatt Hotels, Riga Tourism, Costa Rica, Lithuania, Chile, Bahrain and Armenia.
New technology exhibitors will include Getyoo, PowerVote, Eventsforce, Pc/nametag, PSIDEO SA and Saville Audiovisual.
Also new for 2011 will be our Wild Card winners: Mongolia, Budva in Montenegro and Jurmala in Latvia, who are all brand new to the international incentive travel, meetings and events industry. Wild Card winners on the German Pavilion will include Hochschwarzwald Tourismus, a destination in the Black Forest, and Zoo Leipzig, a new conference centre in the tropical zone at the zoo.
More than 20 new hosted-buyer groups will also be attending the show this year. Merck Global meetings will also be at Imex for the first time. The company is responsible for $700 million worth of annual meeting spend. Other important hosted-buyer groups include SportAccord, organiser of large sporting events around the globe, Starwood Hotels and Resorts UAE and AC Forum whose members represent some of the largest association congresses in the world.
How many visitors attended the show last year?
In 2010 we welcomed almost 9,000 trade visitors, including over 3,800 hosted buyers.
What will be the highlights of the programmes on offer at the show?
There are more than 90 educational seminars and workshops taking place at Imex this year, an all-time record. For example, attendees will be urged ‘not just to attend IMEX but to be their best’ at the show. As part of our partnership with Meetings Mindset, visitors will have access to a new Online Performance Centre where they will be able to set measurable goals before the show and also receive guidance on how best to achieve them. Onsite Meetings Mindset will have an exhibition stand providing free brain training techniques and practical tips on improving meeting performance.
New ‘hot topic’ campfire sessions will provide short, informal learning to small groups on the show floor and will address fundamental business skills including the value of in-house PR, new cross-cultural approaches and managing online services. In addition, three 20-minute marketing power sessions will be provided especially for exhibitors by tmf dialogmarketing.
Anna Hellman, executive irector of SportAccord Convention, will talk about the enormous business scope provided by sporting federations around the globe. Equally, event management consultant, Richard John, will present a personal and professional development seminar on ‘The Success Pie’.
German language seminars will be split into key topic areas: social media, CSR/ green, association management, business travel and legal issues. Each day will feature a key well-known speaker including Dieter Baumann – a famous German athlete and Sascha Lobo – a well-known German blogger and social media guru.
Is there any research due to be released at the show and what is this likely to illustrate?
Following on from the hugely popular presentations at last year’s show, a new update on the Convention 2020 research will be reported by Fast Future Research. This is a groundbreaking research study looking at the future of live events, venues and meeting destinations, predicting trends and drivers that could shape the future of the industry.
A number of leading industry trade associations will also be presenting key pieces of research.
How are preparations going for the first Imex America and how will this additional show impact on Imex?
Preparations are going extremely well. The support for Imex America from the US and around the world has been very strong. The exhibition itself will be considerably larger than anticipated, with 1,500 companies exhibiting from up to 100 countries. This has resulted in us booking a second hall at the Las Vegas Sands Expo. The Imex America hosted-buyer programme will also be over 2,000 strong, making it the largest hosted-buyer programme for any trade show in North America.