Issue Contents
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Business follows IMEX
This year’s IMEX was delivered following one of the most uncertain periods in global economic history. Nevertheless, the international meetings, incentive travel and events industry is nothing if not resilient, pragmatic and inherently optimistic. And this was reflected in a strong desire to get down to business and see a return on investment coupled with a widespread belief that business opportunities were still in good supply. Our feedback proves that all of this – and more – was achieved at IMEX this year.
Hosted buyer numbers reached a new high
of 3,779 (from 60 countries), with buyers
representing the long-haul markets increasing by
50% to reach 15% of the total for the first time.
This is an important milestone and one we will
keep working to improve. To achieve it, we
worked alongside more intermediaries than ever
before, including new airlines, new hotel groups
and new media partners.
It is clear, this year more than ever, that
despite an incredible proliferation in online
communication channels and the growth of the
internet, face to face meetings remain
fundamental to conducting business and
negotiating deals. IMEX’s success, which is proven
by more than 50,000 group and individual
appointments this year, demonstrates that
exhibitions and live ‘marketplace’ events are
more important than ever and deserve their
place in any well-considered marketing strategy.
Of course, what also sets IMEX apart is our added commitment to industry change, thought leadership and practical action. This year Meetings for Success, our newest initiative launched in partnership with the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC), was perfectly timed. It aims to help board level executives understand the true power and value of meetings and events within their organisations by giving the industry ‘one voice’ – one that not only speaks but also produces tangible outcomes. Together with the Politicians’ Forum, we have created two very powerful platforms for change, with shared values and the power to influence at the most senior levels.
At a different level, I was delighted to see it was ‘standing room only’ at many of our new Meetings Under the
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Ray Bloom, Chairman, IMEX |
Microscope seminars. This programme aims to provide meeting planners with a systematic approach to meetings content, planning, execution and follow-up, introducing them to the very latest techniques and knowledge currently available. If demand is anything to go by, Meetings Under the Microscope will surely become one of the bedrocks of our educational programme in the future.
The view from the show floor...
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“The organisation behind IMEX is exceptional. It was great to be able to communicate with
buyers before coming. We have had a successful exhibition and generated some strong
solid leads. There’s so much activity around the exhibition and the buyers we have met
have all been very positive about their experiences.” “I manage associations and we have five events outside India each year, from 500-1,500
delegates. Upcoming locations we are exploring are in Europe and South Africa. The
common sense layout makes IMEX easy to navigate, and the high quality exhibitors make it
worth your while getting there! As a result of this inspirational and informative show I will
be able to prepare a report and recommendations full of ideas and detail. The networking
opportunity offered by Association Day is matchless.” “IMEX is my favourite travel industry show and for me
a must-attend event. The programme of activity is
comfortably achievable and the standards reassuringly
high. We are looking to place business in South Africa
for next year and after several meetings here have
chosen a partner.” |
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“We have been part of the show since the very
beginning. It’s a fundamental part of our business.
We are meeting lots of qualified, interested buyers
with a specific agenda and the messaging system on
the IMEX website has made it really easy to keep in
touch with hosted buyers in the lead up to the event,
answering specific enquiries and allowing us to send
out key information to them. This is a must-attend
event.” “Annually I organise approximately nine corporate conferences for around 200 delegates
with a budget of around Euro 300,000. IMEX offers a world of opportunity for the novice
and experienced buyer alike, offering both education and inspiration. An easily
understandable schedule acts as a guide to the highlights.” “This is our first time at IMEX. We have already seen twice as many buyers as we had
appointments for and they have all come to us with specific events, groups and dates in
mind. We are very impressed and will definitely be back next year.” |
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“IMEX has again delivered the ideal sales
platform. We were delighted with the results we
achieved at IMEX 2009. IMEX is a must do on our
sales calendar."
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“Only two hours into the show and we have
already confirmed business with an American tour
operator signing up 400 people. The day has been
great so far and all of our scheduled
appointments have turned up on time thanks to
pre-set appointments that we were able to book
through the IMEX website. This process
guarantees meetings and enables you to organise
your day effectively.”
Petra Cruz-Deyerling, Director Europe, Dominican
Republic Tourism Board
“I am looking for venues globally to host a
recently launched linguistics event in 2010 – and
for three years my colleagues have been telling
me that this is the pre-eminent meetings
exhibition to visit. I am delighted that I have
finally made it! Without question a superb
investment of my time and undoubtedly an event
that deserves its fine reputation for productivity.”
Hosted buyer Mary Noel-Giraud, Assistante de
Direction, Institut de Liguistique Française, France
“It’s really busy and our stand has had a lot of
traffic, especially as we are showcasing the 2010
World Cup. There’s lots of energy around the
show and the high volume of activity means that
we have to raise our voices! I am really impressed
with the quality of the exhibition and think that
anyone that wants to be a serious player in this
industry simply cannot miss it.”
Nomasonto Ndlovu, Global Manager Business
Tourism, South African Tourism
“I work for an agency spending Euro 2 million
annually, typically on outdoors-orientated
incentives globally. My plan to find local partners,
namely an Antarctic specialist in Chile, gorilla
expertise in Uganda and four wheel drive experts
in Iceland has been 100% successful and I am
delighted! This year our office has sent two of us
to the show in order to take maximum advantage
of its opportunities. Certainly I will be back next
year.”
David Ramirez Panting, Project Manager, Meta
Consultoria de Incentivos, Spain
“IMEX continues to be an exceptional show for
us. This year in particular, we noticed the
increased attendance in buyers and had more
appointments than ever before. We look forward
to an even stronger 2010. This is one show we
can’t afford not to attend.”
Chris White, Chairman & CEO, Global Events
Partners, USA
“I run a bi-annual international association event
plus a number of training seminars and have
enjoyed 20 appointments at IMEX, for all of which
the exhibitors had prepared well. The seminars at
Association Day were concise, to the point and
insightful and the show staff are well trained,
outgoing and friendly. Really IMEX couldn’t do
more to help us do business.”
Hosted buyer Felicitas Wressing, Wftgh, Austria
‘...the perfect platform for business’
“We have been coming to IMEX for many years now as we realise that it is an opportunity not to be
missed – and it forms an important part of our long term plan for promoting Qatar as a rising
destination. The buyers are great quality and we have generated lots of good leads from both
conference organisers and association buyers.”
Soha Moussa, Head of Promotions, Qatar Tourism and Exhibitions Authority
“I specialise in conferences for academics, usually one large event annually which tends to be very
interactive and participative, and IMEX reflects a similar approach. People like to talk, and it is
certain that more effective communication fosters harmony between groups and discourages
conflict. For this reason I see the MICE industry and this show, not only as an opportunity to build
business relationships but also to promote notions of peace and amity.”
Hosted buyer Dr Hans Emil Klein, President, World Association for Case Method Research and
Application
“The real success of IMEX comes down to the many dimensions and opportunities on offer, from the
Politicians Forum to Association Day as well as the full media programme. This year’s exhibition has
come at a good time in a challenging trade
environment as IMEX provides a great
platform to get the message out there that
the industry is very much open for
business.”
Joyce DiMascio, Head of
Business Events, Tourism
Australia
“I run an event management company which
arranges between 20 and 40 get-togethers each
year worldwide with a spend of around half a
million Euros and have come to IMEX with a diary
which ensures I won’t stop until the end of the day!
Last year’s visit fuelled much of the decision-making
for this year, and it is my anticipation that IMEX
2009 will feed the next. It is not possible to make
the time to visit more than one show and for me
this is the finest in terms of both organisation and
suppliers.”
Hosted buyer Thomas Hirner, Owner, Hirner PM
Management, Germany
“IMEX stands out for the quality of buyer that you
meet and the Kenya stand has had a very productive
exhibition. Interest in Kenya has been really high
from markets across the world, notably from Eastern
Europe and the US and this has generated plenty of
solid leads. I really commend IMEX for all the
information and research available online as this
helped us to plan effectively and reach our target
market in advance of the event. The online
community provides the perfect platform to share
knowledge, experiences and feedback, which is
something that we found particularly useful when
progressing our own initiatives. The green agenda,
for example, provides very useful direction and
examples for us to follow as we pursue our own
green initiatives.”
Rachael Lotty, Regional Marketing Manager, Kenya Tourist Board
“We are a marketing and events company with a
budget of around US$1 million each year for ‘no
expense spared’ hospitality predominantly in the
Middle East and Americas and often for royalty.
This is my first time at IMEX and I am finding that
my evenings are as important as my days! Each
night has been spent at a well-presented and
enjoyable networking event which accurately
reflects the need for a variety of contexts in which
to do business and highlights the perceptive cultural
awareness of the show’s organisers.”
Fiona Swaffield, Events Director, Siren Consulting,
Dubai
“Japan has been exhibiting at IMEX for several years
and, with our focus being mainly on the association
market, we are really pleased about the number of
quality association buyers here. We did enough
business in the first two hours of the show opening
to make this year’s exhibition a success and have
continued to enjoy it ever since.”
Chad Shiver, Manager, Japan Convention Bureau,
London Office
ACTE on professional education now
The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) staff reconnected with familiar faces
and welcomed many new ones at the Professional Development and Innovation Pavilion
at IMEX this year. ACTE staff shared its mission to provide unparalleled learning and peer-to-peer networking opportunities to the business travel industry. Unique within the
industry ACTE members enjoy equal status regardless of affiliation and include corporate
travel buyers and managers, agencies, and business travel suppliers. Serving more than
6,000 executives in over 82 countries, ACTE’s education is targeted at senior level business
travel practitioners with multi-national responsibilities who learn best in environments
that focus on interaction and promote innovation.
The next Global Education Conference in Prague in October will provide over 20 results-oriented education sessions and five keynote presentations with speakers specifically recruited for their out-of-the-box ideas and interactive styles. Presentation-style education sessions are designed to offer 30 minutes of “food for thought” content followed by 30-minutes for audience exchange and interaction. Leveraging a technique used in many graduate degree business schools, a special round table session will allow all conference attendees to participate in scenario simulation to identify the way forward in implementing change in an emerging market travel programme. The power of world class education and strategic networking makes attending the ACTE Conference a “can’t miss” event.
Tracking an evolving industry
Edgar Hirt, President of the
International Association of
Congress Centres (AIPC) and
Managing Director of CCH, Congress
Center Hamburg offers his view on
IMEX 2009, “When things are
changing as quickly as they are
currently, it’s a major task just to
keep track of what’s going on. AIPC
took full advantage of its
involvement with IMEX this year
through the AIPC Sales and Marketing Summit and the AIPC
Seminar on strategies for growing
business in challenging times, which
we shared with MPI and PCMA. We
were also involved in the Politician’s
Forum and the new Meetings for
Success initiative.
A theme running through all of these events was how different the industry will be once it emerges from the current crisis. One of the anticipated changes includes “repositioning” the industry as more focussed on business and professional development and less on the “pleasure” side of meetings. This will have huge implications for destination and facilities marketing. Another was the need for meetings themselves to evolve in response to changing delegate
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Edgar Hirt, President, AIPC and Managing Director, Congress Center Hamburg www.aipc.org |
expectations. AIPC intends to address all of these aggressively over the next year. And, more than anything, these kinds of changes require the whole industry, from centres and suppliers to PCOs and clients, to work collectively on adapting to a new reality.”
A fantastically successful show for ICCA
There are many ways to judge return on
investment in the meetings business. Attendance numbers, lead volumes, member
feedback, and even staff exhaustion levels. After
a week in Frankfurt, IMEX 2009 was
a fantastically successful show by any of these
measures.
“the largest annual gathering of our members
outside of our annual Congress”
We kicked off with a sold-out Association
Expert Seminar, quickly followed by our role as
one of the main organisers of IMEX’s
Association Day and Evening networking event.
The former attracted more international
association executives than ever before, and the
latter was a sell-out with many suppliers
patiently marking time in the bar until some of
the early networkers left to make room for
them! ICCA’s mid-year meetings and our Data
Workshop were also very popular, bringing
together the largest annual gathering of our
members outside of our annual Congress.
Our Tuesday breakfast seminar - Creativity - the
search for our industry’s “holy grail” – had a standing-room only audience that clearly
enjoyed our innovative “crowd-panel” of 10
experts spread around the room. We also pulled
in more than 250 members and prospective
members for our regular exhibition stand
reception. On top of this staff worked non-stop,
carrying out database demonstrations and
explaining how our new PR kit works. And
prospective ICCA member enquiries were as
numerous as ever. It was fantastic to hear so
many professionals talking about long-term
investment in ICCA to target international
association conventions as a way to beat the
recession.
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Martin Sirk, CEO, ICCA www.iccaworld.com |
When trade shows are slow or
unproductive, our members are not slow in
letting us know: the opposite was true for IMEX
2009! In times of economic uncertainty many
experts observe that there is a “flight to
quality”, and that’s what it seems happened at
IMEX this year.
New chair and members for DMAI Council
Destination Marketing Association
International’s (DMAI) European Advisory
Council has welcomed a new Chair and two
new members. DMAI established the European
Advisory Council (EAC) in January 2007 shortly
after opening its European office in Brussels.
The Council’s mission is to give the association
valuable insights, advice and guidance for doing
business in Europe. Since its creation, the EAC
has been very active in directing DMAI’s
European office development, establishing
industry partnerships, contributing to the
education offerings in Europe, and serving as a
vital sounding board.
Charles-Eric Vilain XIIII, Managing Director
of Lille Convention Bureau, has been appointed
its new Chair and brings more than 20 years’
meeting industry experience to the role. He
says, “The European Advisory Council’s key role
is to provide guidance, experience and advice to
support DMAI in its European development and
contribute to taking the destination marketing
industry in Europe to another level. As the new
Chair, I will reinforce my pro-active involvement
with DMAI and plan to lead the council with an
outlined strategic view and vision.” Paul
Flackett, Managing Director of IMEX, remains as
Vice Chair of the EAC.
In addition, DMAI has announced two new members in Milos Milovanovic, CEO of Serbia Convention Bureau and Jan Wittouck, CEO of Flanders-Brussels Convention Bureau.
IAPCO highlights and survey results
IAPCO’s IMEX highlights included Jorge
Castex being appointed as Honorary
Member of IAPCO.
Castex has twice been President of
IAPCO and his honorary membership is
only the seventh to have been awarded
in the association’s history.
The New Zealand Organising Committee of the International Dairy Federation was also presented with the IAPCO 2008 International Client Award. “It is entirely appropriate that the IAPCO Award should be presented at such an international event as IMEX and we are delighted to have the opportunity to do so,” said Patrizia Buongiorno, IAPCO President.
In addition, IAPCO’s renowned ‘Meetings Industry Terminology Dictionary’ increased its reach still further with the publication of a Russian edition. The dictionary is now available in 15 languages and lists 900 words.
Results of the third IAPCO annual activity survey this year were based on feedback from 95 members in 35 countries. The survey demonstrated that 5,170 meetings were organised during 2008 attracting a staggering 1,968,518 delegates. Budget size rose from €900m to €1,273m, whilst the economic impact, based on an average spend of €1620 per delegate, also rose dramatically to a staggering €3.18 billion. IAPCO managed business cannot be underestimated and, whilst the forecast for 2009 indicates a drop of approximately 20%, the figures for 2010 look to return to growth.
ECM milestones
Beside all the activities organised by European Cities Marketing (ECM) itself, ECM works hand in hand with IMEX on several specific projects including the Politicians’ Forum. This partnership gets more intensive every year with the personal support of Ray Bloom during ECM meetings and also the CEO Dinner. The CEO Dinner was first organised in 2007 in Dublin and its success has ensured it has become a regular event. In 2008, the CEOs of European Tourist Offices and Convention Bureaus also met in Paris. This year they will meet in Berlin in December 2009.
Looking back to the start of the year, the “Meet Europe” workshop was organised for the
first time outside of Europe – in Washington DC.
A brand new workshop for ECM Convention members - “The Mercado” – also took place in
Montreux in late March. “Honestly, we couldn’t
have wished for a better start. The Mercado was
a very successful event with great feedback
from both ECM members and their clients. We
have already started preparing next year’s
event. I think that says it all,” explained Olivier
Lépine, ECM Vice-President and General
Manager of Biarritz Tourisme.
Looking ahead, ECM Summer School celebrates its 23rd birthday in 2009. This year’s Summer School in Bolzano in late August will reflect the evolution of organising events in an environmentally-friendly way.
www.europeancitiesmarketing.com
DMAI and ECM launch ’Destination Pro’
Destination Marketing Association
International (DMAI) and European
Cities Marketing (ECM) have launched ‘Destination Pro’, a professional
development programme for entry- to
senior-level destination sales/marketing
professionals.
Destination Pro, which is sponsored
by IMEX, aims to create a higher level
of professionalism and productivity in
all areas of destination business tourism
sales and marketing. It will achieve this
by providing both information and
hands-on training in specific destination
sales techniques and skills.
“excellent comprehensive education for any new destination marketer”
Last year, Sandi Talley, DMAI’s Sr. VP of Business Development and Membership, attended the ECM Summer School in Opatija, Croatia, and Elizabeth Hansa, from Messe Congress Graz and Course Director of ECM Summer School, attended DMAI’s Destination Sales Training courses in Brussels, Belgium. Both “exchange students” agreed that the two programmes complement each other and together they would provide an excellent comprehensive education for any new destination marketer.
To receive the Destination Pro Diploma, an individual must be employed by an official DMO (convention bureau or tourism board) and successfully complete the ECM Summer School and the DMAI Destinations Sales Training Courses I and II. At the end of each calendar year, individuals who have earned the Destination Pro Diploma will also be eligible for a scholarship to attend the forthcoming IMEX.
MPI on a high
MPI (Meeting Professionals International) celebrated a highly successful IMEX, attracting new European members from Belgium, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK as well as new international members from UAE, US and Australia.
In addition, the MPI Foundation cocktail
reception attracted over 125 members and also
saw the announcement of a new Gulf
Partnership Programme. Another launch was
that of MPI’s Career Connections – a one stop
career resource for meeting and event
professionals. This initiative will provide MPI’s
global community with a highly specialised
career support centre.
A highlight of MPI’s participation at IMEX was the IMEX-MPI Future Leaders Forum,
moderated by Junior Tauvaa, VP of Membership and Chapter Business Management. This
attracted over 100 students and included the
presentation to Miguel Neves, who is currently
studying Conference and Events Management
at the University of London, of the IMEX-MPI
Foundation Student Scholarship Award. This
Award marks a new global partnership between
IMEX and MPI reflecting both organisations’
commitment to supporting young industry
talent and providing opportunities for personal
and career development.
MPI’s seminar at IMEX saw Roger Harrop discuss ‘Staying in the Helicopter® - the real job
of the meeting professional in a downturn’
whilst MPI’s Germany Chapter took the
opportunity to hold their annual General
Assembly in Frankfurt.
New US meetings industry perception study
When it comes to meetings, planners are grappling with both a recession and a perception problem. According to a new US based survey; professional planners say that while constrained budgets due to the current economy represent the number one challenge, more than one-third also cite image, publicity and public policy concerns.
The survey of 516 professional meeting
planners was conducted during April and May
2009 for the Professional Convention
Management Association (PCMA), the PCMA
Education Foundation, and American Express.
The survey was conducted by Ypartnership.
More than half (55%) of the respondents
were association meeting professionals, with
the remainder serving as corporate or incentive
meeting professionals. The vast majority had
more than 10 years’ professional experience
planning meetings, and one-half had booked
more than 20 off-site meetings during the
previous 12 months. The majority also served large organisations: slightly more than half
(54%) of the association planners served
associations with more than 10,000 members.
An equal percentage (54%) of the corporate
meeting planners were employed by
corporations with more than 10,000 full-time
employees.
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Deborah Sexton, President and |
“These insights confirm what most in the industry have assumed to be true in recent months - the economy is the primary culprit for the challenges now facing the industry. But professional planners are clearly concerned about the image issues and negative rhetoric associated with hosting meetings as well,” said Deborah Sexton, President and CEO of PCMA and the PCMA Education Foundation.
MMM 09 findings - Innovative, efficient and quick to adapt
The German source markets are “world
champions”, and not only in terms of tourist
travel. With the “MMM – MICE market
monitor” market research study, tmf GmbH has
been measuring the general business
development of the important German-speaking
outbound market on an annual basis
since 2004. 440 event planners were surveyed
for this year’s study and selected outcomes were
brought to a panel discussion with industry
experts at IMEX. This discussion, with a total of
11 agency and corporate planners, plus Carina Bauer of IMEX and selected guests, helped
explore the outcomes more thoroughly and also
broadened insights into this year’s selected
themes.
The MMM study found that business development over the last four years clearly shows the impact of the economic crisis. In the studies carried out from 2006 to 2008, about 90% of event planners surveyed had as many or more events to plan as in the previous year – this shrank to 51% in the 2009 study. Corporate clients are cancelling or postponing planned events more frequently, even where cancellation fees are almost as high as the initial budget. However, 27% see the negative effect of the crisis as being manageable. Demand for European destinations is stable, in the mid-term and the top three remain unchanged: Spain, Italy and France. Destinations such as the USA and Great Britain have gained in popularity over the past year. Results also suggest that, as Germany’s neighbour, the Netherlands may also profit from increased use of direct travel by train, air and car.
In general the MMM showed there remains great potential for business, even in uncertain times and that German-speaking planners are innovative, efficient and able to adapt quickly to new scenarios.
Nothing succeeds like success
A new joint initiative between JMIC and
IMEX – Meetings for Success – came to
life in Frankfurt recently when its first
group of invited senior buyers met on
day two of the show.
16 corporate meetings and events buyers, mainly from blue chip companies, came together with senior agency executives and association leaders to debate how the true value of corporate meetings and events could best be communicated and understood by board level executives.
Describing the current business
landscape, Rod Cameron of AIPC
explained how Meetings for Success
complements the IMEX Politicians’ Forum. “We need to help both of these
audiences get the information and the
tools they need to show that meetings
are not just about revenue but the whole
concept of economic development.”
“the industry needs to move from an
operational position to a strategic one”
After some opening remarks,
moderator Eric Rozenberg, President of
Swantegy and nominated Chairman
Elect 2009-2010 of MPI asked delegates to
divide into three groups to debate and
find answers to some of the most
pressing questions: “Who should be our
primary targets ‘inside business’ and
which channels are best to reach them?; “how can we enhance the strategic value
of meetings, especially from the
participant’s viewpoint?” and “how can
we practice better measurement of
meetings outcomes in order to document
and demonstrate their value?”
Several consistent themes arose from
each group’s discussions. These included
the need for the meetings industry to
move from an operational position to a
strategic one. To achieve this it was
suggested that the industry as a whole
needs to distance itself from perceptions
of “hospitality and cheap labour” and to
ensure that senior staff have the requisite
communication and strategic business
skills to present at board level.
Both JMIC and IMEX are committed to making Meetings for Success a vehicle
for concrete change. Complementary
webinars and forums will be announced
in the coming months.
www.imexfrankfurt.com/meetingsforsuccess.html
Celebrating the best in the industry
The 09 IMEX Gala Dinner saw a line up of high achievers step up to collect awards in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the meetings industry.
The IMEX Academy Award winners were Liu Ping, CEO, China Star Professional Programs,
for Asia Pacific; Eduardo Chaillo, Regional Director USA & Canada, Mexico Tourism Board for
the Americas; Patrick Delaney, CEO, Ovation Global DMC for Europe; Joseph Sanna,
Exhibitions Manager, Kenya Tourist Board for Africa & the Middle East.
This year’s JMIC (Joint Meetings Industry Council) Unity Award was presented to Barbara Maple, AIPC Past President and AIPC Academy Chair for her outstanding contribution to the international meetings industry. Throughout her career, Maple has played prominent roles within a number of organisations, including the Canadian Tourism Commission and Convention Centres of Canada.
The joint IMEX- MPI Foundation Student Scholarship Award was modified this year and
is now given to the winner of the international IMEX-MPI ‘University Challenge’ where
students are judged on presentations given at various Future Leaders Forums around the
world. University of Westminster student,
Miguel Neves, was judged an outstanding
winner of this year’s inaugural Award.
The US Green Building Council (USGBC) was presented with the 2009 IMEX Green
Meetings Gold Award, made in
recognition of an outstandingly “green” event – the Greenbuild
Convention held in Boston in 2008.
This is the second time that the
Council has accepted this honour,
having previously triumphed in 2006.
The Silver Green Meetings Award
was given to the Oracle OpenWorld
Conference 2008 in San Francisco.
For the second year running, UK based
events company, WorldEvents™,
won the globally recognised IMEX
Commitment to the Community Award.
The award was presented to Graham
Keene, Group Executive Chairman of
WorldEvents ™ Group.
The IMEX Green Exhibitor Award went to Centro de Congressos do Estoril
thanks to a combination of ingenuity
and inventive thinking. Examples
included the carbon offsetting of freight costs in addition to corporate travel carbon
offsetting and a simple but unique new stand design
made from sustainable Portuguese cork panels. The
cork wall panels will be donated to a local school for a ‘creative corner’ where children can hang their
drawings and the cork carpet tiles will be used by the
school to create an area where the children can sit and
read or play. Green electricity and energy-efficient light
bulbs were used – and the stand had a firm ‘no handouts’
policy. The team also used a very entertaining
baby 
dinosaur to promote their green message – ‘act
now or go the way of the dinosaurs!’
The IMEX AACB (Association of Australian Convention Bureau) Vin Barron award for bureaux staff went to Jemma Davie, Business Development Manager, Canberra Convention Bureau, for her paper, The benefits of business events to the local community.
The IMEX Green Supplier Gold Award, given to
the supplier who has demonstrated the best effort to
minimise the environmental impact of their venue or
product, was presented to Melbourne Convention &
Exhibition Centre. The Green Supplier Silver Award
went to Adelaide Convention Centre.
See www.imex-frankfurt.com/imexawards.html for
more information including how to apply for the
IMEX Green Awards in 2010.
Political change ‘on the menu’
I had the privilege of presenting at the IMEX Politicians’ Forum this year. In case you are not aware, this is the Forum’s seventh year and it demonstrates IMEX’s vision and foresight in being ahead of the curve in understanding the need to bring politicians together so that they might better understand our industry. Perhaps if we had forged relationships with politicians in the US, some of our recent challenges would have been minimised.
I was asked to provide a US perspective on
the convergence of events that led to what is now
referred to as the ‘AIG Effect’. The intention was
to share key learnings so that the audience could
be prepared should something similar happen in
their country. I’d like to share three of those key
learnings with you here.
The first is ‘collaboration’. The crisis created a
need for industry leaders to work together in a
way we’ve never worked before. Organisations
spoke as one and leaders had to leave egos at the
door and keep the greater good in mind. The
solution was to combine lobbying and media
messaging with a grassroots digital campaign
called ‘Keep America Meeting’. All this was done
with the goal of achieving one voice, allowing
each CEO to go back to their respective sector and
carry consistent information forward.
Second is ROI. Post 9/11 our industry talked
about the need for ROI and some progress was
made but the climate today demands that
everyone shows results. It has never been more
important for the industry to be transparent and articulate. Our industry coalition subsequently
created sensible guidelines called the Model
Board Policy for Approval of Meetings, Events and
Incentive/Recognition Travel. As an example,
guideline two reads, “All proposed meetings,
events and incentive/recognition travel organised
by the company must serve one or more specified
legitimate business purposes. Each proposed
meeting, event or incentive/recognition travel
with a cost exceeding US$75,000 must be
supported by a written business case identifying a
specific business purpose.”
And lastly, economic impact. There is clearly a
need for a large economic impact study to
validate quantitatively where the combined
meetings, events and incentives markets stand.
Each association has assessed this information in
its own way, but as a collective group we need to
go further and determine standard metrics so we
can report to politicians and government leaders
the true value of our collective impact. Be ready
to state how many jobs are connected to the
industry and the tax revenues that are generated.
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Brenda Anderson, CEO, Site www.siteglobal.com |
In all my dealings with Washington in previous months, I learned the phrase, “If you don’t have a seat at the table then you are on the menu.” Site now has a seat at the table and we’ve made great progress. Our industry is continuously evolving and we will be stronger for it.”
Media launch for INCON
The INCON Group used IMEX as the platform for the media launch of their first annual survey on the Global Association Conference Market. This survey looked at how the current economic downturn is affecting the conference market. It showed, not surprisingly, that healthcare constitutes the single most active market sector followed by government and corporation meetings.
Looking to the year ahead, INCON is
delighted to announce that Bannie Kim,
whose company MECI is the largest PCO
in Korea, has joined as a new partner.
This follows a period of searching for a
suitable partner in Korea having
identified it as an area for future
expansion. Bannie is known personally
by many INCON partners, which makes
her a very welcome addition.
As ever the stand and internet café at IMEX were constantly busy. The internet café showed a marked increase in the numberof people choosing to bring their own laptop and use our hotspot to access emails. INCON also used the monitor screens to conduct a survey on how people travelled to Frankfurt and will publish these findings shortly.
 |
 |
Roslyn McLeod & Inge |
Record numbers for Turkey
The Turkey stand saw record numbers of buyers. “For our cocktail reception alone we had over 100 meeting planners and press on our stand,” said Elif Balci Fisunoglu, Director of Sales and Marketing at the Istanbul Convention and Visitor Bureau.
Showcased on the stand were new
developments including the Halic
Congress Centre in Istanbul which
opened in March and the Harbiye
Congress Centre in the Taksim district
which is due to open this October.
Istanbul now provides meeting
planners with over 50,000 hotel rooms
at leading hotels including 10,000 4-star rooms and 15,000 5-star rooms.
“We have been working hard to
secure more and more international
congresses for Turkey,” said Elif. “We
were also delighted to learn recently
from ICCA that Istanbul ranked 15th
in their listing of most popular cities
for international events in 2008.”
How to improve meeting content
IMEX’s latest New Vision initiative ‘Meetings Under the Microscope’ was a fantastic success at IMEX 09, with many of the educational sessions standing room only and the innovative ‘electronic toolkits’ flying off the stand.
“taking ownership of meeting content to
increase ROI”
The philosophy behind the initiative struck a
chord with many of our visitors, who are under
pressure to deliver top class events while also
increasing return on investment. ‘Meetings Under
the Microscope’ combined seminars with an
electronic toolkit of meeting support tools to give
visitors practical tips and advice on how to
improve meeting content, looking beyond the
more traditional focus of hospitality and logistics.
The idea was simple - create competitive
advantage by taking ownership of meeting
content to drive, create and increase ROI.
Speaker Jon Bradshaw, founder of Equinox Motivation and IMEX Business Development Director said, “Now, more than ever, it is vital for organisations investing in meetings to feel confident their efforts will produce tangible benefits for months, if not years, to come. Although there may be growing pressure on budgets, if anything expectations – and the need for results - are higher than ever. The better planners become at proving the true, long-term value of meetings, the more they will be able to influence budgets, strategy and senior internal stakeholders for the good of the business or organisation they work for.”
Seminar topics were varied and challenged
visitors to think about the substance of an event
when identifying objectives, designing, executing
and assessing their meeting. Topics included how
to help delegates get in to the most appropriate
mindset prior to the event for an exceptional
meetings experience, examining the impact of the
meeting environment on the delegate’s
experience and understanding the influence diet
has on delegates.
Presentations from the seminars plus the
complete Meetings Under the Microscope
Electronic Toolkit can be found here www.imexfrankfurt.com/meetings_under_the_microscope.html.
Wild Card: huge return, small investment
Applications are now open for the Wild Card programme which includes a free exhibition place at IMEX 2010 plus complimentary flights and accommodation, and marketing support. The aim of the programme is to introduce new destinations and convention centres to the global meetings market and competition for valuable Wild Card places is always strong.
“a great opportunity to showcase our
destination”
This year’s four winners, the Cook Islands,
Novi Sad in Serbia, the Tiajin Economic
Technological Development Area (TEDA) in China and the Masurian Conference Centre Zamsk Ryn
in Poland all reported a successful show summed
up by Hans Loontiens, TEDA - “What a great
opportunity to showcase our destination. We will
certainly be back next year!”
To qualify for a winning place, applicants must justify their potential as a brand new meetings and incentive travel destination or a new convention and conference centre (those currently in development or which have been open for three years or less) from a new and emerging destination. None are permitted to have exhibited at a major meetings or incentive travel trade fair before. They also have to demonstrate that they have the commitment and capacity to handle new business and that their destination has the infrastructure to support the demands of the meetings and incentive travel market.
To find out more and to download an
application form go to www.imexfrankfurt.com/wildcard.html.
Egyptian Consortium launched at IMEX
A new Egyptian Consortium for Incentive Travel and Event Management (ECITEM) was launched at IMEX this year. The consortium was initiated by the Egyptian Tourist Authority with its branch office, the Ägyptisches Fremdenverkehrsamt in Frankfurt, the Egyptian Tourism Federation and in co-operation with high-ranking meetings and events industry experts plus top Egyptian destination management companies.
The not-for-profit consortium will provide a
platform for developing and maintaining high level
services and products, human resources development and education programmes in order
to bring more German and international business
to Egypt. All ECITEM members will have to work
to these new codes which are currently being
developed and due to be presented later this year.
A database of all ECITEM members will be
circulated to all Egyptian Tourist Authority offices
worldwide and members will also have access to
data on international incentive houses along with
recommended local suppliers.
Upward learning curve for Site
The Site Academy for Young Leaders returns to Europe this year. Reykjavik, Iceland will make an ideal setting to learn from the industry’s up and coming talents as well as its best and brightest veterans.
Feedback from past academies shows that
attendees learn so much from the Academy that
they regularly apply it to their jobs once back in
the office. This process of gathering feedback
will become a great deal easier this year with
each attendee receiving a memory stick
containing not only copies of the presentations
given during the Academy, but also a ‘tool kit’.
This will provide everything they need in order
to share an effective presentation with work colleagues. This ensures that by sending just
one member of any team to the Academy, the
whole team or company can benefit afterwards.
Marla Burton attended the Site Academy for Young Leaders in 2008 and returned from the experience praising the educational content which was ahead of the curve. It helped her to gain a broader perspective on the global marketplace and the changing face of the industry. This fantastic opportunity not only helped Marla to grow as a professional, but also, the knowledge that she gained has been put to great use for the benefit of her company.
New thinking from NH Hoteles
For the first time, NH Hoteles is conducting a global corporate campaign aimed at the meetings and incentive travel sector. Called “The Organisers & CO” it offers up to 25% discounts for pre-contracted services for clients who confirm in advance.
The Organisers & CO campaign is
aimed at over 100,000 customers of the
hotel chain either as intermediaries or
as companies. Published in specialised
media and using market-oriented online
communications, the promotion is
being launched not just in the 22
countries where the hotel chain has a
presence, but also in influential markets
such as Russia, Canada, United States,
Brazil and Scandinavia.
According to NH Hoteles the present state of the world economy has caused the meetings sector to undergo a major change in behaviour leading to a more local focus, lower budgets and short-term planning. The result is that companies are increasingly opting to select a sole worldwide supplier capable of responding in a short time-frame and able to work hand-in-hand with customers, efficiently and speedily. With its 23 specialist sales teams and eight Group Desks working on a global basis, NH Hoteles’s offering is flexible, fast-moving and proactive. Customers have just one company to talk to when negotiating locally, nationally and internationally, with response times never longer than 24 hours.
Briefing interview
Briefing speaks to Eric Rozenberg, President, Swantegy and incoming chairman elect for MPI (Meeting Professionals International).
Briefing: One of your core beliefs has always been that meetings have the capacity “to change the way people think, work and live”. Now that social media and web 2.0 are upon us, has your viewpoint changed?
Eric: I believe that social media has just
reinforced this viewpoint! The best
example I can think of is the Obama for
America campaign from last year. MPI
awarded the campaign with the RISE
Award for Organisational Achievement
for the campaign’s unprecedented ability
to utilise meetings and events – and
social media - to accomplish
transformational change. For instance,
those on Twitter were the first to learn
the name of his Vice President and the
President was able to finance much of
his campaign thanks to social media and
web 2.0.
More than ever meetings change the world and the way people think, work and live and, above all, meetings mean business. One of the positive side effects of the current economic environment is that the corporate world finally realises how much meetings bring to their bottom line.
"work smarter AND harder"
Briefing: You have qualifications in International Management Sciences and Marketing and Advertising. How do you marry that academic knowledge with your everyday working life? Do you still draw on that learning – and, if so, when?
Eric: Such qualifications help us better understand our clients’ brand positioning, strategies, sales and marketing needs and accordingly, provide them with more accurate and effective solutions.
On our team, more than six languages are spoken and we run projects for corporations in many different countries and cultures so, yes, we draw on that learning everyday! Still, the most interesting aspect is that we keep learning all the time…
Briefing: Where do you draw inspiration and ideas from in your work? Do you have any favourite resources that inspire you and help you keep that vital “bigger picture” in mind?
Eric: Conversations with my team, with
my advisors, with clients, with friends, with fellow MPI members and
management, with colleagues at MPI
conferences or during trade shows. It’s
fascinating how diverse experiences are
from one individual to the other. I love
reading as well and have very eclectic
choices! From newsletters on geopolitical
issues to MPI’s monthly magazine, One+, as well as business
books, magazines, news websites, even
comic strips!
"above all meetings mean business"
Briefing: One of the participants at this year’s IMEX Politicians’ Forum made the point “we shouldn’t waste a good crisis.” In your role as facilitator for the new JMIC-IMEX Meetings for Success initiative do you agree? Could it be that the industry has been given its biggest chance yet to promote itself and that this period represents more“opportunity” than “threat?”
Eric: Absolutely! As stated earlier, I’m
convinced that, as an industry, we have
a unique chance of demonstrating that
meetings and events mean business. It
seems to me that perception about what
we do is slowly but surely changing –
just look at Ben Stein on CBS News
(see www.imexfrankfurt.com/meetingsforsuccess.html) - but we need to
demonstrate it with facts and figures
and, to that extent, I’m very excited that
the US meetings and events industry is
coming together to fund an economic
impact study.
Having said that, I’m not sure we
have seen the worst of the crisis, at
least in Europe, and even if there are
more opportunities than threats, there
are today thousands of people worldwide
who are directly affected and who need
support to come out of this crisis
stronger.
Briefing: Are you an advocate of “work smarter, not harder?” If so, any tips you’d like to share, especially for the benefit of our Future Leaders students?
Eric: Yes I’m an advocate of it …but
very bad in its execution! Today, I think
it’s more about “work smarter AND
harder”. The only tip I can give is: find
your passion and try to make it your
profession. I believe we are all striving
to find the right personal-professional
life balance but at the end of the day,
this balance is different from one to the
other. So, as one of my friends once
told me: know what you want, know the
price of it and…start paying the price!
Busiest show ever - record exhibitors
IMEX 2009 featured 3,500 exhibitors from a
record 157 countries and it was clear from the
start that exhibitors and buyers alike were keen to
get down to business.
A number of improvements were made to
the IMEX website and together with a series of
training events, this had a significant impact on
pre-show communication between exhibitors and
buyers and therefore the effectiveness of the
50,000 appointments.
Improvements to the Exhibition Buyers Guide allowed exhibitors to download lists of buyers
who were looking for services, products or
destinations that exactly matched theirs. An
indicator of the volume of business discussed
before the show was our new Diary Messaging
Service, with over 11,500 messages exchanged.
Our training initiatives were very well
received too. Over 1,000 people viewed the online
training videos available after our exhibitor
webinars. Live exhibitor training took place in Frankfurt and London, with one exhibitor
commenting “Prior to the training we had five
appointments. Afterwards I did everything else
that was mentioned… and we now have 31
appointments. We are absolutely delighted!”
We plan to continue development of new tools to ensure that the business opportunities before, during and after IMEX are maximised to the full.
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Heather Gough, Sales Director, IMEX |
I am delighted to announce that Jon Bradshaw has been promoted to Business Development Director. Jon is already planning our new CSR initiative, the IMEX Challenge, which launches in autumn 2010. I am also delighted that Faye Bennett has been promoted to Sales Manager.
Quality and quantity - the idea formula
Every year we aim higher and set ourselves new measures for success. And every year the hosted programme grows to include new groups and new countries. This year we hosted 3,779 buyers from 60 countries and were extremely pleased with the increase in long-haul buyer groups, specifically from Asia, Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, the Middle East, South Africa and the US. As a result long haul numbers rose by 50% with this segment accounting for 15% of the total. 12.5% of hosted buyers were also association meeting planners. Both of these market sectors are crucial to our exhibitors and delivering them in good numbers will remain a focus for our team.
A big change was that many buyers were hosted for three full days – enabling far more chances to do business at the show. Many also took advantage of new fam trips after the show and due to their popularity these opportunities will be increased.
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Nikki Williams, Director of Hosted Buyer Programmes, IMEX |
I am delighted to report that our post-show survey has already been completed by over 1,000 hosted buyers and their feedback has been extremely encouraging. On average our buyers spend 12 hours at the show visiting 25 stands each and of these 48% are exhibitors that they have not done business with before. It’s a powerful demonstration of IMEX’s success and confirms our reputation for consistently attracting new and relevant suppliers.
Association Day applauded by 290 delegates
Nearly 290 association professionals from
33 countries including Australia, the US,
Brazil, India, Ireland, China and Belgium
attended IMEX Association Day - the
largest turnout yet.
One of the highlights of the day was
a session by international futurist,
learning trends researcher and humourist,
Elliott Masie. He posed the question “What is the meeting of the future - and
can we start today?” Masie urged his
audience to combine the latest thinking
about education, social networking and
technology and to apply it to the
international association world without
delay.
Giving his feedback on the Day, Kai Chen, Project Manager, China Medical Association, said, “I was impressed! The networking session was very good.” Richard Holmes, International Director of Meetings, ILAE / IBE Congress Secretariat commented, “The presentations were superb and were extremely important for the delegates. They were combined with first class organisation and the unique warmth of the team.”
Another participant, Charlene Bright, Programme Co-Ordinator, World
Federation of Public Health Associations
stated, “Everything was very well
organised and the meeting of the future
presentation was valuable to me. When I
return from IMEX I will get to incorporate
what I’ve learned into our meetings.”
www.imex-frankfurt.com/assc-day.html
A ‘skyline’ of creativity
Noise levels were up on the show floor in Frankfurt as a record numbers of buyers went about their business with great enthusiasm. With a record 157 destinations on show there can be no doubt that IMEX 2009 was hugely successful for all participants, despite the well publicised financial worries. Many exhibitors talked of full appointment diaries and an eagerness to do business. Hall 8, Messe Frankfurt, became the global village once more, with a “skyline” of creativity that demonstrated the strong competition for exhibition stand design.
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Paul Flackett, Managing Director, IMEX |
I have always said that IMEX is much more than three days in May … it is a year round production of information, attention to detail and a constant desire for increased quality of delivery. Walking into the hall this year and listening to the buzz of business confirmed that we are on the right track …. so let’s get ready for even better things in 2010!!
German seminars - a great success
630 visitors participated in the GCB’s German language seminar programme at IMEX this year and a follow-up visitor survey reveals pent-up demand for more.
Particular highlights for 2009 – presented
under a new brand name “InnoVision” - included
medal-winning Joey Kelly’s presentation – “No
limits – you just have to set yourself a goal and
get started” and Petra Kimmig of Sanofi Aventis’s
talk on “Medical events – implementation of
Codex-Compliant events.” Melanie Botzki’s
presentation on “Project management for events
- from the first idea to a successful event” also
proved extremely popular. All 16 German
presentations can now be downloaded at
www.imex-frankfurt.de/seminars.html.
Attendees’ feedback was overwhelmingly positive. 70% heard about the GCB seminars from the IMEX website, 13.5% thanks to personal recommendations and 13.5% via the GCB newsletter. Visitors also praised the variety of topics available and found the seminars highly informative and practical. Other feedback showed that the sessions were very well structured and the use of short films to illustrate key points was greatly appreciated. Many satisfied attendees stated that they felt enriched by the seminars and considered them a great source of inspiration.
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Lutz P. Vogt, Managing Director,
GCB |
When prompted for suggestions for 2010, once again there is a strong demand for trends information; new incentives, events and motivation ideas and a desire to know more about liability and legal issues relevant to the events sector.
With such positive feedback and high
demand, we look forward to the GCB seminar
programme at IMEX 2010!
