IMEX INDEX
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Ray Bloom, IMEX Group
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Allison Summers, Site & Site International Foundation |
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Prestigious Moises Shuster Award goes to Tom Hulton |
Showcasing the latest technology Techno-How and Tech Tap |
Thought-provoking and relevant The power-packed Association Day programme |
Environmental IMEX |
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Heather Gough, IMEX Group |
IMEX Politicians Forum |
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Matthias Schultze, GCB German Convention Bureau |
'Fresh' conference on the horizon Meeting Support Institute |
Strengthening economic debates Edgar Hirt, AIPC and CCH Congress Center Hamburg |
IMEX Awards |
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Johanna Fischer, tmf dialogue marketing GmbH |
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DMAI |
IMEX America sends hosted buyer (almost) into space IMEX Wild Card programme |
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Christophe Verstraete, euromic |
Learning at IMEX |
| EVVC faces the future
EVVC |
Faye Bennett, IMEX Group |
Different language, same ambition IAPCO |
Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica |
ICCA sees optimistic signs on both sides of the Atlantic Martin Sirk, ICCA |
Alejandro Verzoub, 2012 Site President |
INCON welcomes Experient as exclusive partner INCON |
High business activity by hosted buyers Nikki Williams, IMEX Group |
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Philippe Fournier, JMIC |
Great expectations - and great results Paul Flackett, IMEX Group |
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MPI |
Euro Party prize winners |
PCMA's International Summit success PCMA |
Thank you to the inaugural IMEX America media partners The global media line up |
A truly global marketplace |
The response to the inaugural IMEX America has been outstanding. With 3,700 trade attendees including over 2,000 hosted buyers and nearly 2,000 exhibitors, IMEX America succeeded in its goal of creating a truly global marketplace on American soil. Together with our international array of industry partners, including MPI – our Strategic Partner and Premier Education Partner, plus our intermediaries, exhibitors and buyers; the industry came together to create a successful business marketplace, plus a valuable networking and knowledge sharing opportunity. We thank the whole industry for their support of our inaugural show.
Meanwhile, we are deep into our plans for IMEX in Frankfurt next May. We expect to bring almost 4,000 hosted buyers into Frankfurt next year. We are also working on developing the show experience for German visitors in particular. A new Executive Meeting Forum, similar to our recent event in Las Vegas, will deliver C-level directors to the show as well as procurement managers, adding an influential new dimension to our hosted buyer programme. In many ways, although IMEX in Frankfurt 2012 will be our 10th anniversary show, it will be ‘business as usual’ but we will add some fun elements into the mix. Look out too for a new research study we are launching with Fast Future Research - ‘The Power of 10’. |
Ray Bloom, Chairman, IMEX Group |
“I knew that IMEX America would be good but this has surpassed every expectation.” Hosted buyer Javier Montilla, Regional Business and Sales Development – Latin America, Congrex, Panama |
“The USA needed a meetings trade show on this scale and IMEX America is the answer.” Hosted buyer Judy Henrich, Director – Recruitment and Industry Relations, Global Cynergies, Arizona, USA |
ICCA recognises Tom Hulton
Tom Hulton, Director of International Relations for the IMEX Group, was presented with the prestigious Moises Shuster Award at the 50th ICCA (International Congress & Convention Association) Congress Gala Dinner in Leipzig, Germany on 25 October. |
"Thought-provoking and relevant"200 association meeting planners from across the US and 20 countries around the world came together on ‘Smart Monday’, the day before the inaugural IMEX America, for the power-packed Association Day programme of learning and networking. The event culminated with 700 meetings industry professionals joining an informal evening reception, held in the stunning Palazzo Ballroom and hosted by the Las Vegas Sands Corp. Sharing his feedback on the event, delegate Jim Booth, Executive Director of Prism International, USA, said, “Thought-provoking and relevant content delivered in a great, highly-interactive format. Here I am picking up the kind of information necessary to drive our strategy and respond to a rapidly-changing business environment. The day was a superb investment of my time.” Association Day at IMEX America 2012 will take place on Monday 8 October. Its sister event at IMEX in Frankfurt 2012 will take place on Monday 21 May. |
“Insightful and informative – the IMEX America show sessions skillfully offer solutions to the key challenges involved in managing international meetings.” Hosted buyer Janet Cavanagh, Meetings Services Manager, American Association of Diabetes Educators, Chicago, USA |
A great double actNow that the first IMEX America is complete we are in full planning mode for Frankfurt 2012 and already exhibitors are approaching us with some great ideas for helping to celebrate the show’s 10th anniversary. For this landmark year we are expecting up to 3,500 exhibiting companies representing over 150 countries to attend. We’ve had some outstanding feedback about IMEX America and all the show’s highlights can now be found online, together with IMEX America TV clips and testimonials. One comment from Chris Wezel, Chief Visionary Officer at E-proDirect, is typical of many we’ve received: “We went into the show with 84 pre-set appointments and had an additional 24 walk-up appointments. We’ve already secured contracted business as a direct result - and we also have several other buyers we are currently working with.”
On a similar note, our pre-America webinar training sessions proved a big hit with exhibitors, especially those unfamiliar with the IMEX model. One third of all IMEX America exhibitors attended one of these sessions so we’ll definitely be repeating those next pre-Vegas next year too. Another triumph in Vegas was the Euro Party when the European exhibitors got together on the Wednesday afternoon to provide a range of entertainments and hospitality. The party created a great atmosphere on the show floor and plans are already afoot to repeat it next time. We are currently putting the finishing touches to the Exhibitor Manual for IMEX in Frankfurt which will go online early next year. 2011 has been a whirlwind year for the team. Now 2012 looks set to have an excitement and flavour all of its own too. |
Heather Gough, Sales Director, IMEX Group |
“IMEX America is very well prepared and of an extremely high quality. It’s given us the chance to get in contact with new potential clients we’ve never met before.” Matthias Schultze, Managing Director, GCB German Convention Bureau |
“IMEX America is wonderful and we’ve had many one-on-one appointments – I haven’t seen a booth this busy in North America for years and years!” Michelle Saran, Executive Director, Canadian Tourism Commission |
US ties reflect GCB potential
"The GCB is using these close economic ties for the benefit of the German events market. By highlighting the different economic and scientific fields of expertise, we can actively promote suitable meetings and competitions," explains Matthias Schultze, Managing Director, GCB. “For this purpose the GCB is seeking contacts with world-leading companies and the most important associations and organisations in these industries.” The GCB used its presence at IMEX America to actively promote these findings and to help to extend its profile and network. According to the GCB, the close ties between US and European markets are plain to see in the meetings and congress sector. Europe is the most important foreign destination for US event planners by far. Around 50% of all events staged by American meeting and event organisers outside the US also take place in Europe. Furthermore, the US is the second-most important market for German incoming travel, with overnight stays by US guests in 2010 rising by 11.1% to 4.8 million. Equally, over a quarter (27%) of all journeys from the US to Germany are made for business reasons. |
Matthias Schultze, Managing Director, GCB German Convention Bureau |
Strengthening economic debatesA theme that was developed in a number of the education sessions at IMEX America, and which will again be a principle feature of discussions in Frankfurt next year, is one with big implications for convention centres around the world. That theme – the role that our industry and convention centres in particular are playing in global economic recovery and growth – is now an urgent priority. Well over 70% of centres worldwide are owned by some level of government and this means that most have not only a financial responsibility but also an overall obligation to support the local economy as well. The fact that we are now getting to the point where most in the industry agree this is our top priority means we are developing a much better case for why centres need to be supported in tough economic times.
I Every government in the world today shares a common concern about the global economy, and how well they are faring in it. By effectively showing how convention centres support a wide range of business, investment and knowledge–linked activities, AIPC is helping to advance its members in their future priorities. It's a big and never-ending job, but one that is essential to our collective future.
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Edgar Hirt, President, AIPC and Managing Director, CCH Congress Center Hamburg |
Great platform for Latin America
COCAL will continue driving Latin America professionals to this successful show and looks forward to actively participating in upcoming editions of IMEX America. The association intends to use the platform provided by the show to help confirm its position as the federation that plays the leadership role for international meetings, incentives, conferences, conventions and events in Latin American and the Caribbean. Follow COCAL on Facebook at COCAL. América and Twitter @COCAL_ASOC. |
Big plans for DMAI
With this understanding, DMAI is striving to provide expanded resources to DMOs in all corners of the world to assist them in building effective strategies that produce solid results. DMAI was present at IMEX America to support its Alliance Partner whilst also engaging with key industry professionals from the US and around the world. IMEX America attendees benefited from a broad range of educational offerings that were custom-built by IMEX’s extensive coalition of industry partners, including DMAI’s seminar ‘Event Impacts: Quantifying Your DMO's ROI’. DMAI’s panellists educated attendees on how they can better demonstrate their DMO's ROI to their destination. This session also reviewed the new industry standard, the Event Impact Calculator, which assesses the value of individual events at the local level in terms of sales, jobs, wages and taxes and generates an ROI based on event-hosting costs. DMAI met with many of its global members during the show and strengthened its position with many new contacts from around the globe. As a result, several DMOs will now be engaging with DMAI as active members. |
Michael Gehrisch, President & CEO, DMAI |
Strong showing for euromic
According to euromic, the presence of high quality buyers and a wide array of domestic and international suppliers brought back memories of “the golden days of the meetings and events industry”, making the prospect of participating in IMEX in Frankfurt 2012 even more exciting. |
Christophe Verstraete, Executive Director, euromic |
The programme was customised to allow association executives to share best practices and insights as well as learning from industry experts and leaders. Hot topics included long-term strategy planning, emerging market penetration challenges, new trends affecting the global association market and the changing nature of client, association management and member relations. 
The close economic ties between Germany and the USA plus great expertise in common industry areas such as automotive, pharmaceutical and financial services make Germany not only the most important US trade partner within Europe but also a preferred destination for meetings and conventions. This is the central conclusion of a new market analysis conducted by TNS Infratest on behalf of the GCB German Convention Bureau. 
According to COCAL (Confederation of Congress Organizers for Latin America and the Caribbean), IMEX America proved more than “just a trade show in Las Vegas”. Mexican and Venezuelan members, representing Latin American companies and associations affiliated to COCAL, experienced this new dimension to the industry for themselves, taking advantage of both education and networking opportunities, establishing contact with leading industry figures and talking future business generation.
DMAI (Destination Marketing Association International) understands how destination marketing organisations (DMOs) face constant pressure to deliver sound leadership in developing their unique tourism products. Many organisations are facing similar challenges in creating and maintaining stakeholder support, delivering new business opportunities, building current and potential source markets, providing professional development and accomplishing many other objectives.
euromic was represented by 30 members out of 37 destinations at IMEX America. The show provided an excellent opportunity to introduce the association’s newest members from Luxembourg, Costa Rica and Thailand to the industry. It also provided a valuable opportunity to meet with euromic’s HPN Global partners.
EVVC faces the future
The centralised service will combine the EVVC Academy, with its extensive range of seminars, with the contributions of more than 70 partner companies as well as the organisation and implementation of all EVVC events and trade shows. The move will benefit members by reducing liability risks and will also provide some small tax advantages. In other EVVC news, ‘Event industry 2030’ is the working title for a Capital Congress planned for 20 June 2012 when associations and stakeholders of the entire event industry will meet in Berlin. EVVC and the GCB German Convention Bureau are in charge of organising this conference together with seven other leading industry associations. The new event will offer an opportunity to push for a common understanding of the industry in the federal political arena. It is also designed to help expand and strengthen existing networks. Operators of event venues, hotels, stadia, destinations, traffic carriers, event planners and PCOs will come together in Berlin to exchange views and advance industry debate. General meetings and other meetings of the respective associations are also set to take place in the days leading up to the congress. |
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| evvc.org | |||
EVVC is set to establish EVVC Service and Event GmbH as a means of consolidating all of the association’s commercial activities in one place. 
INCON welcomes Experient as exclusive partner
The addition of Experient as an exclusive partner in North America means that INCON’s worldwide network of best-in-class conference organisers has expanded into a new territory, strengthening its presence and positioning in the global conference market.
As one of the best-known and most respected brands in the event management world, the addition of Experient’s expertise will open up fresh opportunities for all existing INCON partner companies. Clients will now be able to benefit from integrated service delivery systems worldwide to support their event management strategies regardless of the origin or destination of their events. |
| incon-pco.com |
IMEX America was the platform for the announcement of a new partner company for INCON, the international partnership of leading conference and event management companies. 
Successful collaboration
After the two year-long collaborative effort between IMEX America and its Strategic Partner and Premier Education Provider, MPI (Meeting Professionals International), the education and networking delivered at the inaugural event in Las Vegas played an essential role in expanding professional development opportunities to thousands of attendees.
After presenting the new rules of engagement at the World Education Congress in July, MPI infused the professional development available during Smart Monday with discussions and explorations of several topic areas. These included technology, sustainability, inspired thinking and how to prove value to attendees. The result was that more than a thousand attendees and hosted buyers took part in stimulating learning sessions with experts and their peers during a day-long, complimentary MeetDifferent Day of Education.
Presentations of MPI research were well received by the international audience interested in industry sustainability and the buyer/supplier relationship. Researchers presented the initial findings for Phase 1 of a global study conducted by Leeds Metropolitan University in corporate social responsibility. Additionally, expanding on findings from FutureWatch 2011, which highlighted the importance of buyer/supplier collaboration, MPI Foundation and Vantage Strategy shared findings on the relational behaviours of professionals in buying, focusing in particular on segmentation. Moving into designing the MPI experience at IMEX in Frankfurt, the focus continues on engaging through collaborative professional development, focusing on elevating the business conversation in the industry based on the rules of engagement and delivering valuable research. Further research results from MPI initiatives are also planned for next May in Frankfurt. |
| mpiweb.org |
PCMA’s International Summit success
“With corporations and associations working to expand their global reach, education is needed to make this transition smoother for our professional members,” said Michelle Stoddard, PCMA Global Initiatives Specialist. “Industry colleagues are fantastic resources when trying something new, and PCMA believes our global meetings community is a powerful tool to enhance international knowledge.” During the Cultural Learning Lounge at the Summit, country-specific experts traded insider tips with attendees. Here they learned how to get best value out of F&B budgets by working with the chef to learn about using local produce and goods that are in season, and that planners should always translate the foreign language version of any contract to guarantee no hidden surprises.
“The programme provided ample opportunities to share ideas and exchange stories with other meeting professionals who organise global events,” said attendee Kristin Mirabal, Director of Global Programs at The Optical Society. Presentations, photos and video are available at pcma.org/internationalsummit. Mark your calendars now for next year – 11-12 October, 2012 when the Summit will once again be co-located with IMEX America in Las Vegas. |
| pcma.org |
Site’s ‘powerful’ messageOn the back of my Site business card are the words ‘Unleashing human potential through extraordinary motivational experiences’. This Site phrase can be found in many places - website, literature, press releases and more. For me, this text is much more than just a clever arrangement of words put together for marketing purposes because I really believe in them. I believe that wonderfully created experiences do hold the power to inspire people to perform, to influence their thoughts and behaviours as well as instill a sense of belonging and loyalty. And I firmly believe that motivational experiences are an underutilised tool that can help businesses grow and move forward.
For example, Site released a book ‘Better Business Results through Motivational Experiences and Incentive Travel’. In it, authors Rob Davidson and Krzysztof Celuch presented 15 programmes that speak to a wide range of business objectives with travel experiences taking place over five continents. Site also honoured the 2011 Crystal Award winners when six outstanding motivational programmes received deserved recognition. Their case studies and videos are available to view on the Site website.
The Site International Foundation also released a major research project on ‘The Participants View of Incentive Travel’. This remarkable study interviewed over 1,000 incentive programme qualifiers and non-qualifiers to gain insight into motivational, meaningful and memorable experiences. What we do as an industry will only stay strong if we continue to validate and document successful programmes. To find out more, or to help contribute to that effort, visit the Site website. |
Allison Summers, Managing Director, Site & Site International Foundation |
Showcasing the latest technology
Feedback from the exhibitors has been extremely positive. Silke Fleischer, CEO and Co-Founder, ATIV Software with EventPilot commented, "IMEX America far exceeded our expectations. The hosted buyer programme especially made it worth exhibiting and we are already receiving RFPs – a day after the event!" “Exhibiting at IMEX is life-changing. Nothing less. Thanks to participation in IMEX America, we have progressed from a newly successful Californian company to a worldwide supplier for some of the most respected international brands. IMEX is a can’t miss event.” Jill Marti, President, Video Tattoo.
Plans are now underway for IMEX in Frankfurt’s Tech Tap, co-ordinated by the Meeting Support Institute, where 11 exhibitors will demonstrate their products and services for the industry. Applications are also now open for places at IMEX America’s 2012 Techno-How and Gadget Bar. |
“Fabulous IMEX America App concept – so useful for when I am on the move.” Hosted buyer Niki Albert, Senior Account Executive, HPN Global, Texas, USA |
Stepping up to the benchmark
The plan for the first IMEX America was to measure baseline sustainability performances to create a benchmark to build a long term sustainability strategy for future years. Measurement included event footprints for water, energy, emissions, waste and overall event sustainability; measurement of sustainable procurement included venues, hotels, catering, print material, signage, carpeting, general service contractors and transportation.
Hosted buyer Manolita Moore, Annual Conference Director, Western Veterinary Conference, Nevada, USA, commented, “I very much admire IMEX’s green efforts – it is great that IMEX is embracing sustainability and leading the way for other exhibitions to follow. A truly cutting-edge trade show model.”
There are some great results from the environmental efforts made at IMEX in Frankfurt earlier this year too. Overall we recycled 88.5% of the total waste from the show. This was the first year that IMEX worked with Deutsche Bahn to offer hosted buyers carbon free train travel to Frankfurt, saving over 21 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Exhibitors can also choose to order hydroelectricity to power their stands at the show – this is becoming more and more popular and in 2011 saved 36 tonnes of CO2 emissions. Together with the Deutsche Bahn savings this totals 57 tonnes, the equivalent of the emissions of five average sized German homes for a year.
Other initiatives that will make a come-back in Frankfurt next year include the Green Team – now also open to hosted buyers, and ‘share your spares’ USB recycling. |
“Admire IMEX’s thoughtful approach to environmental issues.” Hosted buyer Angela Knudson, International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care, USA |
The power of knowledge
The 2012 Forum, will continue to focus on the benefits of meetings and business events beyond the visitor spend. The event will also offer insight into the power of the `Knowledge Economy’ – the knowledge gained from meetings and events.
The Politicians Forum is organised by IMEX in collaboration with ECM (European Cities Marketing), AIPC (International Association of Congress Centres) and under the auspices of JMIC (Joint Meetings Industry Council). Thanks to the GCB German Convention Bureau, the Frankfurt Convention Bureau and Messe Frankfurt for their sponsorship. Meetings Review will also be supporting the event with video coverage. |
| imex-frankfurt.com/pol |
‘Fresh’ conference on the horizon
The Meeting Support Institute (MSI) has unveiled the Fresh Conference, its first event with a unique focus on the content side of meetings. The conference will be held from 15 to 17 January 2012 in Copenhagen with the goal of helping participants to design effective meetings. “The conference will be aimed at fresh, new, innovative ways of running a conference, a meeting or an event,” says Maarten Vanneste, President of the Meeting Support Institute and author of 'Meeting Architecture'. The conference will cover not just new technology but also hybrid meetings, social media and fresh formats, new presentation techniques, the latest AV, design, art, the latest learning techniques and ‘surprising science’. The Fresh Conference will also experiment with new ideas and trends and will look to showcase novelties and anything that generates value in meetings and makes them more effective. Both Visit Denmark and Wonderful Copenhagen are supporting the new meetings industry event, which will also see the launch of Maarten’s new book, 'The Tweeting Meeting', billed as an up-to-the-minute read focused on the correct use of social networks and social media for meetings and events. The Meeting Support Institute has also gathered an interesting combination of speakers and participants for the conference, bringing together many brilliant minds from the meeting industry together with thought-leaders from other disciplines such as psychology, organisational development, facilitation and change management. |
Apply for a Green Award
The categories are: Green Meetings: Rewards meeting organisers who make significant efforts to green their meetings from using green venues through to planning sustainable programmes. Green Supplier: Recognises meeting suppliers who are reducing the environmental impact of their operations through planning, implementation and evaluation. Commitment to the Community: Open to organisations involved in meetings, incentive programmes or conferences which took place in 2010 or 2011 that demonstrated innovative efforts to benefit a charitable initiative. Green Exhibitor: For an exhibitor who makes a significant effort to reduce the environmental impact of their exhibition stand at IMEX in Frankfurt 2012. The 2011 IMEX-GMIC Green Exhibitor Award went to the Frankfurt Convention Bureau. Jutta Weisbrod, Director, commented, “Representing the green-minded city of Frankfurt, we are especially pleased to be able to accept this award and hope it will spur other exhibitors on to be as environmentally friendly as possible in all of their endeavours and activities. We will of course do our utmost to ‘stay green’ in the future as well.”
Application forms are available at imex-frankfurt.com/howtoapply. |
New PR hub from tmf
Traditional PR and communications methods, such as text-heavy, one-size-fits-all press releases, have had their day. The future lies in ‘short and sexy’ as well as in cost and resource-saving communication methods. As a result, tmf dialogue marketing and IT partners, Crossmint, have developed a new PR and marketing tool. The new social media and web 2.0 PR and marketing hub will allow destinations to handle public relations and communications on a completely new scale. It will provide tools for every step of the PR, news and content aggregation process, from traditional news sources and social media monitoring to publishing and archiving social media press releases across multiple channels. A wide variety of data sources will pour into the hub and all information will be monitored, curated, channelled, edited, clipped and fed real-time into a variety of channels – all relevant to predefined target audiences. The main advantages include cost and time-savings, real-time monitoring, branding opportunities, simplified processes and expanded networking prospects. |
Johanna Fischer, Managing Director, tmf dialogue marketing GmbH |
IMEX America sends hosted buyer (almost) into space
The Wild Card programme, which runs at both IMEX in Frankfurt and IMEX America provides a fantastic opportunity for emerging destinations, new meeting venues, or new experiences to exhibit free of charge. Winners also receive a package of marketing support and accommodation. Honduras took the other Wild Card place at IMEX America. Commenting on their experience a representative reported, “On behalf of the Honduran Institute of Tourism Convention and Visitors Bureau we wanted to thank you for giving us the opportunity to participate at IMEX America through the Wild Card programme which opened many doors. The event exceeded our expectations.” Applications are now open for the Frankfurt and America programmes here: |
“Confidence-giving education”
Campfires for groups of up to 10 people gave delegates the chance to really engage and interact with the speaker. Lightning Learning Labs for meetings industry suppliers took place on topics including ‘Marketing Meetings in the Interactive Age’ and ‘Pet Peeves of Senior Level Planners’.
Hosted buyer Rhonda Selby, Convention Co-ordinator, Medtronic, Tennessee, USA gave her feedback, “A wonderfully motivating, confidence-giving educational experience. Speakers in sessions were top class.”
“Education like the LearningCurve is really very good because it enables interactive learning and not just one way learning,” reported exhibitor Seong Geol Lee, Director of Sales & Marketing, Grand Intercontinental Seoul Coex, The Professional Development and Innovation Pavilion at IMEX in Frankfurt 2012 will also offer a packed programme of seminars, workshops and Campfires alongside a new ‘Visionary Event Series’ which will examine extraordinary events that have been successfully executed in an unconventional way. |
The challenge is on!
With the countdown to July 2012 and the second IMEX Challenge now on, Jon Bradshaw, Founder and CEO, Meetings Mindset and I visited Slovenia at the beginning of the month, to meet with the project partners and local committee, in our capacity of Challenge organisers.
Our priority is to ensure that we deliver maximum value to the Care Centre. “The team should be exhausted – please use us for whatever is needed!” as Jon said to the Care Centre management. After touring the Centre and identifying our tasks, which include helping to build a new home for 400,000 bees, we can see that the Challenge team will definitely be exhausted – but that the Challenge will deliver immeasurable rewards to both the Centre and the Challenge team. The project will combine environmental factors with sustainability and will ensure that the Challenge leaves an important legacy to the Centre and supports continued development. Our Challenge partners are the Slovenian Convention Bureau, Ljubljana Tourism/Convention Bureau, Go.Mice Congress & Marketing Agency, Slovenian Beekeepers' Association, Training, Occupation and Care Centre Dolfka Boštjančič; Draga Kompas DMC and the Grand Hotel Union. We’re now recruiting volunteers from the industry to join the Challenge – if you would to apply for a place please contact me. |
Faye Bennett, Sales Manager, IMEX Group |
New flights to Costa Rica
With a state-of-the-art terminal opening at Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport in Liberia, Costa Rica in November and new and additional direct flights from Chicago, Dallas, Houston, New York, Miami, Minneapolis and Dusseldorf on airberlin, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, Sun Country and United Airlines, there has never been a better time to travel to Costa Rica.
In addition to improved airlift to Costa Rica, there are many other compelling reasons to visit. Costa Rica is considered one of the happiest and greenest countries on Earth as ranked by the New Economics Foundation’ Happy Planet Index. The country features incredible natural wonders, from active volcanoes to one of the few remaining dry tropical forests to exotic birds, aquatic life, turtles and monkeys. |
| fourseasons.com/costarica |
Briefing interview
Briefing catches up with the 2012 Site President (and dolphin lover!) Alejandro Verzoub to discuss his new challenge. Briefing: Can you tell us a bit about your career path so far? I studied advertising in Argentina in my early twenties and set up my own advertising agency in Buenos Aires in 1986. In 1990, I opened a promotional marketing agency with one partner. Looking for new business opportunities, I read an article about a company called Maritz in the US that was creating incentive campaigns for large corporations and what really surprised me was that Maritz’s employees numbered 100 – the same as one of the largest agencies in my field at that time in Argentina. Shortly afterwards I assisted with the first Argentinian Site seminar - delivered by Patrick Delaney, founder of Delaney Marketing (later Ovation) and Site’s president at that time. That was my real start. I attended the 1999 Site International Conference in Las Vegas which had a great impact on me; changing the focus of my company. I became a Site member that year and with the enthusiasm of a first timer I registered one of our incentive campaigns for the Crystal Awards and we won! In October I found myself again in Las Vegas again, this time getting the gavel passed to me by Site’s 2011 President, Mary MacGregor.
Over the last five years I have been travelling more and more, attending international trade shows, coordinating incentive trips and motivational events, and also participating as a Site Board member. This constant interaction with my colleagues internationally confirms my confidence and optimism about the general evolution of business. But nothing is done as it was ten years ago. Change is embracing humanity, why should our industry be the exception? This is a time for less glamorous budgets maybe, but we will always be dealing with economic cycles. Briefing: Site has just begun its membership renewal campaign. What challenges and opportunities does the organisation face in growing its membership and how is it dealing with those? In many regions we still have a lot to work to do in raising awareness of Site and the benefits of membership. In others, we need to train new leaders to expand their advocacy efforts in their corner of the world. We are considering new membership options to attract new members – our challenge is then to retain them. We are working on both member retention and new membership generation. My motto for 2012 is “let the Site shine in”! Briefing: The Site International Conference was co-located with the first edition of IMEX America last month. How did it go, and can you also tell us about plans for the 2012 Beijing Conference? From first-hand impressions I think that the combination of IMEX America plus our International Conference was a great hook for accessing a larger audience. For Beijing the goal is to achieve the 500 attendee mark we reached in Las Vegas. Specific plans for the 2012 Conference? We are going to have a lot of fun with great networking, expansion of business relations, valuable educational content – and Chinese surprises! Who would miss a Site conference with all those ingredients? Briefing: The Site International Foundation and MPI Foundation recently co-operated on a new research study. Was the collaboration a success, and are you likely to do more in the future? As an organisation we believe in collaborations such as this one. Over the last year Site has partnered with the Convention Industry Council, the Incentive Federation, the Incentive Marketing Association and more. The ‘Convergence’ project recently completed with MPI recognised that we each serve members who may have career functions that cover both corporate meetings and incentives and motivational events. We are seeking to better understand the trends around this and how we can better support these individuals with education and resources. Site and the Site International Foundation will absolutely continue to seek out collaborative research and projects where it will benefit our members and the industry as a whole. Briefing: What are you particularly excited about in your new role as President of Site? I am very excited to be the first non-European/non-North American president in Site’s history and I know that I will work hard. My challenge is how to be engaged in different activities and to keep the smile on my face at the same time! In my region, Site members have started a Site South America Chapter where I have been serving as president and there is a lot to do in establishing a growing chapter. We will celebrate our first Site Executive Summit in Argentina in March 2012 and since it will be my first Board meeting as president and it is taking place in my country, I feel responsible for an unforgettable experience for all. I also need to provide good quality family time to my wife and two children, and to keep an eye on my company. I hope to balance everything as best as I can - it will not be easy but it will not be impossible either. 2012 will be a wonderful year. |
| siteglobal.com |
High business activity by hosted buyersWe were very pleased with the way in which the hosted buyer programme was received at IMEX America and were especially impressed by how seriously US buyers took their individual appointments, often booking more than the minimum number required and attending them well prepared and ready to do business. Exhibitors testified to the high quality of the buyers attending with over 50% holding annual budgets of $1million or more.
Thanks to positive feedback and high demand we’re already looking to increase the number of hosted buyers we will bring in to Vegas next year, as well as expanding our network of intermediaries to enable us to do so. With Frankfurt in mind, there will be plenty of 10-year anniversary activities available for hosted buyers. We’re expecting nearly 4000 hosted buyers and demand from across Europe has already been strong. We’ll also be working with some new Asian intermediaries for Frankfurt next year as well as examining the way in which we structure the hosted buyer programme to allow for more nights’ accommodation so that more buyers can maximise yet more time on the show floor. Several European destinations will also be organising their own fam trips again directly after Frankfurt as these are always popular, especially with long-haul buyers. The association market – and Association Day – continues to be a strong attraction in Frankfurt. The launch of a new Executive Meeting Forum with a European focus (a sister event to our US forum) means we will be bringing C-level executives to the show plus procurement professionals. Both of these represent important groups who wouldn’t normally attend a trade show so it’s an exciting new development. |
Nikki Williams, Director of Hosted Buyer Programmes, IMEX Group |
“Love the hosted programme which puts me in the perfect mood for doing business.” Hosted buyer Douglas Viehland, Executive Director, ACBSP Global Business Accreditation, Kansas, USA |
“Every minute at IMEX America counts – we have been able to place incentive business in choice locations around the world.” Hosted buyer Santiago Neira Luque, Gerente Administravo y Financiero, INC Group, Bogota, Colombia |
Great expectations – and great results
I began to receive messages from the first morning from friends around the world following us via the inevitable social media channels - wishing to be part of this new experience in a destination that itself thrives on great showmanship. The inaugural event did not disappoint with the show floor alive with business being done by over 2,000 hosted buyers, 1,700 attendees and nearly 2,000 exhibitors. 30,000 appointments took place alongside a potent mix of education and networking. The Las Vegas event drew on the impetus provided by the established success of IMEX in Frankfurt, now heading for its 10th edition in 2012. Good trade shows never stand still and the IMEX team is now fully focused on the 2012 events. Our aim is to improve and consolidate the strengths of both shows, ensuring that exhibitors and buyers alike have marketplaces in key regions that will help them to succeed in reaching their goals. I look forward to seeing you on the show floor in Frankfurt and Las Vegas. |
Paul Flackett, Managing Director, IMEX Group |
“We’re thrilled to have IMEX America here! The show means a lot to the US, it’s positive for the economy and the exposure of the show alone is great.” Cynthia Mason, National Sales Manager, Las Vegas Hilton |
“Exhibiting at IMEX America was a no-brainer for us. The quality of the buyers is great.” Robert Steadman, Gosford House, Destination Scotland |
And the winners were…
Seventeen European exhibitors got together to organise the hugely successful Euro Party on the IMEX America show floor on Wednesday October 12. Over 500 buyers attended with a lucky few coming away with Grand European Prizes; the winners were:
Elif Balci Fisunoglu, General Manager of the Istanbul Convention Bureau said, "Istanbul and partners were all very excited to exhibit at the very first edition of IMEX America. The Istanbul Dream Package drew great attention, and we look forward to welcoming the lucky winners to our city soon." |
And finally a big thank you to the inaugural IMEX America media partners
European partners included key German publications CIM and TW alongside 2morrow, ABC Events, Bedouk, Breaking Travel News, Conference & Incentive Travel (C&IT), CMW (Mash Media), Departure Boulevard, Event.Point, eventos and eventoplus.com, Headquarters, Kongres, Meetings Review, MICE Central & Eastern Europe, Planet Planit, SEEbtm, Tourism Insider, TTG Czech and World Tourism News. Media partners from Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and the rest of the world included BVENTS, CIM Australasia, Eturbonews, Eventos Latinoamericanos, Meetme, MICE China, Skal News, Travel and Tour World India, Travel World, TTGmice, TTG Middle East & North Africa. |
| imexamerica.com/media |
The interactive 2011 PCMA International Summit, which was co-located with IMEX America, clearly demonstrated that the best source of knowledge is your peers.
Over the past year, Site has focused on delivering documented examples of motivational experiences. We have been building resources and tools to help inform customer conversations and to inspire business solutions.
Six companies were selected to exhibit free of charge at the IMEX America 
Since the first 
Applications for the 2012 IMEX-GMIC (Green Meeting Industry Council) Green Awards, are now open.
One lucky IMEX America hosted buyer, Ernie Huwyler, Event Specialist at BMC Software, Houston, will be floating like an astronaut onboard the G-FORCE One in 2012 after picking up a prize worth US$4,950 from ZERO-G, one of the IMEX America Wild Card winners. 
The 
We trained over 500 hosted buyers via online webinars in the months before Vegas and these figures show that the investment clearly paid off. Buyers told us they welcomed the chance to walk-through the appointment system before getting to the show and to be able to ask questions during a live session. We’ll be running more such webinars prior to IMEX in Frankfurt next May and again later in the year for IMEX America. 
As four o’clock rolled round on 13 October the industry paused to take a deep breath and reflect on a successful first outing for IMEX America. The anticipation had been intense, with great expectations of the hosted buyer programme and a desire to see the strengths of IMEX in Frankfurt replicated in North America.
Major Media Partner, Northstar Meetings Group, was joined by an impressive line-up of North American media including Business Travel Destinations, Chooseyourevent.com, Convenciones, Convene, Convention South Magazine, Conventionplanit.com, Elite Meetings, Incentives & Meetings International, Masexpos/megaexpo.com, MeetingApps.com, Meeting Mentor, Meetings and Events Media Group, Meetings Focus, Meetingsnet, MPI One+, Odyssey Magazine, Plan Your Meetings, Prevue, Return on Performance, Smart Meetings, Tech Talk News, themeetingmagazines.com, USAE News and Welcome to the City (WTTC).