Issue Contents
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Ray Bloom |
IMEX America |
Politicians Forum for IMEX America IMEX Politicans Forum |
Edgar Hirt, AIPC and Congress Center Hamburg |
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EVVC |
Three wins for euromic's Creative Travel euromic |
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Brenda Anderson, Site |
IAPCO calls for responsible approach Patrizia Semprebene Buongiorno, IAPCO |
Introducing SKAL's new President SKAL |
DMAI |
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Women's Forum |
ECM |
Removing the culture of silence IMEX Professional Development and Innovation Pavilion |
New power sessions at Corporate Responsibility Centre IMEX Corporate Responsibility Centre |
Going wild from Uganda to Iceland IMEX Wild Card |
MPI and IMEX commit to the future of the industry MPI and IMEX |
ICCA enters 2010 with a spirit of optimism Martin Sirk, ICCA |
Positive outlook for ACTE research ACTE |
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Deborah Sexton, PCMA |
IMEX interview |
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IMEX Challenge |
Paul Flackett |
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Nikki Williams |
Further expansion for IMEX exhibitors Heather Gough |
Secrets of CISCO virtual sales conference to be revealed IMEX Meetings for Success webinar |
German Wild Card winners - ancient meets modern Lutz Vogt, GCB German Convention Bureau |
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IMEX Association Day |
Meetings Under the Microscope special edition
IMEX Briefing January 2010 pdf
Meetings Under the Microscope Special Edition pdf
Creativity and growth
IMEX 2010 is on course to grow once again, both in terms of the number of hosted buyers and the exhibitors attending. As always it will be characterised by a high quality hosted buyer programme with excellent representation from long haul markets combined with business-minded exhibitors from all corners of the world.
Buyers from the USA, Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East will all be attending the show in greater numbers and spending more time with exhibitors by staying for a full three days.
US association buyers will also be visible in higher numbers thanks to several new intermediary partnerships developed over the summer months. Many have also been attracted by the chance to participate in the IMEX Association Day on May 24th, which is always extremely popular with its blend of specialised education and networking.
On that same evening (the day before the show opens), we are delighted that Site will now be holding their “Site Nite” fund-raiser for the Site Foundation. This will be the first time that Site have held this important event in Europe and it’s set to become a regular fixture in our future show calendar. We are also delighted to welcome the MCI Directors to IMEX for their annual get-together taking place immediately after the show.
Once again the IMEX Politicians Forum will provide an important and timely communications exchange between industry leaders and political representatives. The Forum continues to gain in strength and influence every year with the assistance of JMIC, AIPC and ECM.
One of our newest projects, the Meetings for Success webinar series, has also attracted high level participation and attention as we seek to support corporate meetings and events planners through a range of ever-changing professional challenges.
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Ray Bloom, Chairman, IMEX Group |
Finally, we have been delighted by the industry’s overwhelmingly positive response to IMEX America. Demand from exhibitors and buyers from across the world is high and is matched by our determination to roll out the IMEX formula in Las Vegas come October 2011.
IMEX America launch
October 2011 will see the first edition of IMEX America, a new show developed by the IMEX team. IMEX America will follow the same ‘timeless’ principles which have underpinned the success of the Frankfurt show. It will deliver the largest ever hosted buyer programme at a US tradeshow and provide a strong business platform for buyers and exhibitors driven by user-friendly technologies and an experienced and highly professional organising team.
“widespread support from the industry’s biggest and most powerful associations”
The new show, which will take place at the Sands Expo Convention Center at the Venetian/Palazzo in Las Vegas from 11 – 13 October 2011, is set to welcome 1,500 internationally focused hosted buyers from the association, corporate and agency sectors. 80% of these buyers are expected from all parts of the USA, with the remaining 20% from other international markets.
IMEX America will benefit from the widespread support of the industry’s biggest and most powerful associations. For example, IMEX America Strategic Partner, MPI will produce a range of newly created educational events for corporate buyers surrounding the exhibition and Site will hold their annual conference immediately after the show. In addition, a specially-produced ASAE educational event will be run exclusively for association buyers on the day before the show opens. This will be followed by an IMEX America Association Evening. This format is set to mirror the success of the IMEX Association Day run each year in Frankfurt.
ICCA, DMAI, AIPC, JMIC and ECM will also be adding their support through a number of tailor-made marketing and educational initiatives and the Green Meeting Industry Council will be supporting the environmental aims and initiatives of the show.
Other ‘New Vision’ initiatives to be incorporated into IMEX America include a lobbying and political action event similar to the Politicians Forum held each year in Frankfurt, a Wild Card Americas programme for up and coming destinations with an eye on breaking into the international meetings and events market and a new IMEX-MPI Future Leaders Forum.
Las Vegas provides an excellent location for the new trade show. It offers 140,000 hotel rooms, superb transport connections from across the US and growing direct international links.
As Ray Bloom explained at the show’s press launch in Las Vegas in October: “The enthusiastic response and support of exhibitors, associations and hosted buyer intermediaries has been fantastic and we are looking forward to a very exciting run-up to the show. The feedback I’ve received from across the globe confirms that buyers and exhibitors alike are looking forward to 2011.”
Politicians Forum for IMEX America
IMEX America has already announced plans to create an American Politicians Forum in Las Vegas when the show launches in October 2011.
“an invaluable opportunity for politicians and industry leaders to dialogue”
Talks are underway with industry leaders and the key trade associations who have indicated that such an event would be both beneficial and well supported. The IMEX America Forum will deliver similar benefits to the Forum in Frankfurt. This Forum encourages destinations, convention centres, associations and others to nominate their local or national elected officials for a free invitation to a dedicated one-day event during the trade show. The aim is to improve officials’ understanding of the economic strength and importance of the meetings and events industry and to highlight the long-term benefits it can provide to their communities. The Forum also provides an invaluable opportunity for politicians and industry leaders to dialogue and network.
Tom Hulton, Director of International Relations for IMEX said, “IMEX’s seven years experience with the Forum in Frankfurt can be used to great effect here - adding extra weight and voice to US cross-party lobbying efforts and the momentum behind such campaigns as Meetings Mean Business.”
The IMEX 2010 Politicians Forum takes place in Frankfurt on 25 May. www.imex-frankfurt.com/politforum.html
Diversified AIPC education
AIPC has always recognised that no single programme can deliver the full range of professional development requirements for every organisation. This approach has served us well. The cornerstone of our educational efforts is the AIPC Academy, which offers a well-rounded and immersive educational experience for managers who need a broad and balanced industry education, either because they are moving into a more demanding position or just entering the industry. This annual programme creates a strong basis for other initiatives and uses the experience and expertise that exists in our membership to full advantage.
But that's only the beginning. We also stage two specialty summits every year. One addresses Sales and Marketing, the other Operations and Event Management. Finally, we then use AIPC seminars at events such as IMEX, as well as our Annual Conference, to deal with the evolving issues that need to be tracked and addressed on an ongoing basis. Here we draw most effectively on outside resources and share perspectives with industry colleagues to the overall benefit of our members.
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Edgar Hirt, President, AIPC and Managing Director, CCH, Congress Center Hamburg www.aipc.org |
IMEX is a great vehicle for both promoting and staging these initiatives because as always, it is a key gathering place for representatives of the entire industry.
EVVC focus on sustainability
The EVVC has established a new supervisory board position for corporate social responsibility and has also created a dedicated ‘CSR’ logo.
The EVVC convention calendar will now treat the three areas of CSR in a more balanced way. Ecology will be the focus of the "Green Meetings and Events" Germany Convention in Bonn which is held every spring by the World Conference Centre Bonn and the EVVC.
“acting in a more ecologically sensitive way without sacrificing economic goals”
This will be an opportunity to develop standards so that centres can act in a more ecologically sensitive and sustainable way without sacrificing their economic goals. At the same time, the Convention will work on developing an internationally agreed approach to green events with the help of various partners including the German Convention Bureau.
The economy will again be the focus of the Difu congress in Berlin. Joint discussions between hall operators and political representatives are planned, with the aim of producing fresh ideas and new business models for reducing operating costs in an ecologically sound manner.
Finally, the social dimension of sustainability will be the focal point of the autumn EVVC management-symposium. The association will help its members in the areas of personnel development and social commitment and also raise awareness about CSR among its members and their employees.
To underline its work in this field, the EVVC has also developed a new logo which reflects the three strands of CSR: ecology, economy and social affairs.
“The issue of sustainability will occupy us very intensely over the coming years,” says Joachim König, President of the EVVC and Director of the Hannover Congress Centrum. “It is important for us to visually represent this commitment and demonstrate that nearly every campaign can be considered a part of corporate social responsibility. If we want to fulfil our responsibilities towards future generations we need to do this”.
Three wins for euromic's Creative Travel
At last year’s Site International Conference in Aruba, euromic World Affiliate (India), Creative Travel, was awarded the highly prestigious Site Crystal Award for excellence in the incentive travel industry.
Creative Travel is the first South Asian company to ever have won a Site Crystal Award. Its first award in 2007 was granted for a ground breaking project in Pakistan.
The 2009 Award was made for "Exceptional Motivational Travel Programme". Incentive house client, Duo Tourismo of Sao Paolo, Brazil, was also delighted to have played a significant part in the award-winning programme.
The Crystal Award was presented at a packed lunchtime ceremony, sponsored by IMEX, to Creative Travel's Joint Managing Director, Rajeev Kohli.
This was Creative Travel's third major award for 2009. The company earlier won India's 2009 National Award for being the country's top MICE operator plus the prestigious PATA Gold Award for its acclaimed newsletter "Creatively Yours".
Is ROI still TBA?
Site has long partnered with IMEX to deliver education and networking opportunities. Looking ahead we are thrilled to announce that our 2011 Site International Conference will be connected to IMEX America in Las Vegas. Site’s conference will begin on the Thursday evening that IMEX America closes and run through Saturday. We are holding our conference at this time so that delegates can capitalise on two great events in one destination, consolidating expenses and extending education opportunities all in one.
Never has the subject of ROI been more in the spotlight. As a planner, how do you practice defining the Return on Investment (ROI) for an incentive travel programme or event? How often do you ensure ROI measurement benchmarks are in place? Or is the real question, when are you going to start using ROI?
“sensible has become the new buzz word”
Planning to measure ROI takes a little extra effort but in the end the pay-off is significant. As incentives, meetings and events have been drawing focus, sensible has become the new buzz word. Being able to prove ROI in terms of business successes is more than sensible, it is a necessary best practice.
As an industry we have been talking actively about measuring ROI since 2001 - but do you do it every day? Have you found a way to work with your internal teams or clients to speak to successful outcomes such as increases in incremental revenue or performance levels?
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Brenda Anderson, CEO, Site www.siteglobal.com |
As professionals we know rhetoric can get us into trouble when not supported by facts. It is one thing to talk about value and another to demonstrate it. At Site we advise talking with your channel partners to be sure programmes have measurements at key milestones from the development and qualification through to the delivery and experience. It is not always easy, but it is vital.
Save the date for Site Nite 24 May 2010 in Frankfurt. See www.siteglobal.com for details.
IAPCO calls for responsible approach
IMEX is the major international forum for our industry and, with the Politicians Forum firmly established as part of its agenda, it isimportant that our industry views are well expressed.
For example, the EU is to be commended for the way it has embraced the need to curb greenhouse gas emissions. However IAPCO believes it is essential to take a balanced and objective approach. A recent EU decision relates to limiting business trips with the target of reducing them by 20% and replacing them with telecommunication and web-based alternatives.
Business trips embrace many aspects. By heavily directing limitations on business travel, and thus attendance at conferences and events, there could be serious consequences.
“if attendance at meetings is restricted local economies will suffer”
Firstly, many nations do not have the technological infrastructure to support web meetings or video-conferencing. This then limits the ability of representatives from European countries to participate in learning and peer reviews. Aside from issues of data security, if attendance at meetings is restricted, or indeed reduced by the proposed 20%, local economies will suffer dramatically. Contributions from delegates equate to approximately €1620 per person [2007 average spend]. Can local governments survive with such a dramatic loss of revenue to local businesses?
Technology cannot replace human interaction. Governments must never lose sight of the fact that human beings communicate on a face-to- face basis; no technology can replace the benefit and added value of body language, networking and personal contact. Inspiration evolves from conferences and meetings. For example, Continuing Medical Education (CME) and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) both require annual further education. This cannot be achieved without human contact, a large part of which is undertaken during specialist conference and meetings.
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Patrizia Semprebene Buongiorno, President, IAPCO |
The activities of IAPCO members alone represent a global economic impact in excess of 3 billion Euros.
We strongly believe that face-to-face meetings, conventions, seminars and events are an essential part of daily life and the economy and we will be encouraging politicians to attend the IMEX Politicians Forum to hear this message loud and clear.
Introducing SKAL's new President
Director of the Croatian Conference and Incentive Bureau, Nik Racik, has been elected as President of SKAL. His new post became official at the 70th SKAL World Congress in Budapest.
The election of Racik as the President of SKAL International recognises his long term and successful work in the development of Croatian and international tourism, especially in the meetings, incentives and events market. Racik has organised more than 250 international meetings and incentives in Croatia, and 450 site inspection visits, workshops, road shows and presentations. He was the organiser behind the appearance of the Croatian National Tourist Board and Croatian Convention and Incentive Bureau at more than 800 trade shows worldwide. He is also a member of Site, ICCA and DMAI.
SKAL International was founded in 1934 in Paris and today operates through 500 clubs in 90 countries with more than 20,000 tourist manager members. Considering that it gathers managers from all sectors of the tourism industry, SKAL International is a unique global organisation. The principles underlying its operations are to develop business relations and friendship between members, to promote and support the development of sustainable and responsible tourism, and to advance quality in tourism.
SKAL International is a member of the UNWTO business council (United Nations World Tourism Organisation) and also a member of the working group on Preventing Child Abuse in Tourism plus the Management Board of the Code of Conduct, which was created as a result of the group’s activities.
Glasgow success for DMAI
30 major players from the European destination marketing industry gathered in Glasgow, Scotland, recently for DMAI’s Leadership Forum – Europe. CEOs, presidents and executive/managing directors of convention bureaus and tourism boards from across Europe all met to discuss and exchange strategic views and ideas on the challenges currently affecting the industry.
Key topics included: “Coping in Recessionary Times – Prioritising and Managing Budgets”; “Making the Most out of Limited Marketing Budgets” and “Executive Compensation and Performance Management”. All subjects were covered in open forums which were moderated by IMEX Managing Director, Paul Flackett.
“fully engaged in the fight for the importance and relevance of the industry”
Michael Priem, COO of USDM.net also made an engaging and popular presentation on “How Technology is Changing the Marketing and Advertising Landscape.” Equally, Konstanze Auernheimer, Director of Marketing of STR Global explored “Emerging Trends Facing the Hotel Industry“ to much acclaim.
A European Policy Environment workshop was also introduced to the schedule this year. It provided timely and valuable insight into how European Union institutions work and how EU policies and regulations affect the destination marketing industry.
Michael D. Gehrisch, President & CEO of DMAI, pledged: “DMAI is fully engaged in the fight for the importance and relevance of the tourism and travel industry. Our Futures Study has provided industry leaders across the globe with a strategic framework to plan for the future and the tools to help them understand and respond to the global strategic trends and developments impacting the industry.”
Charles-Eric Vilain XIIII, Chair of the DMAI European Advisory Council, immediately took on the responsibility of liaising with meeting industry stakeholders to form an EU institution lobbying action plan.
Developing a personal brand
The Women’s Forum returns to 2010 with two insightful sessions, devised to help delegates appeal to potential employers. Mary Power, Executive Director, Human Resource Certification Institute, returns as moderator for both sessions (Mary has previously moderated for the IMEX Women’s Forum in 2008)
The first session will run in the Professional Development and Innovation Pavilion on Tuesday 25 May and will focus on personal branding. It will look closely at curriculum vitae writing, what you bring to an interview (not just your corporate brand but your individual brand) and development of your personal brand. The second session on 26 May in Room Esprit will focus on how your corporate brand resonates with different generations. Discussion will focus on gender and generations, the psychology of branding, corporate and personal brands, technology and hiring certification.
www.imex-frankfurt.com/women.html
Positive changes at ECM
2009 was a challenging year for most destinations in Europe. In order to meet this challenge, European Cities Marketing adopted a policy of not only keeping in line with developments in the tourism and meetings industry, but also pursuing its goals more steadfastly. ECM provides relevant support to member cities, reinforcing the chance to share knowledge and expertise and stressing the educational importance of the association whilst focusing on the development of new activities.
As a result, in 2009, ECM introduced a new seminar format with break-out sessions and detailed case studies followed by discussions in smaller participant groups.
'Meet Europe' took place in Washington D.C. for the first time ever and a brand new business workshop called 'The Mercado' was put in place for ECM members and their clients. A 'Special Impact Crisis Review' of the 'ECM European Cities’ Visitors Report' was also published and the traditional ECM Summer School was organised in an environmentally-friendly way. Information and education on organising green events was also incorporated into its programme. ECM was also thrilled to introduce an intranet in June, which provides an ideal platform for members to share best practices.
Given their combined success, ECM will continue to run these newly introduced activities in 2010. During the first six months of the year, member cities will have the opportunity to meet in Turku for the ECM Spring Meeting in February and in Las Palmas for the Annual Conference and General Assembly in June. 'Meet Europe' will again take place in Washington D.C. and 'The Mercado' workshop will be hosted by the city of Biarritz on 25-26 March 2010.
www.europeancitiesmarketing.com
Removing the culture of silence
Sponsored by the Convention Industry Council (CIC), the Professional Development and Innovation Pavilion showcases education and training for the meetings industry. Throughout the three days of the show the Pavilion will host multiple workshops on topics ranging from ‘developing your personal brand’ to ‘making the most of personality differences’.
Supplementing these seminars, the Meetings Under the Microscope initiative (introduced in 2009) will also run a series of drop-in seminars designed to offer delegates information and advice on how to focus on meeting content rather than just logistics and why this is so important for ROI.
“creating an open and honest culture”
New to the Pavilion this year Grahame Robb Associates will lead a Meetings Under the Microscope session based on New York Times best-seller, Influencer. Influencer is a training concept which draws on the skills of hundreds of successful change agents around the world and combines them with five decades of the best social science research. The session promises to help delegates, “discover a powerful way to create an open and honest culture within their organisation, and remove the 'culture of silence' that is holding them back from the success they need.”
www.imex-frankfurt.com/pdp.html
New 'power' sessions at Corporate Responsibility Centre
For the first time in 2010 the IMEX Corporate Responsibility Centre will be ‘Powered by GMIC’ (the Green Meeting Industry Council and IMEX’s green partner). The Centre will be built from environmentally responsible stand materials by fairservices.net, with furniture sponsored by Estoril Congress Centre (IMEX Green Exhibitor Award winner 2009), and gives both exhibitors and visitors a chance to increase their awareness and knowledge of both environmental and social responsibility.
This year as well as offering expert advice, toolkits and case studies the Corporate Responsibility Centre will be host to several environmental ‘power’ sessions. These are a series of short, drop-in workshops that will run throughout the day on the stand. They will include case studies from previous award winners and ‘how to go green’ power-sessions with advice about where and how to start, as well as information on more advanced green policies and practices.
A daily drinks reception, sponsored by Bionade, will take place on the stand giving visitors the chance to share their experiences with other visitors as well as have informal chats with the experts in the Centre.
www.imex-frankfurt.com/crc.html
The GMIC Sustainable Meetings Conference will take place February 9 - 11 2010 in Denver, Colorado. See www.sustainablemeetingsconference.com/
Going wild from Uganda to Iceland
We are delighted to announce the three winners of the 2010 Wild Card programme, all of whom have won a place on this year’s Wild Card pavilion. In addition to free exhibition space each winner receives access to discounted air fares with Lufthansa, one complimentary hotel room for three nights in Frankfurt, plus a free ticket to the IMEX Gala Dinner. The winners also benefit from comprehensive PR and marketing support in the build up to the show.
Uganda
One of Africa’s best kept secrets, Uganda is a classic destination for adventure and offers many exciting activities, including unforgettable primate walks, amazing wildlife viewing, white water rafting, cultural experiences and much more.
Hof Conference and Cultural Center, Iceland
Hof is a new cultural building in Akureyri, Iceland, scheduled for completion in August 2010. Designed for music and performing arts, facilities include two large conference auditoriums (seating 500 and 200, respectively) and a comprehensive restaurant service. The surrounding areas offers sea angling, horse riding, boat trips, bowling, golf tournaments, health spas, curling, skating and skiing.
Morzine, France
Just over an hour away from Geneva Airport, Morzine is a traditional alpine village in an amazing mountain setting, offering varied and original activities throughout the year including snow-raft races, nights in igloos, traditional dinners in mountain chalets, snowshoe treks, war games and hot-air balloon flights.
www.imex-frankfurt.com/wildcard.html
MPI and IMEX commit to future of the industry
MPI’s commitment to IMEX 2009 is highlighted this year in a number of initiatives which concentrate on the future of the industry. Last year the two
parties announced a Global Partnership that would concentrate on key professional educational projects, including the highly successful joint Future Leaders Forum - developed to encourage the best and brightest students to enter the meetings and incentive travel industry.
Additionally, MPI are delighted that IMEX are funding a series of new MPI Foundation Scholarships over the next five years. These will include entrance to a series of MPI educational events across Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East; all linked to MPI’s new Global Knowledge Plan. The new scholarship scheme will give meeting professionals around the world outstanding opportunities to develop their knowledge and career and is a natural extension to the IMEX-MPI Future Leaders Forum.
Commenting on the relationship with IMEX Joyce Dogniez, MPI Director Global Training Practice said: “MPI, like IMEX, are committed to harnessing the young talent that exists within the meetings industry. Our own initiatives through our Global Training Programme, together with these exciting developments with IMEX, will ensure that we nurture and develop those wanting to build a career in one of the world’s most exciting and growing sectors.”
Additionally, MPI has joined in a strategic partnership with IMEX America taking place 11 - 13 October 2011 in Las Vegas. MPI will be co-creating educational experiences for buyers and sellers with the aim of “delivering one of the richest and most provocative meeting and event marketplace gatherings in the world”.
ICCA enters 2010 with a spirit of optimism
After a strong 12 month performance marked by continuing membership growth, stable finances, and a record-smashing Congress in Florence which attracted 982 attendees from 71 countries, ICCA is looking forward to 2010 in an optimistic frame of mind.
The underlying key to the association's success is its focus on our industry's most consistently stable sector, international association meetings, which are continuing to show signs of rising attendances, new event creation, and fast growing association memberships especially in developing economies.
“IMEX Association Day reflects the dynamism and resilience of the sector”
The continuing acceleration of new scientific developments, technological breakthroughs, and global economic interdependence, plus the need for face-to-face opportunities to share knowledge about these issues all mean that we anticipate further increases to the size of this sector. And once again we expect that IMEX Association Day will attract record numbers of association executives, reflecting this dynamism and resilience.
But ICCA recognises that economic turbulence is continuing to make life difficult for many of its member companies around the world. This has undoubtedly been the roughest downturn in a generation.
ICCA has recently increased the number of international association event series on its sales research database by over 10% over the last 12 months, and has just recruited three more researchers to bring its global research team up to 13. It has also signed a new deal with UIA (Union of International Associations) to integrate complementary UIA data into the ICCA database and a variety of previously paid-for services have now been included within the ICCA membership fee after significant IT investment to make them
available on-demand online.
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Martin Sirk, CEO, ICCA www.iccaworld.com |
This year's ICCA Congress will be held in Hyderabad at the end of October, the first major meetings industry association event to take place in India. We're extremely excited about the plans for this Congress and the interest amongst our membership is already buzzing and bubbling nicely. We're planning an India-themed series of ICCA activities throughout IMEX 2010, so watch out for some bright colours on our exhibition stand!
Positive outlook for ACTE research
Research results from the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) announced recently suggest an optimistic outlook for 2010.
Nearly 250 attendees at ACTE’s 2009 Global Education Conference held in October in Prague responded to the question, “How much change in your corporate travel purchasing to do you believe you will see next year?” 62% of corporate travel managers project increases of up to 15%.
The same number reported that support for their travel programmes by senior management had already increased, which has resulted in greater programme and policy compliance.
Questioned about the impact of the flu virus, 91% of survey respondents from 105 international companies indicated they have not delayed meetings or conferences until after the influenza season.
ACTE president Richard Crum confirmed: "Though a majority of corporations indicated they have 'serious concerns' about the potential threat of the H1N1 influenza, these concerns are not yet carrying over into the travel planning process for 2010.”
Results from these and other ACTE studies are available at www.acteconnect.org
PCMA looks ahead
The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) is excited to again be part of IMEX 2010.
PCMA represents approximately 6,000 meeting industry leaders including planner professionals, suppliers, faculty and students and is dedicated to delivering superior and innovative education and promoting the value of professional convention management.
A selection of our future events includes the PCMA Education Foundation Dinner on May 26 which will be an occasion for celebrating the professional achievements of Sheila Stampfli, Courtesy Associates; Liz Erikson, Fairmont-Raffles-Swissôtel; and William R. Host, Jr., CMP, Roosevelt University.
In June the PCMA Mid-Year Education Conference will be dedicated to addressing the strategic needs of our industry leaders. The Conference will be a chance for peer-to-peer problem-solving while building professional relationships that last a lifetime.
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Deborah Sexton, President and CEO, PCMA www.pcma.org |
On average PCMA members plan 29 meetings per year. 78% of them are key decision-makers for their organisation and 40% work in associations with 10,000+ members. PCMA will be bringing a 15-strong group of members to IMEX 2010 as hosted buyers.
Briefing Interview
Briefing speaks to Edgar Hirt, President of AIPC (International Association of Congress Centres) and Managing Director of CCH, Congress Center Hamburg. AIPC is a global network of over 160 leading centres in 53 countries, with the active involvement of more than 650 centre management professionals.
Briefing: The past 12 months have been unusually dramatic, and not just for the meetings and conventions industry. What have been the biggest surprises for you, and in particular what has made you think differently about the future?
Perhaps the most surprising thing, and at the same time the most gratifying, has been the resiliency the industry demonstrated in what was certainly one of the biggest global financial crises we've ever seen. The association business in particular remained very stable, and many centres were able to maintain good financial results simply by shifting their business mix. You got the feeling that if we could survive this, we could survive anything.
At the same time, our credibility took a hit with the value of meetings being questioned in a time when everyone was concerned about the economy. This was a bit of a wakeup call, and something we need to address.
“meetings and conventions are being seen to support business development”
Briefing: You’ve talked a lot about the fact that convention centres attract new business and investment to a destination but how this is often ignored. Are convention centres getting better at communicating their economic power? What must new centres, perhaps in emerging markets, do differently?
Frankly no; we haven't improved our external communications much as we're typically too occupied with managing ongoing business to set aside the time to address this. However, there has been some improvement in the way that meetings and conventions are being seen to support business development, likely as a result of the fact that governments and business communities everywhere are looking for any strategy that can help drive economic recovery.
The ongoing confusion of meetings as a part of tourism hasn't helped, particularly now that the messaging required for each is so different in a time when meetings need to be seen primarily in a business context. An emerging destination would do well to clarify this from the beginning and to align themselves with the overall economic development objectives of their community.
Briefing: The demand for green meetings continues to grow and the chosen venue has an important role to play. How are convention centres responding to this trend?
Our surveys suggest that the sustainability programmes and capabilities of most centres are today far ahead of actual demand, so we are really setting an example. This is largely due to the fact that centres have many different audiences to satisfy in this regard, including not only clients but also owners, communities and even building standards. We are truly leaders, and I think this needs to be recognised.
“no huge flight to virtual meetings”
Briefing: The concept of ‘blending’ virtual with real meetings and conventions is currently grabbing a lot of headlines. What’s your view on this new direction? Is it a threat or an opportunity?
Again, the experience of the past year and a half suggests the latter. There has been no huge flight to virtual meetings even in a time when this would be most likely for economic reasons. The technology can, however, enhance the reach and effectiveness of face to face meetings, and this is likely where they will play the greatest role in the future.
Briefing: Looking ahead, what plans does AIPC have for the next few years? Any strategic changes ahead?
Above all, we need to remain positioned to respond quickly and effectively to changes in areas where our members expect support, because not all new developments can be anticipated. However, it is already clear that there will be a large and ongoing demand for education, advocacy and research, and we are strengthening our capabilities in these areas. One strategic requirement for the entire industry is to remain focused on our positioning – how we are seen by the rest of the world – and we need to work collectively and collaboratively on that.
Launch of IMEX Challenge
Last year IMEX announced the launch of its first ever industry-wide corporate social responsibility initiative - the IMEX Challenge. Details of the Challenge have now been confirmed. The project’s first beneficiary will be a non-governmental foster home in Poland, called OUR HOME.
Established in 1991, this charity has become the most important organisation dealing with the problems of orphaned and neglected children in Poland.
“long-term educational development and care of the children”
The IMEX Challenge Poland team will be tasked with creating a safe and enjoyable area for the children of one particular foster family to play and relax in. All seven children are under 12 years old.
This will require landscaping the whole area and supplying and fitting a range of play facilities. The Challenge will also aim to create funding for the ongoing upkeep of the garden and play area and the long-term educational development and care of the children currently living with the family and those to come in the future.
IMEX is inviting 20 individuals to join a number of IMEX staff to help with the three day project. Two sponsorship categories have also been created to support the Challenge: local partners and volunteer sponsors. To date, Polish conference and incentive organisers, Meeting Designers, and the Convention Bureau of Poland which is a part of Polish Tourist Organisation, have committed to becoming local partners.
IMEX is looking for 10 further companies to each sponsor a volunteer of their choice to support the Challenge. Each participant needs to pay their full travel costs to Warsaw, although all accommodation, food and drink will be provided.
The 2010 IMEX Challenge Poland will run from 13 to 15 September 2010.
www.imex-frankfurt.com/imexchallenge.html
Fresh approaches essential
Planning the education programme for events can be a thankless task, having to cover a range of topical interests and opinions. However if the audience can be stimulated through discussion sessions and question and answer interludes then there is every chance of success. It is not enough for delegates to simply turn up and expect to be fed a constant stream of education, it is dialogues that are needed, not monologues!
More than ever, round table sessions of event attendees, led by skilful moderators, can give greater rewards to the participants. Delegates want to both hear and share opinions to feel that they have contributed to the session. They want to take home ideas that can be implemented quickly and benefit both their companies and their career paths. We live in a world of “bite-sized chunks” and so easily assimilated information always wins through. It is important that we move away from the airport bookshelves that are full of literature promising global success in a variety of easy steps - if life were so easy then there would be no need for events and conference meetings!
“it is dialogues that are needed, not monologues!”
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Paul Flackett, Managing Director, IMEX Group |
So next time you are sitting in a room with fellow conference goers speak up and ask the hidden questions that everyone thinks about but never speaks about. After all you have paid the attendance fee so make full use of it. Remember even the older members amongst us can be “Future Leaders!”
Long-haul growth
We are delighted that more than 20 new long-haul groups have already been confirmed for IMEX 2010, with others to be announced over the next few months. Expect to see more buyers from Latin America, Asia, Australia, the Middle East and USA in particular. Continued growth and development in the Chinese and Brazilian meetings and events markets also means we have secured several more groups from these important long-haul destinations. Taking both long and short-haul growth into account, there will be a total of 30 new groups at the show in 2010.
“diary messaging service ensures buyers and exhibitors are more prepared for appointments”
Much of this expansion has come about because of our strong relationships with intermediaries and the confidence they have in their partnerships with IMEX. New intermediaries for 2010 include Air Partner, Morgans Hotel and MPI UK; with expansions from Hilton (Asia and UAE), Mandarin Oriental, Sol Melia, Starwood (China and US) and Marriot (UAE).
Our new diary messaging service, which was introduced in 2009, will ensure that both buyers and exhibitors are more prepared than ever for their onsite appointments – allowing them to exchange messages, RFP documents and proposals before the show has started.
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Nikki Williams, Director of Hosted Buyer Programmes, IMEX Group |
MCI has further endorsed the importance of IMEX in the meetings industry’s yearly calendar by arranging for all their group directors to attend their annual meeting immediately after the show. Yet again, IMEX will play the role of industry ‘hub’ when doors open in May.
Further expansion for IMEX exhibitors
Our ability to deliver strong new business for IMEX exhibitors is one of numerous reasons why many of them return to Frankfurt year in, year out.
“record $375.5 million dollars worth of contracts”
Last year’s post-show evaluation showed that a record $375.5 million dollars worth of contracts were estimated to have been agreed during the show, with about $1.7 billion added in the nine months afterwards. Many exhibitors clearly felt the benefit of this uplift in business levels and were quick to book additional stand space for 2010.
So far exhibitors as diverse as Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Ritz Carlton Hotels, Mövenpick Hotels, the Spanish Tourist Office, Indian Holiday, the Czech Tourism Authority, Luxembourg, Fairmont/ Swissotel Raffles, Starwood and Discovery Jordan are all taking more stand space than last year.
New stands confirmed to date include Scandic Hotels, Warwick Hotels, Meeting Point International and Madrid, who will be taking their own stand for the first time.
The investment that IMEX has made in its online messaging, diary and appointment systems also continues to be appreciated by exhibitors. Their ability to manage appointments and to prepare effectively for their meetings with buyers at the exhibition is a key benefit of the system and extremely important in ensuring that time and investment are maximized. Every year the IMEX website attracts over 70,000 visitors in the final three months leading up to opening and generates around 50,000 online appointments.
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Heather Gough, Sales Director, IMEX Group |
Once again our technology team has worked hard to make refinements and changes that will allow exhibitors to extract maximum value from every last minute of their time at the show as well as during the vital pre-show marketing period.
Secrets of Cisco virtual sales conference to be revealed
The first ever Meetings for Success webinar on November 5 2009 saw Larry Head, Global Director of Events for Diageo and Debbie Donaldson, Global Development Director of international agency, Grassroots, each discussing how their companies are facing up to their respective challenges in the corporate meetings industry.
In our efforts to support corporate meetings directors and explore how their businesses are evolving meetings and events policy and practice in the face of economic and Boardroom pressures, IMEX is delighted to announce that Angie Smith, Manager, Global Sales Experience at Cisco will be our next Meetings for Success webinar speaker in on 3 March..
Earlier in 2009 Cisco took the unprecedented step of running its Global Sales Conference completely online. The Conference brought together 20,000 participants worldwide using cutting-edge technologies. Angie will discuss the many planning, technical and content issues that this unique event created.
The webinar will be free to all participants and will once again be facilitated by David Kliman, President of the Kliman Group. Recordings will also be made available after the event for those who can’t attend live.
www.imex-frankfurt.com/webinar.html
German Wild Card winners – ancient meets modern
Asisi Visual Culture GmbH and Initiative Meeting Point Trier are now looking forward to exhibiting free of charge on the GCB German Convention Bureau’s stand at IMEX 2010, having each won a place through the German Wild Card Programme.
This programme, which is run by the GCB, will be a valuable opportunity for both companies as they are also newcomers to the meetings and conventions industry. It will give them the chance to present themselves to a high-calibre international trade audience for the first time.
“record number of 31 candidates”
Choosing the winners of the Wild Card for IMEX 2010 was a difficult decision this year. We were happy to have not only a record number of 31 candidates but also that they were of such excellent quality. This goes to show firstly how attractive it is to exhibit at IMEX under the GCB's umbrella, and secondly that the German meetings and conventions industry is a dynamic sector with very high standards.
Wild Card winners must meet certain criteria. Only companies that are based in Germany and focus on events in Germany can enter the competition. In addition, all candidates must be new to the German meetings, incentive travel and events market or offer an innovative new product for conventions and events. In addition they must never have participated in a meetings industry trade fair before.
The portfolio of Berlin-based Asisi Visual Culture GmbH includes two unusual venues: The Panometers in Leipzig and Dresden. These stunningly restored gas silos provide a unique setting for receptions, galas and business functions. They feature the world's largest 360-degree interior panoramas designed by architect and artist Yadegar Asisi.
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Lutz P. Vogt, Managing Director,
GCB |
The city of Trier was founded over 2000 years ago and is Germany's oldest city. Roman Trier, consisting of the Amphitheatre, Barbara Baths, Imperial Baths, Constantine Basilica, Porta Nigra and Roman Bridge plus several other sites has UNESCO World Heritage status. Initiative Meeting Point Trier is a newly founded alliance of six partners who have pooled their resources in a joint marketing concept to promote Trier as a meetings destination.
Windows on the world
‘Windows on the world’ is the theme for this year’s Association Day on 24 May with topics ranging from ‘strategic global planning for associations’, and ‘where to hold your international congresses’ to ‘leveraging conference content online’.
A German session focusing on transparency and measurement will be presented by Mike Iliopoulos of MCI Zurich and delegates will also have over 20 roundtable discussion topics to choose from including how to build relationships with global associations such as UNESCO, WWF and Unicef, whether incentives should be offered to attract or retain members, and how to identify the right conference sponsors and manage their expectations.
The day will conclude with the enormously popular Association Evening event, which will be held for the first time at the Westin Grand Hotel, where association buyer delegates will be joined by exhibitors who are members of the organising trade associations.
www.imex-frankfurt.com/assc-day.html
Meetings Under the Microscope Special Edition
Spotlight on content Contributors' views Content versus logistics
Return on expectations 2010 toolkit 2010 programme highlights
Spotlight on content
IMEX New Vision project, Meetings Under the Microscope, provides a toolkit of meeting support tools to enable meeting planners to support a meeting’s objectives in terms of learning, motivation and networking.
By focusing on the content side of meetings, Meetings Under the Microscope encourages meeting planners to look beyond the hospitality and logistics of a meeting to the substance, and ultimately, the delegate experience - which is crucial to a meeting’s success and return on investment.
The meetings industry is under constant scrutiny to prove the value of meetings and events. Over the past seven years IMEX has successfully focused on the logistical side of meetings, showcasing destinations, their services and suppliers and inspiring planners to deliver the most effective events, on budget and on time.
“a logistically successful event is no longer enough”
However, whilst concentrating on the logistics of an event, many event organisers are guilty of overlooking the heartbeat of an event – the content. A logistically successful event is no longer enough and today’s meeting planners must be more aware than ever of the budgetary balance between hospitality and content.
Meetings Under the Microscope will inspire visitors to IMEX 2010 to implement simple measures to give them a competitive advantage in a fast moving, demanding industry. Numerous seminars will take place on the Professional Development and Innovation Pavilion which will challenge visitors to think about the content of an event when identifying objectives, designing, executing and assessing their meeting.
Highlights include how important graphic facilitation can be in hitting a meeting’s learning objectives – the session will demonstrate how stimulating it can be to have the "minutes" of a meeting in pictures rather than words, provoking different conversation and different thoughts. Jeremy Cassel and Tom Bird from RTP will show delegates how to create an event focused on change and real results by focusing on ‘return on expectations’. The duo will introduce us to the concept of promoting employee confidence to increase productivity and improve communication throughout a team or organisation at a conference. They will also share their views on how to guarantee delivery of tangible and measurable improvements back in the workplace.
The hottest buzzword of the moment is social networking! We will be looking at the various social networking tools available to the planner and providing advice as to how they can be used to promote an event, extend its lifecycle, build momentum and engage with the attendees.
Contributor's views
2009 saw a packed Meetings Under the Microscope seminar line up with speakers including well known industry ‘Meeting Architect’, Maarten Vanneste and professional facilitator, Holger Scholz, both of whom are returning for 2010. As well as those who came to the show to host seminars, many companies endorsed the ‘Meetings Under the Microscope’ initiative by contributing to the hugely popular electronic toolkit which provided practical advice, inspiration and groundbreaking meeting methodologies.
The Meetings Under the Microscope programme for 2010 is bigger and better still. Two of the companies involved are Spotme and RTP, both of whom give their views on meeting content below.
Content versus logistics
Briefing spoke to Spotme CEO, Roger Meier, for his views on the importance of meeting content versus logistics. He said, “Meeting planners need to be conscious of the goals of a meeting. To achieve these goals, both the logistics and the content of the meeting are important. Event ROI can only be measured against these goals and focusing only on the logistics will clearly not lead to the best possible outcome.”
“helping the meeting planner to benchmark their event”
Spotme is an all-in-one communication service for events from 200 to 5,000 participants. Roger supports the beliefs of Meeting Architect, Maarten Vanneste (a fellow Meetings Under the Microscope contributor) that the main goals for events can be formulated around learning, networking and motivation. He says, “Spotme supports these goals in many ways. Spotme also provides a measurement tool that helps the meeting planner to assess and to benchmark their event.”
Roger continues, “It is a positive trend we see today that meeting content matters more and more. The Meetings Under the Microscope initiative at IMEX 2010 will help planners and meeting architects to create more awareness of the importance of looking beyond logistics. Through their events experience, suppliers can also contribute and help meeting planners in their choices for the best tools and the best ways of doing things the ‘right way’.”
Return on expectations
RTP, founded by Jeremy Cassell, is a performance improvement consultancy that works with individuals, teams and organisations to deliver tangible and measurable improvements in business and personal performance. They will be hosting a seminar at IMEX 2010 on the subject of ‘Return on expectations’.
“delivering a return on objectives for all stakeholders is a real differentiator”
Jeremy explains why he believes it is so important for meeting planners to start focusing on meeting content and delegate expectations, “Meeting budget, delivering on logistics – these are almost taken for granted by event owners. What will distinguish the best meeting planners from their competitors in the future will be their ability to deliver an unprecedented service level which will delight the event owner and ensure long term collaborative relationships. Getting the logistics right is a given. Delivering a return on objectives for all stakeholders is a real differentiator.”
RTP delivers meetings and events every week in which the logistics and budget is a given. However they also know how to deliver on what they have coined, ‘Return on Expectation (ROE).’ ROE is different to ROI – it is when you identify clearly and unambiguously the expectations of your client and deliver against them. An example of RTP success is an event they worked on for Siemens this year. Says Jeremy, “We trained both the team and key speakers at The Xpert Center on the Siemens Powergen stand. In Cologne in 2009 the number of appointments went up by 12%, the visitors to the Xpert Center increased by 9% and additional appointments after the exhibition increased by 14%.”
Jeremy sums up his involvement with the Meetings Under the Microscope initiative at IMEX 2010, “I think the Meetings Under the Microscope initiative is a great idea. It demonstrates IMEX is interested in improving industry standards and adding value to the delegate experience. Delegates will be interested in this initiative if they are looking at ways of differentiating themselves and taking their role to the next level.
We are directly involved with events but the focus for us is not on budget and logistics. The focus is on getting under the skin of the event owner, identifying what the key drivers are and then over-delivering so that the participants, managers and sponsor are all delighted with the end results which have been identified clearly. These may include new business won, improved skills or specific changes in behaviour that are supported within the business.”
2010 toolkit
The subject of ‘Meetings Under the Microscope’ is vast, so an ‘electronic toolkit’ is available here www.imex-frankfurt.com/electronictoolkit.html containing researched advice, articles, case studies, flyers and suppliers that fall under this topic.
The meeting experience starts before participants set foot in the destination or venue, so the information in our toolkit has been broken down into three categories: before, during and after the event, offering practical advice, inspiration and groundbreaking meeting methodologies to enable meeting planners to reach their meeting objectives.
2010 programme highlights
Highlights of the 2010 programme include:
New York Times best-seller seminar - Influencer
Influencer is a training concept which draws on the skills of hundreds of successful change agents around the world and combines them with five decades of the best social science research. Based on the New York Times best-selling book ‘Influencer’, this 1.5 hour session will be delivered by Grahame Robb Associates to give participants a coherent and portable model for changing behaviour that can be taken away and applied to any situation. IMEX will also be surveying previous buyers to reveal their biggest workplace challenges so that the workshop’s content can be specifically tailored to the unique requirements of its IMEX participants.
Meetings Mindset
Set to be unveiled at IMEX 2010 Meetings Mindset is a performance improvement programme that uses cutting edge behavioural science to provide meeting delegates with a branded programme of practical tips, tools and techniques to help improve their performance at any meeting they attend.
By focusing on both the emotional as well as behavioural aspects of human behaviour the programme offers a simple step by step model that will help participants create clear objectives as well as acquire the necessary skills to enter the meeting environment in a confident, focused and interactive state. IMEX visitors will be able to use the basic performance model prior to the show and they will also have a chance to share their experience of using it and help create the content of the service as it develops.
Meetings & Conventions 2020
IMEX has partnered with ICCA and Fast Future to deliver a new groundbreaking research study looking at the future of live events, venues and meeting destinations. The study will explore the underlying trends and drivers that could shape the industry over the next decade and will drive a series of seminars and workshops at IMEX 2010.
Says Carina Bauer, IMEX Group CEO: “Launching this new research initiative in 2010 gives us the perfect opportunity to look at least 10 years ahead to 2020 and continue to focus on different aspects of our changing environment. Fast Future CEO Rohit Talwar will use his keynote session at IMEX to present the findings of a report on the ‘Future Meeting Experience’. Delegates at workshops taking place around the exhibition will also be in a unique position to contribute to the third phase of the research to be presented later in the year. We are always pleased to contribute to industry thought-leadership by creating or supporting fresh, relevant initiatives such as these.”
See the full programme at www.imex-frankfurt.com/eventsandseminars.php
