THE Imex Group, organisers of two global trade shows for the meetings, incentive travel and events industry, has announced a number of new association partnerships together with several added-value developments to existing agreements.
Two new awards have been added to the roster being presented at Imex’s annual gala dinner, which will be held next month in Frankfurt, Germany.A new ‘Destination Marketing Award’ will be presented by Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) in recognition of a successful marketing or branding campaign undertaken by a single destination. The award comes at a time when many destinations are powering ahead with the use of social media and advanced marketing techniques to differentiate their product offerings.In addition, a new International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) International Excellence Award will recognise an individual or organisation who has made “exceptional strides in creating, launching and managing an international event in the exhibitions and events industry” over the past year.GERMAN ASSOCIATION PARTNERS
As part of Imex’s long-term business strategy the company is starting to offer more tailored professional education to special interest groups in the German meetings and events sector. A new partnership with the German Association of Scientific Medical Societies (AWMF) sees the trade body co-locating a tax seminar on the morning of Imex Association Day in Frankfurt to allow its members to attend the Association Day event in the afternoon as well as the evening networking reception.
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Continued, rapid expansion in the Asian meetings market in recent years has given rise to several new industry associations in the region as well as growth in the number of hosted buyers attending the Imex shows. The Philippines Council for the Advancement of Association Executives is one such association currently exploring ways of working together and, as a significant first step, its Executive Director will pay a formal visit to Imex in Frankfurt in May.
NEW RESEARCH LINKS
During the year Imex will also be collaborating with the International Association of Conference Centres (IACC) and Development Counsellors International (DCI) on a research study about generational differences in the meetings market. Results are set to be announced at Imex in Frankfurt in May.
CO-LOCATED BOARD MEETING
The International Special Events Society has elected to co-locate its 2014 board meeting with Imex America in Las Vegas in October for the first time. The society’s members collectively plan and deliver over one million events annually and represent a powerful group of buyers within the US events market.
NEW PRE-SHOW CONCIERGE SERVICE
A new pre-show concierge service to help first-time hosted buyers get the most from their attendance at Imex in Frankfurt is being launched. The service is one of several new ideas being introduced to increase business and networking value for buyers. Each new buyer will receive a telephone call from the Imex concierge team giving them the opportunity to ask questions relating to travel, appointments with exhibitors, the education programme or other subjects. Imex Group CEO Carina Bauer says: “This new service typifies our market approach and our company values: high standards of customer service and a desire to ensure that both buyers and exhibitors receive excellent ‘return on attendance’. This service complements the live webinars we already offer to exhibitors which, in turn, help them maximise their business return from the show.”Imex in Frankfurt opens on May 20 at Messe Frankfurt. Association Day and Exclusively Corporate @Imex both take place on May 19. Online registration is open.