Make a date in your diary for IMEX, Frankfurt โ bringing global suppliers and industry professionals together for a series of seminars and workshops, along with an exhibition featuring the biggest brands in the MICE sector.
Taking place on May 21-23, 2019 in Frankfurt, the show is free of charge and open to anyone working within the meetings, events and incentive travel industry.
With 3,500 exhibitors from over 150 countries, buyers can get stuck into some serious business.
New exhibitors confirmed so far include Mallorca Tourist Board, Associated Luxury Hotels, the Faroe Islands, Pacific World Congresses & Exhibitions and Nobu Hotels.
Jordan Tourism Board, Hilton International, Evintra, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Azerbaijan and H-Hotels are among the exhibitors who have an increased presence at the show this year.
Exhibitor announcements
New Leonardo hotel openings in Frankfurt and Zurich, the launch of a new tall ship for Sea Cloud Cruises, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centreโs Economic Impact Study results, Peninsula Hotelsโ new Global Art Programme plus the launch of new exclusive experiences for Eurostar clients are just a few of the updates buyers will hear when talking business with exhibitors. More than 10 organisations also plan to make news announcements during IMEX including: SITE, Airport Authority Hong Kong, European Cities Marketing and Thailand.
New Discovery Zone โ powered by imagination
Imagination is IMEXโs Talking Point for this year and the theme informs content throughout the show, bringing with it a range of exciting new experiences, exhibitors and educational events. Imagination powers the showโs new Discovery Zone, which is set to showcase the latest in experiential concepts and event technology. This specially curated area will be packed with education and experiences to fire up the imagination of event planners and exhibitors alike, helping them to question the conventional and explore fresh approaches.
A talking robot, holographic show and 360 degree photography booth plus an interactive art mural are among some of the surprises in store. Attendees can explore the great outdoors while dining indoors at the showโs food court, they can also kick back with table football, table tennis and other games for some purposeful rest and relaxation.ย
EduMonday launches with keynote
Learning opportunities are core to IMEX in Frankfurt, beginning with EduMonday, an afternoon of free professional education taking place the day before the show on Monday 20 May. Anne Kjaer Riechert, Co-founder & Managing Director of ReDI School of Digital Integration, launches EduMondaywith her keynote at She Means Business, a conference created in partnership with tw tagungswirtschaft. After this attendees can stay and be part of She Means Business, celebrating the role of women in the events industry or mix and match from a programme of 20 general sessions designed around professional or personal development.
For the first time, MPI (Meeting Professionals International, Strategic Partners to IMEX America) will also be offeringย high level education sessions during EduMonday: event marketing; risk management and inclusivity.
Erwin Steijlen, who was a huge hit at MPIโs recent European Meetings and Events Conference (EMEC) with also bring his show-stopping presentation on โThe Power of Musicโ to IMEX.
Event professionals from all sectors and all levels can explore topics and trends via a number of dedicated events during EduMonday, all specifically curated for various audiences. Association professionals from around the world are invited toย Association Day &ย Evening, to share best practice and connect with peers. ASAE, ICCA and MCI have all collaborated with IMEX to create a topical and interactive programme, delivering three Learning Labs covering Leadership, Imagination and Knowledge.
Theย Agency Directors Forumis a strategic exchange for small to mid-size meetings and events agencies focusing onย People & Talent Management,ย Keeping your Leadership Skills Smart,ย Technology for your Businessandย Diversity, Collaboration, Transformation. Thereโs also education and networking exclusively for corporate/in-house meeting and event executives atย Exclusively Corporatewhich includes speakers fromย the International Olympic Committee, Barclays, Cisco, Microsoft and KPMG.
Young planners learn โhow to put the roar into their careerโ
Young professionals will learn โhow to put the roar into their careerโin Living life with a purpose, a session thatโs part of Rising Talent, personal development education designed for planners under 35 years. Other sessions focus on how to develop leadership qualities, networking and career advancement strategies, and also The impact of associations and their conferences on destinations detailing the importance of legacy.
Explore social learning, food waste & emotional engagement
With over 250 complimentary learning sessionsin both English and German taking place on EduMonday and throughout the three days of the show, thereโs no shortage of opportunities to update industry knowledge and contacts. Sessions focus on hot topics and are designed across 10 tracks, including business skills, creative learning, research and trends, sustainability and health and wellbeing.
New for this year is the Red Lab where experts from outside the events sector will deliver fresh and imaginative perspectives in sessions such as Social learning: Connect. Share. Learn from game-based learning platform and What a waste! Finding solutions for world problems using co-creation โ a session delivered by Laure Berment fromToo Good To Go, the world’s number one app for fighting food waste.
The importance of mindfulness in talent management will be presented by Jan Esswein, one-time monk and now Germany’s most widely-read author on the subject of mindfulness. Emotional engagement in event design is explored by experts including James Morgan, Founder of Event Tech Lab. Thereโs also a brand new Event Innovation Lab, by EventManagerblog.com โ an immersive event planning training workshop aimed at high-performance agencies and corporate event teams.
โIMEX in Frankfurt is truly a global gathering of the MICE industry โ bringing together 14,000 senior industry professionals each May to meet, do business and advance the sector,โ said Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group.
โThe show is a melting pot of ideas, connections and shared experiences that can only happen when meeting face to face. IMEX constantly seeks to innovate and deliver fresh and surprising content at each show โ and this yearโs IMEX in Frankfurt is no exception.โ
Registrationfor the show is free of charge and open to all who work in the meetings, events and incentive travel industry. EduMonday, 20 May, is available to all industry professionals who attend IMEX.
