Latest News
HomeMICE IndustryBusiness TravelPoliticians learn how to attract more meetings business at IMEX Politicians Forum
13th IMEX Politicians Forum

Politicians learn how to attract more meetings business at IMEX Politicians Forum

A unique annual event in the meetings industry calendar, this year’s Forum gave politicians an essential insight and appreciation of how the benefits from meetings and events go well beyond valuable tourism revenue.

“How Do I Attract More Meetings and Events to My Destination?” was the engaging theme that drew more than 120 participants including ministers, senior government representatives, policy makers and meetings industry leaders representing 34 destinations to the 13th IMEX Politicians Forum on Tuesday 19th May 2015.

Among the many distinguished delegates who gathered at the Villa Kennedy Hotel in Frankfurt were politicians from Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Namibia, Netherlands, Poland, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Serbia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovak Republic and South Africa.

A unique annual event in the meetings industry calendar, this year’s Forum gave politicians an essential insight and appreciation of how the benefits from meetings and events go well beyond valuable tourism revenue. It showed that by reaching also into the fields of science, technology, education and regional commerce, the benefits are wide ranging and broadly integral to the economic development of a country, region or city.

In particular, through expert contributions and by exchanging knowledge and best practice on strategies, the politicians and industry leaders addressed what is needed to develop a destination brand for meetings and ensure they are in the best position to identify, bid for and win business events that align with their government priorities.

The full day programme began with a VIP Guided Tour of the exhibition prior to attending the Opening Ceremony where the politicians heard one of the world’s foremost business leaders, Bill McDermott, CEO of SAP, the world’s largest business software company, deliver the keynote speech. Bill is a passionate advocate of the value and effectiveness of meetings as a means to drive business growth and profit. The politicians then had a further chance to visit the IMEX exhibition and their national pavilions.

The afternoon sessions at the Villa Kennedy Hotel started with two Global Exchange of Best Practice sessions focussed on national and local level strategies before the Politicians Forum where all the politicians and industry leaders came together for a debate on how to build a brand identity, breaking down the barriers to growth and maximising the economic and social dividends that derive from events.

One of the many leading politicians who took part in the Forum was the Hon. Deputy Minister Ms Tokozile Xasa, National Department of Tourism, South Africa. Reflecting on the Forum, she said: “The opening ceremony was truly inspirational and Bill McDermott was very impressive. This has been very enriching for us and the discussions have been extremely interesting. We are learning how to deal with the challenges from those with more experience in this industry. I’ve appreciated how critical is the role of government in helping businesses to operate in this market. It has been good to gain insights from the private sector and understand how collaboration between government and business is essential. Overall, this has been a very good learning experience.”

Hon. Ms Ragnheidur Elin Arnadottir, Minister of Industry and Commerce for Iceland commented: “Today has been very informative. There has been a strong sense of cohesion through the whole forum. The main point that I have taken from today is that, to make the most of meetings business opportunities, it is very important to have good co-operation between several ministries within government and I’m pleased to find that we are on the right track.

“I’ve also realised the real extent of the opportunities to be developed in the area of innovation and tech-transfer, and how they can benefit the local economy. With expertise in, for instance, geo–thermal technology and the Arctic, these are two areas in which we could build more conference and meetings business.

“I’ve been impressed by the meetings industry, how well organised and structured it is, and the IMEX trade show is remarkable. I’ve been to many trade shows over the years, particularly in America, and this is one of the most impressive I’ve seen.”

Ray Bloom, Chairman of the IMEX Group commented: “It is a powerful compliment to the high standing of the IMEX Politicians Forum that so many prominent senior politicians have come from all over the world to take part. It also highlights the evolving role of the meetings industry in economies, with more governments bringing the development of their meetings industries under the umbrella of Economic Development. Most importantly, it reveals the vast potential for the benefits to be greater still if government and industry co-operate fully, co-ordinate efforts and invest in further development. The level of debate, engagement and the superb feedback from today have been very impressive and indicate that our efforts to raise awareness at the highest level of the benefits of the meetings industry are achieving a positive impact.”

Event Technology Startup Competition

The most innovative technology startups for the events sector were showcased at the Event Technology Startup Competition at IMEX in Frankfurt. The tech startup competition was launched at IMEX America last year and took place for the first time at IMEX in Frankfurt yesterday. The competition, organised in cooperation with the Event Manager Blog, supports budding tech companies who develop innovative solutions and services for the meetings industry.

Ten companies were shortlisted and went head to head in the final of the competition in a fast-paced pitch presentation, called #IMEXpitch, which took place at the Inspiration Hub.

At the #IMEXpitch, the shortlisted startups were judged on their two minute pitch to the expert judging panel, designed to introduce each product, explain the concept and convince the judges that they should be the winner.

The judging panel and audience voted InitLive the winner. A software company from Ottawa, Canada, InitLive has developed an all-in-one software solution for event staff and volunteer management on mobile devices. The organisation was awarded the opportunity to exhibit at IMEX in Frankfurt 2016 with a free space on the Tech Pavilion.

The company will also receive extended exposure through the Event Manager Blog and via IMEX’s publications and online presence. In second place was VenueTour, which offers virtual 360 degree tours for exhibition centres and locations and third was SponsormyEvent offering a sponsoring management software solution bringing potential sponsors and event managers together.


The Event Technology Startup Competition celebrate with the winner.

Miguel Neves, Senior Online Community Manager, IMEX Group explains: “We had 10 fantastic shortlisted entries and it was tough to select the best one. As part of the panel of judges it has been exciting to discover some really innovative solutions that many event professionals will find interesting and we’re confident they will make their mark on the industry.”

Alyssa Bignell, proud winner and sales director at InitLive, adds: “We‘re very proud to have won, particularly as we only launched our company a few months ago. We are planning to have our software ready for the European market this summer and look forward to showcasing our product to event managers in Europe at IMEX next year.”

For 2016 only, IMEX will be held in April from 19 -21 April 2016.

Photo caption: Discussion at Politicians Forum.

News Editor - TravelDailyNews Media Network | + Posts

Tatiana is the news coordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes monitoring the hundreds of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skimming the most important according to our strategy.

She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.

Tags
29/03/2024
28/03/2024
27/03/2024
26/03/2024
25/03/2024
22/03/2024