Jane Evans, Chief Executive, Meetings Industry Association (MIA) has heralded AIM (Accredited in Meetings) as “the most significant industry development in a decade” and is calling for the entire meetings industry to embrace and support the new scheme.”

“AIM was created for the meetings industry and everyone needs to get behind it; this way buyers have a clear and credible system to procure meeting and event space,” commented Evans.

AIM will provide the meetings industry and its buyers with a long awaited, universally recognised indicator of quality for meetings space and services. Its inception presents new opportunity for venues to differentiate themselves from their competition in terms of quality standards.

The MIA is also embarking on a major advertising and marketing campaign to promote the new accreditation directly to buyers. The nationally focused campaign will contribute to the widespread distribution of AIM throughout the UK.

Already some organisations have bought into the new accreditation; The Mersey Partnership declaring that all entrants for its 2007 Business Tourism Awards are either accredited or working towards accreditation with AIM through the MIA.