When IMEX opens on April 22nd in Frankfurt, the award-winning trade show will offer visitors and exhibitors its largest ever professional education programme.  With almost 60 different workshops, seminars and forums taking place over four days in English and German, the exhibition provides a wide choice of informative and highly topical professional development opportunities for meetings professionals of all levels.

Highlights of the 2008 seminar programme include "Storm Clouds or Silver Linings" on Tuesday 22nd April. This trend-centred debate, organised jointly by AIPC (International Association of Congress Centres) and ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) will bring together senior international experts from both association and corporate disciplines to provide a cross-sector, multicultural perspective on the industry's future.  Participating in an IMEX seminar for the first time will be US association, the PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association). PCMA President and CEO, Deborah Sexton, will be joined by Bruce Macmillan, President and CEO of MPI (Meeting Professionals International),  Geoff Donaghy, AIPC Vice President and Group Director Convention Centres AEG Ogden, and Jurraien Sleijster, Executive Vice President of MCI and Board Member of ICCA. Rod Cameron, President of Criterion Communications, will moderate.

Environmental education highlights include "Implementing Sustainability", which will present a  case study of the MPI European Meetings and Events Conference 2008 and offer advice on applying the new BS8901 sustainable event standard. In addition, "Staying Green in a Brown Situation" from IMEX partner, the Green Meeting Industry Council will offer practical tips on delivering a green event, even when plans go wrong. Other sessions set to have strong appeal come from IMEX cross-cultural partner, Richard Lewis Communications, who will present "Vital factors in doing business with Middle Eastern countries". The German Convention Bureau (GCB) will present a total of 15 German-language and one English seminar, including new sessions for German association buyers on Tuesday 22nd April.

IMEX Research partner, Travel Marketing Factory (TMF), will again provide an annual research report on trends in the German-speaking outbound market, incorporating for the first time the impact of CSR on the planning of events. TMF will also offer 15-minute lunchtime marketing sessions to exhibitors interested in best practice tips.

The Professional Development Pavilion, again sponsored by the Convention Industry Council, will provide an educational centerpiece throughout the show. The Pavilion will host 16 different drop-in educational events over three days, including "I'll never forget whathisname" by writer and author, Tony Carey and "Future trends and challenges" by CEO of Fast Future, internationally-renowned Rohit Talwar. The Pavilion also provides a wealth of information on professional development courses and qualifications from a range of industry suppliers.

The busy educational programme is enhanced by a range of Forums and association education starting on the weekend prior to IMEX including the ICCA Association Expert Seminar, AIPC Sales & Marketing Summit, IMEX Association Day and Evening; plus the Politicians Forum and Future Leaders Forum.