As part of a long-term development strategy, all twelve of IMEX’s campaigning ‘New Vision’ initiatives have undergone a detailed review over the…
As part of a long-term development strategy, all twelve of IMEX’s campaigning ‘New Vision’ initiatives have undergone a detailed review over the summer in preparation for the doors opening on the exhibition at Messe Frankfurt on May 30th 2006.
The IMEX New Vision initiative was launched in 2001 with the aim of generating grassroots change within the global incentive travel, meetings and events industry. The New Vision platform allows IMEX and its industry partners to challenge traditional thinking and also to inspire new ideas and focus on the future.
As a result IMEX has become a source of trusted expertise and advice on a number of important issues facing the industry such as environmental management, corporate social responsibility, professional education, fast-tracking young achievers and the growing economic importance of cross-cultural training.
Future Leaders
The IMEX and MPI Future Leaders’ Forum (Europe) takes place on June 1st and will host 150 meetings and incentive travel industry students for a dedicated day of professional education and careers coaching. 30 of these will be flown in having already attended the MPI PEC in Davos, Switzerland. With additional Forums taking place annually in Asia and North America, IMEX has now given over 700 students a critical career advantage since the scheme began. This year’s speaker presentations will be made by a first-class line-up including Pat Durocher, Managing Director of HelmsBriscoe International, Michael Gates of Richard Lewis Communications and Jurraien Sleijester of the MCI Group.
Women’s Forum
The IFWTO (International Federation of Women’s Travel Organisations) will again partner IMEX to deliver an interactive debate about the changing roles of women in the global travel industry. Mary Casey, Vice President, Strategic Account Management, Starwood Hotels and Resorts and Mary Power of the CIC will lead the panel discussion which will look at the differences in how we communicate in different settings, within different cultures and within gender lines.
Politicians’ Forum
The Politician’s Forum will again welcome up to 20 politicians from all over Europe, many of them representing new EU countries and cities with rapidly developing conference markets. All the JMIC (Joint Meetings Industry Council) members will be represented.
This Forum meets twice a year to maintain momentum and to ensure complete topicality. Case studies and debate for 2006 will concentrate on the need to understand more fully the ‘true’ value of the meetings and conferences sector to local communities. In an exciting development for next year, benchmarking case studies from large and small cities will be provided so that politicians can evaluate the effectiveness of their own cities in hosting international meetings.
Corporate Responsibility Centre
The Green Meetings Industry Council will partner with IMEX in 2006 to run the dedicated Corporate Responsibility Centre. The Centre will offer visitors an array of information on how to devise, run and measure corporate responsibility programmes. It will include recent case studies detailing industry best practice and will also highlight some of the pitfalls and obstacles that companies can encounter. Experts will be on hand to offer personal advice and a dedicated seminar on the subject will take place on Wednesday 31st May. For the first time IMEX will be off-setting its staff’s carbon emissions for travel to the show and during the year.
At the end of 2005 IMEX consolidated it environmental activity by renaming its industry awards the IMEX ‘Green Awards’ and also launching a new ‘Green Exhibitor’ Award. These 3 innovative awards which focus on corporate responsibility best practice will be awarded at the show’s gala dinner.
Professional Development Pavilion
For the first time the Convention Industry Council (CIC) will be sponsoring the Professional Development Pavilion adding its significant expertise as a resource for visitors. Mary Power, President of the CIC said, “The CIC developed the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) certification to enhance the knowledge and performance of the meeting profession, promote the status and creditability of the professionals involved and to advance uniform standards of the practice. The Pavilion is a natural extension of this effort as it strives to serve global participants.” By bringing information and experts from the world’s leading educational establishments together for three days, students and professionals are able to compare and contrast many of the degrees and qualifications on offer. This resource centre acts as a one-stop shop for any visitor interested in building their career through further education and advanced certification.
Pampering Zone
Leading Hotels of the World will be sponsoring a welcome break for visitors in the form of a Pampering Zone at Messe Frankfurt. The Pampering Zone will offer massages, makeovers and goody bags to tempt visitors off the floor for some expert rejuvenation. Says Thorsten Meier, Managing Director, Leading Group Sales, “We are extremely proud to partner with IMEX Pampering Zone and our Spa experts from our member Hotel Nassauer Hof Wiesbaden will show you the Leading Spa style through stress relief massages, make-up refresh and fitness machines to name just a few initiatives.”
As in previous years, the Wild Card Pavilion will showcase four brand new destinations: Libya, Ardenne Bleue (Belgium), Asuncion (Paraguay) and Georgia, while the ‘Tech Tap’ technology area will bring many of the industry’s latest technology innovations to life. Maarten Vanneste of Abbit Meeting Support and the Meeting Support Institute, both IMEX technology partners, explained the benefits for such companies attending the exhibition, “Our business grew by 85% in 2005 – 75% of that growth was new business of which almost half came through IMEX. Tradeshows help build relations and if people see you a few times at IMEX, trust grows and business in this industry is based on relations and trust.”
Other New Vision initiatives which will be featured at IMEX 2006 include a focus on cross-cultural skills, the German marketing clinic run by the Travel Marketing Factory and an amalgamation of IMEX’s key research findings through the Global Data Exchange. Education seminars, which are certified for CMP points, will be run daily by the leading trade associations and the prestigious IMEX Academy Awards will be presented to up to 5 leading industry figures at the show’s dazzling Gala Dinner.
Says Ray Bloom, IMEX Chairman, “The New Vision campaign now delivers huge additional value for visitors and exhibitors who benefit from the powerful draw it provides. IMEX is now well known, not only for provoking debate, but also for following through on issues to make sure that concrete changes take place. For us and our partners in these initiatives, New Vision represents a chance to influence lasting changes that we hope reach deep into many parts of the industry and across all corners of the globe.”
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
