AIME 2017
AIME 2017
Celebration of an evolving industry
The Asia-Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo ( AIME ) has always been the event industry ’ s largest celebration , but this year even more so . AIME is celebrating its 25 th anniversary in 2017 – that ’ s a quarter of a century of bringing the meetings and events industry together under one roof in Melbourne .
AIME began life as the Melbourne Meeting Mart back in 1983 , thanks to the vision and tenacity of Sue Calwell , the former head of the Melbourne Convention Bureau ( MCB ), who saw the need to unite the fledgling meetings industry and promote Melbourne and Victoria as Australia ’ s meetings capital . The show went global in 1991 with the rebrand to the Asia-Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo .
The only thing that has changed is the scope and scale , with the first event attracting around 30 suppliers and 100 visitors . This year a community of over 4600 event professionals are heading to the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre to immerse themselves across the two-day program , which includes competitions , international participation , diversity of exhibitors and exciting networking functions .
Karen Bolinger , chief executive officer of the MCB , says that the show has never been afraid of change .
“ I think that is the beauty of having a show like this , you can evolve it with the times ,” she says . The evolution this year includes an expanded and more immersive Hosted Buyer program and Melbourne Edge Event Series , a new engaging education forum for Hosted Buyers exploring the future of the global business events industry , its changing trends , technology and people .
Leading the show for the second year , Ian Wainwright , event director of AIME , Reed Travel Exhibitions , says this year ’ s AIME will reflect on the industry ’ s past ; the people , the places and the events that changed and shaped the industry into what it is today .
“ Whilst also looking at the future of the industry ; the up and coming leaders , the new technologies , the new event styles and forms of global collaboration ,” he says . “ There is going to be so much to see and do and I look forward to welcoming the industry to AIME in February !”
This year over 500 exhibitors will fill the show floor , the Knowledge Program will return with an all new line up of Saxton speakers , a series of new city experiences have been designed for Hosted Buyers to explore Melbourne , and the highly anticipated Welcome Event hosted by the MCB will be back .
The industry has evolved since those early years and so too has the event that represents it .
“ The last two years have been abut that disruptive approach to doing business and what that effect that has not just on AIME but any kind of trade show ,” says Bolinger . “ It may have an effect on how we deliver content and engage people but people still want to speak face to face . That is something that will never go away .”
26 Convention & Incentive Marketing , Issue 1 , 2017 www . cimmagazine . com