IMEX
The business and power of
placemaking
IMEX Frankfurt exhibition gets the business sense of ‘place’
his year’s IMEX Policy
Forum is putting the
issue of city development
to the fore on the first
day of the Frankfurt exhibition, 21
May.
The expert speaker line-up for 2019
includes cities advisor, Professor Greg
Clark CBE; partnership and place
management expert, Dr Julie Grail
and business journalist and media
advisor Ursula Errington. Policy
makers from national and regional
governments worldwide will also be
at the Forum to explore The Business
of Placemaking with leading business
events industry professionals.
According to the Global Economic
Significance of Business Events, the
first ever worldwide study from the
Events Industry Council (EIC) and
conducted by Oxford Economics, the
direct spend of the meeting and event
industry worldwide in 2017 was more
than US$1.03 trillion, matching the
consumer electronics sector in size.
Invited ministers and senior
political representatives will take part
in a national government discussion
at the Forum in collaboration with
the United Nations World Tourism
Organisation (UNWTO) chaired by
Martin Sirk, former CEO of ICCA.
Urban placemaking
The Business of Placemaking will
be under the spotlight when the
keynote speech is presented by Dr
Grail, a special adviser on Business
Improvement Districts at the Institute
of Place Management at Manchester
Metropolitan University, UK.
New for IMEX this year, the
interactive Leadership Discussion
w w w.exhibitionworld.co.uk
will feature an invited panel
who will present case studies
from the perspective of political,
urban planning and destinations
stakeholders who have all played
influential roles in placemaking
success stories. The discussion will be
moderated by business journalist and
media advisor Ursula Errington.
Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX
Group, commented: “Placemaking
is a concept that’s long been
understood and embraced by some
city planners and developers alike
but now the meetings and events
industry understands the power and
importance of being part of these
conversations. This year’s agenda
reflects what feels like a tipping point:
a recognition that the business events
industry can - and should - speak
up to influence any city planning or
placemaking decisions.”
The Policy Forum is organised
under the auspices of the Joint
Meetings Industry Council (JMIC).
And the speaker line-up for the
main exhibition also includes a
former monk, a game developer and
There is a
recognition
that business
events can and
should speak
up to influence
city planning
or placemaking
decisions
a self-confessed ‘tech geek’.
The importance of mindfulness in
talent management will be explored
in a session by Jan Esswein, one-time
monk and now popular author on the
subject of mindfulness.
Executive coach Melissa Lamson
will pass on the best practice and
communication models she has
shared with global heavyweights
including 3M, LinkedIn, SAP, and
Siemens in her session, ‘Industry best
practices on how to be an inclusive
leader’.
Emotional engagement in event
design will also be explored by
experts including James Morgan,
Founder of Event Tech Lab. Morgan
will discuss the role and importance
of activating emotions through good
event design in his session, ‘Emotional
triggers, attendee participation and
positive memories’.
Separately, research by Cvent will
help planners to get inside the mind
of the event attendee, with data
detailing not only the differences each
region faces, but also the differences
in generational needs and some
unexpected networking traits.
Also new for this year is the Red
Lab where experts from outside
the events sector will deliver fresh
perspectives.
There will also be a session from
Laure Berment from Too Good To Go,
an app for fighting food waste.
There are over 250 complimentary
learning sessions in both English and
German taking place throughout the
three days of IMEX Frankfurt.
Full programme details, visit: https://
www.imex-frankfurt.com/policy.
Issue 2 2019
19