The 15th edition of IMEX, which runs in Frankfurt until 18 May, is billed as the largest ever.
“At IMEX our aim is to help the industry make valuable connections and build powerful working relationships. With 3,500 companies exhibiting from over 150 countries, and a packed schedule of education and social events, there are plenty of opportunities to make fresh connections and to do a lot of business over the next three days,” said Ray Bloom, chairman of the IMEX Group at the show’s opening ceremony, 16 May.
Bloom also observed that “IMEX always provides revealing insights into the industry’s prevailing mood – and that resilience and forward-looking attitude is clearly evident here this week, with growth from both new and existing exhibitors adding up to the largest ever IMEX.”
The new exhibitors boosting the opportunities for buyers to make new business connections include Moldova Tourism, Meet Puerto Rico, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kyoto Convention Bureau, Jeju Province, and many new technology suppliers.
Helping to create the largest ever show, exhibitors who have chosen to take more space include Tourism New Zealand, Shanghai, Korea, London & Partners, Spain, Rocco Forte Hotels, Guatemala, Panama, Uruguay and NYC.
There are also more education sessions than ever before, with over 250 to match every need.
This year’s major innovation is EduMonday (15 May), a full day of learning opportunities in both English and German providing insights into event design, future trends and hot new technologies.
The education continues throughout the show at the Inspiration Hub on the show floor, with experts exploring 10 different tracks. CMP/CEU and ILEA credits can also be accrued at more than 70% of sessions.
This year a ‘talking point’, Purposeful Meetings, is running throughout the show and the whole year. As part of the education programme, Janet Sperstad of Madison College, USA will be delivering a keynote on Wednesday (17 May) and will reveal the initial findings of a major piece of events industry research.
