(Pictured L-R: IMEX Group Chairman Ray Bloom and CEO Carina Bauer)
“This has been an outstanding week of business, learning and experiences to stir the imagination” says Ray Bloom, chairman of the IMEX Group, as IMEX in Frankfurt 2019 came to a close. “The spectacular destinations and venues, the investment in sensational, creative stand designs and the great energy in the hall have created an inspiring environment to do business and to learn; and from all the business being done, there is evidently a strong, positive, forward-looking mood at the show and optimism around the industry.”
This growing confidence was also reflected by the high level of engagement between exhibitors and buyers at the show. Close to 70,000 individual and group appointments were made with 72 percent having a mini RFP attached.
For Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group, the experiences in the new Discovery Zone, the fresh ideas in the Red Lab and the new technology have stood out. “Imagination, the IMEX Talking Point for this year, is the force behind these ideas and behind the concepts in the Discovery Zone like the holographic show and the 360 degree photography booth which are truly mind-stretching experiences,” Bauer says. “What’s more, sitting on live grass in our Central Park with the sound of birdsong nearby is a wonderful experience, a tranquil moment away from a busy, buzzing show floor nearby.”
Collaborative waste reduction was one of the sessions in The Red Lab. This typifies the ideas challenging the industry to think about how it operates and give everyone fresh perspectives on key topics such as sustainability, a keystone of the IMEX Talking Point.
The IMEX Policy Forum continues to increase understanding and engagement between the political world and the business event industry. This year 35 political representative and policy makers from national and regional government organizations worldwide were among more than 130 participants who learnt from keynote speaker Dr. Julie Grail how to put place-making plans into action and shared experiences of how business events can act as a catalyst in developing inspiring locations.
EduMonday has developed into a day packed with high-quality free education for everyone including several specialist groups. Open to all, 1,100 people including many exhibitors are now taking advantage of this opportunity for professional development.
Exclusively Corporate brought together more than 120 senior corporate event planners from companies such as Allianz, Amazon, Bayer, Estee Lauder, Mastercard, Nestle Purina, Nokia and PepsiCo to exchange insights and hear fascinating keynote speakers from the International Olympic Committee, Barclays, Cisco, Microsoft and KPMG.
Throughout the week more than 250 education sessions covered a vast range of engaging topics in a variety of formats.
The annual 5K IMEXrun was a great success. This was one of the many events including Association Evening, SITE Nite, cim-clubbing (supporting the MPI Foundation) and the IMEX Gala Dinner that brought the industry together.
Collaboration is a key element of the IMEX Talking Point and IMEX Group CEO Bauer highlighted how it has once again contributed significantly to IMEX in Frankfurt. “From the many specially created activities on EduMonday and the learning sessions in the Inspiration Hub to the Discovery Zone and the operations of the whole event, our partners have played a crucial collaborative role in creating such an engaging show,” Bauer says. “Collaboration, diversity and sustainability—all elements of the Imagination Talking Point—have come to life and been put into practice at IMEX this year.”
The dates for IMEX in Frankfurt 2020 will be May 12-14, avoiding a clash with newly changed dates of another industry event. IMEX, Messe Frankfurt and Frankfurt hotel partners have collaborated swiftly to arrange this for the benefit of exhibitors and buyers.
“This has been an exceptionally successful and enjoyable week and we’re looking forward to meeting everyone at IMEX America, this year in September, and here again next year in May,” Bloom adds.
IMEX America 2019 will be held Sept. 10-12 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center at The Venetian and The Palazzo in Las Vegas, preceded by Smart Monday, powered by MPI on Sept. 9. For more info, visit www.imexamerica.com.
