"Exclusively Corporate @ IMEX" uses the Association Day as its model to allow corporate buyers to attend the award-winning trade show whilst also taking part in expertly facilitated education and networking.
This year’s edition of IMEX, scheduled to be held in Frankfurt from 21-23 May, will see the launch of a new education and networking event designed specifically for corporate meeting planners and senior corporate executives. The pre-show event is attracting considerable interest with over 50 buyers expected to take part and participants from Amway, Estee Lauder, Johnson & Johnson and Merck & amp; Co already confirmed. Attendance at the new event is open to both hosted buyers and visitors from the corporate sector.
IMEX has offered special events for corporate buyers in the past but, using its experience from the successful Association Day programme combined with focus group research, the company has developed this brand new format. "Exclusively Corporate @ IMEX" uses the Association Day as its model to allow corporate buyers to attend the award-winning trade show whilst also taking part in expertly facilitated education and networking.
The Exclusively Corporate educational programme officially begins at midday on Monday 20 May – the day before the trade show opens – with a networking lunch. This will be followed by a mix of general sessions, open space discussions, and case studies.
The post-lunch general session will feature three short TED-Style presentations from senior corporate executives, followed by facilitated discussion with the audience. Leading the panel will be Des Duggan, manager of training and education at IBM, and Meredith Smith, director of travel and meetings Asia Pacific and Japan for Merck & Co. Thereafter the group will split, with senior executives joining a four-hour facilitated discussion and benchmarking programme, led by Terri Breining and Kimberly Meyer, who also facilitate the IMEX America Executive Meetings Forum.
Meanwhile corporate meeting planners will take part in two consecutive sessions. First, Steph Pfeilsticker, virtual strategy manager of event planning and field recognition at Thrivent Financial will present her peer-led case study: "Hybrid Meetings and the Art of Career Development." Second, Alise Long, corporate events and meetings manager at DSM will reveal how her company launched a new corporate branding and strategy to its 25,000 strong global workforce over 149 events within 48 hours. This session will be facilitated by Roger Long, owner and founder of Blue Ox Consulting.
The day is rounded off with a high-energy open space session, where participants choose the discussion topics during the course of the day.
The new event programme has been carefully designed to fit around the work commitments of its corporate audience. Participants are being flown into Frankfurt on Sunday evening for a networking dinner sponsored by Fairmont, Raffles, Swissotel. They will stay at the prestigious Villa Kennedy Hotel where Monday morning has been left free for them to catch up on work, do Frankfurt city tours, site visits, or undertake business meetings before education and networking begin at midday.
At the close of Monday, the group will be invited to attend the annual SiteNite Europe reception or be otherwise entertained. All of the corporate executives will stay on for the IMEX trade show on Tuesday 21 May with long-haul participants attending the show until Thursday 23 May.
Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group, commented: "We know that the needs of corporate meeting executives are very different to those of other planners attending the show. This new programme is designed to address their need for a private environment in which to learn from each other through case studies and open dialogue. The sessions are intended to be very interactive and provoke forward-thinking discussions with actionable strategies for them to take back to the office. The private and exclusive nature of the event makes it very unique and will provide great added value to those buyers taking part."
IMEX 2013 will take place at Messe Frankfurt from 21-23 May. For registration information, visit: www.imex-frankfurt.com/register.php.
