Ten leading meetings and event industry publishers have recently announced their intention to collaborate with event and association partners to develop and launch the industry’s first online supersite.
The aim of initiative, captained by International Meetings Review (IMR), is to provide corporate, government, association and institutional planners who are increasingly operating beyond national or original boundaries with a single platform aggregating their content and information demands.
International Meetings Review (IMR), which will be providing a global news hub with up to 20 separate satellite editions showcasing countries or regions, each delivered by the leading local publisher, has already selected the members of the network. These include the following: the Professional Convention Managers Association (PCMA); the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA); the Society of Incentive and Travel Executives (Site); the International Association of Professional Conference Organisers (IAPCO); the Global Exhibition Industry Association (UFI); the international association of congress centres (AIPC); and the European Federation of the Associations of Professional Congress Organisers (EFAPCO).
Publishers include CAT Publications, covering the UK meeting and business events community through its flagship title M&IT and its website (www.meetpie.com). The US edition of the site, serving the largest meetings market worldwide, will be managed by the Questex Travel and Hospitality Group – the leading US travel-related publisher, which acquired MEETINGS:review last month. TW Germany and its international site (www.tw-media.com/en), in partnership with the German Convention Bureau, will showcase the German offer, itself the second largest international market for outbound as well as inbound meetings after the US. Meetings International and its web (www.meetingsinternational.com) will represent Scandinavia and the Baltic States, BBT Online (www.bbtonline.eu) will showcase Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg (Benelux), while Kongres magazine will represent South East Europe.
As to the rest of the world, TTG Asia Media will represent Asia, including a dedicated edition within the site for China, while CIM Australia will represent Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands with its combined edition. Meet Middle East and its web (www.meetmiddleeast.com), published by NPI Media in Dubai, will showcase the Middle East and North Africa.
Additional publishers are expected to join the International Meetings Review Network (IMRN) before the site goes live, with a total of 20 publishing partnerships being the objective by the close of 2012.
IMRN will deliver a weekly news email service, which will be distributed by all partners featuring the local, regional, and global news for the industry.
