IAN Wainwright, AIME event director
Reed Travel Exhibitions
Why you should attend AIME’s 25th Anniversary Show
As the largest event of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region, AIME is trusted for bringing local and international event professionals, exhibitors and buyers together under one roof. As I enter my second year as event director of AIME and having attended many previous AIMEs, I know the importance of generating good business contacts and making strong connections in the industry, which is why this year we are focusing on establishing a wider global reach by introducing new technologies, opportunities and exhibitors.
For our 25th year, we are bringing together an even broader range of domestic and global exhibitors including destinations, convention bureaux, hotels and venues, entertainment and attractions, technology providers, airlines, cruise lines, and so many more; giving visitors the chance to network, learn and do business with suppliers from across the globe. All this in one place, over two jam-packed days!
When I joined the AIME team in 2015, I recognised a strong connection between exhibitors and the show, a real collaborative relationship which I have seen continue to grow during my time here, and I’m really proud of the lengths the team go to, to ensure everyone receives maximum return on their time and investment. This year we expect to see over 500 exhibitors filling the show floor, including bureaux from New Zealand, Malaysia, Japan, Thailand, Turkey, India and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
As we continue to expand our reach through strong connections, I’m pleased to see this year’s show attracting new exhibitors. Premiering at the show in February, along with a range of local suppliers, will be Vietnam Airlines, Rocky Mountaineer, Epicure, Elanor Investors Group and Evergrande Group.
Returning once again to the AIME 2017 structure is the very successful Knowledge Program, an all-new line up of the popular Saxton ‘Up Close and Personal’ Sessions, and the much-loved Welcome Event hosted by the Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB), highlighting Victoria’s thriving creative industries.
With significant industry research underway, and results due to be announced during AIME, we will provide an insightful look at the future of business meetings and events, and what attitudes, expectations and global change might have affected the way we do business.
AIME has grown over the past 25 years and in 2017 we will reflect on the industry’s past; the people, the places and the events that changed and shaped the industry into what it is today, before looking to the future of the industry; the up and coming leaders, the new technologies, the new event styles and forms of global collaboration.
