mentary and required no reservations. SmartMonday, the day before the trade show opened, gave attendees an opportu- nity to concentrate solely on education and networking before getting down to business on the show floor. Welcoming 1,867 exhibiting companies representing 147
countries, IMEX America established itself as a catalyst not only for discussions concerning the global MICE industry, as with the PCMA International Summit, but also forU.S.- based meeting planners to conduct global business on their home turf. As one buyer said: “We have been looking to place business in other countries for a while. Coming here today has savedme amonth of traveling.” Echoing the words of strategic partner
MPI President and CEO BruceMac- Millan, IMEXGroup Chairman Ray Bloom reiterated in his closing speech that “we have demonstrated this week that this is not aU.S. trade show in Las Vegas, but a truly global marketplace in America.”
“A year’s work done in a day! IMEX America is the best place to connectwith key people in one place, and provides an unbeatable showcase for the MICE industry.”
—Deborah Shorter, manager of
IMEX AMERICA ASSOCIATION DAY The first-ever IMEX America Association Day, presented by ASAE—The Center for Association Leadership and the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), brought a welcome addition to the show’s educational pro- gramming.Held on SmartMonday, Association Day offered an afternoon of education tailored to the unique pressures and challenges facing association meeting professionals.
Combining a variety of learning formats, educational ses- sions pushed attendees to dive deeper into complex subjects, participate in discussions, and interact with speakers and other attendees, as well as gain powerful takeaways applica- ble to their own organizations. “I’ve been delighted with the feedback we’ve received [regarding AssociationDay], testifying to the fact that the event was jam-packed with value, learning, and networking,” said Carina Bauer, IMEX Group CEO. “It clearly left association meeting planners feeling energized and empowered.Hosted buyers also seemed to find great benefit in connecting with peers from different parts of the world. This event was an important part of our SmartMonday education day, and a great kick-off for the inaugural IMEX America.” AssociationDay programming
global accounts, HelmsBriscoe
included sessions such as “Reshaping an Association’s Value Proposition in a TransnationalWorld,” presented byGlenn Tecker, chairman and co-CEOof Tecker International, and “How to Turn Your Meeting’s Intellectual Content IntoMore,”
IMEXtoCelebrate 10th Anniversary in2012
Along with the usualmix of business, networking, and professional development, IMEX in Frankfurt attendees can expect a more celebratory air at next year’s event at Messe Frankfurt on May 22–24, 2012. Lookingback over a decade of excellence, IMEX 2012 will include special programs and activities commemorating pastWild Card winners, former future leaders who have risen to prominence, 10 years of green campaigning and education, plus many other highlights. IMEX in Frankfurt regularly welcomes more than 3,800 hosted buyers from 68 countries, 3,500 exhibitingcompanies from 157 countries, and nearly 9,000 attendees in total. PCMA will be bringing a hosted-buyer group to this show; contact executiveadministration@pcma.org for further information.
moderated by Keith Foley, director of education at Kenes Group.Other hot topics included long-termstrategy plan- ning, emergingmarket penetration challenges, new issues affecting the global associationmarket, the changing nature of association management and member relations, and con- tractual riskmanagement. Feedback this year showed that 200 association execu- tives from 20 countries participated in AssociationDay, andmore than 700 industry professionals attended the evening reception in the Palazzo Ballroom, which exhibitors were also invited to attend. PCMAmembers who wish to attend AssociationDay, the IMEX America trade show, and the PCMA International Summit at IMEX America 2012 can apply for a specially extended hosted-buyer program through PCMA.
PCMA AND IMEX AMERICA IN 2012 For the first time in PCMA history, the PCMA International Summit was co- located with a major industry event, and so immediately followed IMEX America on Oct. 13–14. Focusing on the current state and challenges of international meetings, the summit brought together a select group of meeting professionals for