Exhibitor diversity

There are 39 brand new or returning stands to IMEX this year and 37 exhibiting companies who have taken bigger stands. European organisations account for just over half of all exhibition space with significant increases by Croatia, Hungary, Paris, Switzerland and The Netherlands.

The Balearics and the Gdansk Convention Bureau are taking their own stands for the first time; whilst both Latvia and Lithuania make welcome returns to the show. The Germany (GCB) stand also features over 200 German exhibitors for the first time.

Association Day and other educational and networking formats

Association meeting planners met for the annual IMEX Association Day & Evening. The education programme had been planned to address the key issues currently facing associations. As economic pressures have played out in different parts of the world and changes such as social media have shifted the way associations communicate with their members, the programme has been tailored to find answers to these issues, to share ideas and innovations as well as providing motivation for the more than 300 individuals attending.

The show still features sessions on the future of meetings in cooperation with project Convention 2020 which aims to analyse what tomorrow’s meetings will be like.

Meetology aims to analyse the science behind what takes place in meetings. And as an interesting format, the show launched campfire discussions, very small-group educational sessions which ain to be very focused on exchange of opinions and experiences between participants.