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IMEX INVITES CONFERENCE AND CONVENTION CENTRES TO "GO WILD"
eTravelBlackboard MICE News
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Australia
New convention and conference centres in emerging destinations are
being invited to apply for the 2009 IMEX Wild Card Programme for the
first time.
The amendment to Wild Card rules has been motivated by findings from
the IMEX Politicians' Forum which suggest that newly built convention
or conference centres in fledgling destinations often suffer from
lack of local political support and understanding. By opening the
scheme to include new venues (up to three years old) as well as the
destinations in their own right, IMEX hopes to give Wild Card winners a
valuable global endorsement which can be used to reinforce prominence,
funding and goodwill locally.
The IMEX Wild Card Programme offers a high profile opportunity for
emerging destinations and new convention centres in such destinations
to learn about the global meetings market and to hone their offering
and market positioning in front of a relevant and active worldwide
audience of buyers. It also provides a forum for winners to build
important contacts and potential partnerships for the future.
IMEX will be offering four free Wild Card places at its 2009 trade
show which takes place from May 26th - 28th in Messe Frankfurt. Each
winner will receive a place in the Wild Card "Look to the Future"
Pavilion in addition to a valuable support package that includes
year-round marketing and sales advice plus subsidised air travel
and accommodation.
Says Dale Hudson, IMEX Projects Manager, "This year IMEX welcomed
over 3500 exhibiting companies from 150 countries plus 3,600 hosted
buyers from 58 world markets, amongst a total of 8,700 visitors. For
Wild Card Winners this translates into an exceptional opportunity to
meet interested buyers, gain feedback and learn from and share ideas
with established exhibitors. The Wild Card Programme is genuinely
unique in the industry and reflects our ongoing pledge to support
meetings industry growth, diversity and innovation."
Application forms to win a Wild Card place can be found
online. Applicants are not permitted to have exhibited at a major
meetings or incentive travel trade fair before. They also have to
demonstrate that they have the commitment and capacity to handle new
business and that their destination has the infrastructure to support
the demands of the meetings and incentive travel market.
Recent winners of IMEX Wild Card places have included Armenia, Addis
Ababa, City of Praia in the Cape Verde Islands and Transylvania.
Speaking about the benefits of becoming a Wild Card winner, Tigran
Ghahramanyan, President of Armenian Event, says, "As a new company in
the meetings market we were able to represent our destination to the
world market at IMEX. Thanks to Wild Card we made very useful contacts
that gave us the chance to develop Armenia as a new destination. We
believe Wild Card is a great idea and have advertised our win widely
to all our partners."
The closing deadline for Wild Card 2009 entries is 14th November 2008.
eTravelBlackboard MICE News
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Australia
New convention and conference centres in emerging destinations are
being invited to apply for the 2009 IMEX Wild Card Programme for the
first time.
The amendment to Wild Card rules has been motivated by findings from
the IMEX Politicians' Forum which suggest that newly built convention
or conference centres in fledgling destinations often suffer from
lack of local political support and understanding. By opening the
scheme to include new venues (up to three years old) as well as the
destinations in their own right, IMEX hopes to give Wild Card winners a
valuable global endorsement which can be used to reinforce prominence,
funding and goodwill locally.
The IMEX Wild Card Programme offers a high profile opportunity for
emerging destinations and new convention centres in such destinations
to learn about the global meetings market and to hone their offering
and market positioning in front of a relevant and active worldwide
audience of buyers. It also provides a forum for winners to build
important contacts and potential partnerships for the future.
IMEX will be offering four free Wild Card places at its 2009 trade
show which takes place from May 26th - 28th in Messe Frankfurt. Each
winner will receive a place in the Wild Card "Look to the Future"
Pavilion in addition to a valuable support package that includes
year-round marketing and sales advice plus subsidised air travel
and accommodation.
Says Dale Hudson, IMEX Projects Manager, "This year IMEX welcomed
over 3500 exhibiting companies from 150 countries plus 3,600 hosted
buyers from 58 world markets, amongst a total of 8,700 visitors. For
Wild Card Winners this translates into an exceptional opportunity to
meet interested buyers, gain feedback and learn from and share ideas
with established exhibitors. The Wild Card Programme is genuinely
unique in the industry and reflects our ongoing pledge to support
meetings industry growth, diversity and innovation."
Application forms to win a Wild Card place can be found
online. Applicants are not permitted to have exhibited at a major
meetings or incentive travel trade fair before. They also have to
demonstrate that they have the commitment and capacity to handle new
business and that their destination has the infrastructure to support
the demands of the meetings and incentive travel market.
Recent winners of IMEX Wild Card places have included Armenia, Addis
Ababa, City of Praia in the Cape Verde Islands and Transylvania.
Speaking about the benefits of becoming a Wild Card winner, Tigran
Ghahramanyan, President of Armenian Event, says, "As a new company in
the meetings market we were able to represent our destination to the
world market at IMEX. Thanks to Wild Card we made very useful contacts
that gave us the chance to develop Armenia as a new destination. We
believe Wild Card is a great idea and have advertised our win widely
to all our partners."
The closing deadline for Wild Card 2009 entries is 14th November 2008.