One+ Editor in Chief David Basler is on the scene covering the latest developments at IMEX in Frankfurt. In the meantime, the show began with a strong start at yesterday's Association Day.
Record numbers of association meeting planners from around the world participated in yesterday's IMEX Association Day & Evening at the Sheraton Hotel & Towers. The education program addressed key issues facing association meeting planners, both in their professional development and in everyday operational responsibilities.
The impact of social media and developments such as phone apps were covered in a debate led by Michael Priem, CEO of USDM.net. Priem said there is a strong desire to know and understand more about social media and the world of smartphones, but many associations, as with many other businesses, are still struggling to find the right resources and to understand the true benefit of social media and how it applies to their vision and values.
"There’s a revolution happening in event marketing and management, a shift that is accelerating technological development at an incredible rate and truly shaking up the traditional way in which we promote and organise meetings," he said. "We need to look beyond what we are all doing today and try to anticipate what lies ahead so that we can adopt the best tools and techniques. This is easier said than done."
Other topics of conversation included:
- "A gathering of thinkers and doers from the world of scientific meetings" with representatives from the European Society of Organ Transplantation, Kenes Education and Astra Zeneca, Sweden
- The ever-more competitive environment that associations face and how they can ensure they retain a central role as their members' primary source of specialised knowledge, business opportunity and professional services.
- The Convention 2020 study: a look at the new dynamics of the global marketplace for conventions and how associations and event owners are constantly innovating and pushing the boundaries of meeting and event design in order to satisfy rapidly changing economic, demographic, professional and technological demands.