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  • Posted by Michael Pinchera at
    12:00AM 04/15/2013 • 0 Comments

    Audio for Engagement

    Music can help breathe life into meetings and events and engender greater attendee engagement. And that’s what Australia-based Song Division is all about. Founder Andy Sharpe is leading a session at IMEX Frankfurt, May 21-23, with the aim of sharing practical ways to use music (in ways that don’t cost a cent) to enhance the success of meetings. One+recently chatted with Sharpe about his upcoming session and some current hits and misses in the aural realm.

    ONE+: What inspired you to begin discussing with meeting professionals the transformational power of music at events?

    ANDY SHARPE: There’s no training for meeting professionals on how to use music to deliver a great event. Playing the right music at the right time can help you create emotional connections between your attendees, the organization, your content and each other. But music is often an afterthought. Like the food and decor, it needs attention! The Song Division team and I have been designing music for meetings around the world for 10 years, so I’m looking forward to sharing some of that experience at IMEX in Frankfurt. 

    ONE+: What are some widespread mistakes meeting professionals make regarding music at events? How can they most easily overcome them?

    AS: A common mistake is leaving the music to someone who doesn’t know your audience. Asking the sound guy you met minutes before the event to play something off his iPhone mightn’t ruin the day, but it probably won’t help you achieve your event objectives. You know your audience and you can put them in the right emotional state—pumping them up for a sales kick-off, relaxing them before a potentially heated stake-holders meeting or getting the party started at a Gala Awards. Ask your music-savvy colleagues for help; just don’t leave it up to a complete stranger at the last minute.

    Another big mistake is not rehearsing. Whether it’s piped music or a live band, rehearse the music that will be playing when the ballroom doors open, the CEO takes the stage or during dinner. Sit in different spots around the room to make sure the volume is appropriate. If it’s background music, then make sure everyone can talk without straining. If it’s the big opening number, make sure it’s got impact without bursting eardrums in the front rows. 

    ONE+: What audio innovations are you watching most closely?

    AS: I think the most exciting audio innovations are the subscription-based music services such as Spotify and Rhapsody. Rather than buying CDs or paying for songs on iTunes, you pay Spotify a US$9.99 monthly subscription for unlimited access to more than 20 million songs. Someone raves about the new Mumford & Sons single, you type it into the app on your phone and it’s instantly in your collection. It’s a great tool for meeting professionals—you can put together your own playlists for upcoming events and share them with your colleagues online, who can add their suggestions.

    Unfortunately, playing songs directly from the Spotify app at the actual event is still a cloudy issue in terms of streaming copyright laws, so to err on the side of caution, you would still need to purchase the final songs you decide to use via iTunes or alike. I’ll be giving everyone an update on any copyright developments at the Campfire session in Frankfurt.

    ONE+: Be honest: How do you feel about auto-tuned vocals?

    AS: I…DON’T... KNOW...WHAT...YOU...MEAN...MICHAEL...(said in 1960s robot voice). Auto-tune can be used for good or evil, but I have to say it was a breath of fresh air hearing Adele, Shirley Bassey and Babs blast their naturally tuned pipes at the Academy Awards this year.

    ONE+: What is your favorite instrument or musical tool? Why?

    AS: The human voice. Whether it’s The Beatles, The Black Keys or a corporate group at a Song Division event, it’s the vocals that get me all emotional!

    Check out IMEX Frankfurt and contact Andy Sharpe with your event+audio questions and stories at andy@songdivision.com. And if you still doubt the power of music, check out the results of Song Division’s recent CSR program with the Cerebral Palsy Alliance and ING. 



  • Posted by Jessie States at
    12:00AM 05/23/2012 • 0 Comments

    IMEX: It's an Agenda and...Gum?

    Ron van Veen stopped by the booth to discuss MPI membership, and when I asked for his business card, he gave it to me, attached to a pack of gum. It looked something like this:

    He also handed me one that has the agenda for a lunch meeting on it. MPI European member service coordinator Antti Lumiainen and I couldn't stop laughing.



  • Posted by Jessie States at
    12:00AM 05/23/2012 • 0 Comments

    IMEX: Just Say 'Yes, and...'

    Not “Yes, but…” says Cyriel Kortleven, creativity expert and co-founder of innovation consultancy 21Lobsterstreet. I attended Kortleven’s MPI-sponsored session yesterday along with 50-odd other meeting professionals. And I had the opportunity to interview him afterward. 



  • Posted by Jessie States at
    12:00AM 05/22/2012 • 1 Comments

    IMEX-MPI Partnership Means Big Business for Events

    In an initiative that further consolidates their longstanding relationship, IMEX Group has agreed to a multiyear partnership investment in MPI and the MPI Foundation around a number of industry initiatives. For meeting professionals worldwide, the extended partnership means greater access to rich education, meaningful networks and higher levels of success. 

    The investment supports MPI’s 2012 World Education Congress Closing General Session and European Reception, its presence at IncentiveWorks in Canada and a commitment to the U.K. research into the economic impact of events. IMEX will also make a series of investments in the MPI Foundation for the next five years and support the IMEX America Rendezvous event. Ultimately, the agreement extends MPI’s role as IMEX America’s exclusive strategic partner. 

    “MPI and IMEX have a longstanding and robust bond that has far-reaching benefits for our members and the global meeting industry,” said Bruce MacMillan, president and CEO of MPI. “This agreement continues that strong relationship and proves IMEX’s commitment to the success of the event sector, and the meeting professionals therein. If anything, this investment proves that connections like ours really do change the world.” 

    “We’re really pleased with the new structure of the MPI partnership that’s going to deliver huge value in a new way for both organizations,” said Carina Bauer, CEO of IMEX Group. “It includes fresh elements such as our sponsorship of the closing keynote address at WEC. We’re very excited about the changes we’ve put in place and are looking forward to rolling them out over the year ahead.”



  • Posted by Jessie States at
    12:00AM 05/22/2012 • 0 Comments

    IMEX: It's Official

    The 10th annual IMEX trade show is open for business at Messe Frankfurt. This year brings 4,000 hosted buyers from more than 60 countries and an expanded education program featuring—you guessed it—MPI. But aside from the traditional education, IMEX has added some really cool "campfire" areas to the trade show floor that allow for small group education. In all, there are 130 different sessions, workshops and campfires set to take place over the next three days, including the two I blogged about yesterday, here and here. Here's a list of cool things I'm looking forward to this week.

    • The new Power of 10 research report, which builds on the Convention 2020 report (I'll report on this tomorrow)
    • More IMEX TV with interviews and footage from the show (Check it out here)
    • Our MPI anniversary reception which is...in just a few minutes!




  • Posted by Jessie States at
    12:00AM 05/21/2012 • 1 Comments

    IMEX: Are Memberships Obsolete?

    Our models certainly are. 

    Associations desperately need to change the ways they view and engage with members, according to Nikki Walker, vice president of global association management and consulting for MCI Group, because the current model used by most organizations is no longer sustainable. Global association execs discussed why during Walker’s session on the subject today at the Messe Frankfurt Conference Center during IMEX’s Association Day. Their concerns:

    • Attrition, retention and recruitment
    • Differentiation among membership levels
    • Country/corporate memberships with individual benefits
    • Relevant member value with fewer resources
    • Member/volunteer participation
    • Valuable networking experiences

    These issues (many of them relatively new) are being caused by a number of changes in the global marketplace, including:

    • Great availability of information
    • Economics (the inability to pay dues, mainly from developing countries)
    • Increased competition
    • Social media/technology
    • Politics/policy
    • Demographics (and Gen Y and Z)
    • Time depletion

    And because of these, the traditional bundling of services for a set membership fee may be an outdated model—especially in parts of Asia (China) where the membership standard is incompatible with corporate culture.

    “We’re restricting our sense of building a community,” Walker cautioned. Associations represent a broader community than their memberships suggest, and they need to engage on multiple levels to survive. In associations that have long survived as essential to a given industry, de facto membership is failing.

    Walker suggests that many associations should begin focusing less on membership and more on communities that reflect “service users” of all types—members being one, because many professionals just don’t have the time/drive/vision to participate at that level. Future membership models may include (according to conversations during the session):

    • Corporate/institutional packages
    • Bulk corporate payments, but individual members
    • Internet-only memberships
    • Memberships that cover several associations at once
    • Youth memberships (35-and-under)
    • Product-based memberships at a lower cost (and with fewer benefits)
    • Multi-year memberships

    But, then maybe the whole idea of membership-as-an-elite-paying-few itself is obsolete. Thoughts?



  • Posted by Jessie States at
    12:00AM 05/21/2012 • 0 Comments

    IMEX: Can CSR Help Your Association Succeed?

    According to estimates based on current rates, the world population will reach 9 billion by 2050, at which time humans will use two-and-a-half planets’ resources, which will continue to decline as consumption rises. 

    And associations will have a major role to play in reversing the tide. IMEX took on the education task this year during its Association Day today at the Messe Frankfurt Conference Center. 

    Guy Bigwood, past present of the Green Meeting Industry Council and MCI sustainability director, and Lucy Goodchild, communications manager for the Global Reporting Initiative, presented an interactive session on sustainability as a driver for successful associations. (Yes, MPI has a GRI report!) 

    The two shared different ways that sustainable policy can help associations increase member value, accelerate change and drive efficiency in the areas of talent, operations, products and services, education, communication and governance. But I also got some really neat takeaways from our group discussions, including these.

    • Use Twitter hash tags to eliminate association emails and create networks of interest.
    • Be a leader in the field of social responsibility to teach members who don’t necessarily accept the practice.
    • Don’t forget that labor is part of sustainability. How do you treat your employees and volunteers?
    • Think of CSR as collective, not corporate, social responsibility.
    • You won’t be judged on how much you make, but how you make it.
    • Showcase your members’ work in social responsibility with video and written case studies.


  • Posted by Michael Pinchera at
    12:00AM 11/17/2011 • 0 Comments

    Slovene Success

    The Slovenia Convention Bureau just announced some high points of its recent MICE marketing campaigns--and upcoming events of note that will surely help drive success for the destination in the turbulent economy.

    Push up Slovenia 3.0 and BeBee campaigns raising the meeting destination profile of Slovenia. The BeBee socially responsible initiative attracted support of 821 international meeting industry professionals and generated broad media attention, followed by publication of 16 articles in the leading meeting industry media. During the year-long campaign the percent of RFPs received by the bureau rose 30.7%.

    IMEX Challenge 2012 will take place in Ljubljana, Slovenia, July 2-4, 2012. IMEX Challenge Slovenia will strive to blend environmental objectives with social causes and create positive outcomes for the host community of disabled children and adults in CUDV Draga. The humanitarian project presents Slovenia as a young meeting industry destination where innovative stories are born and there is interest for stakeholders to jointly contribute to a better future.

    Conventa brings together more than 140 meeting industry providers from South East Europe and more than 300 carefully selected hosted buyers from all over Europe. Conventa has thus far selected 35% of the received applications for hosted buyer status. The biggest part of the selected hosted buyers currently comes from the United Kingdom and Russia (16%), followed by Belgium (11%), Netherlands (10%), France, Austria and Germany (5%). Slovenia is one of the meeting suppliers planning involvement with the event.

    Source: The Slovenia Convention Bureau, (CC) Husond



  • Posted by Veleisa Patton at
    12:00AM 11/04/2011 • 0 Comments

    So Just How Good Was IMEX America?

    Photo of Trade Show Floor from MPI's Swank Two-Story Booth

    “…One of the best experiences I’ve had in my 10 years in the industry.” – Tiffany Boyer, VP Meeting Planning Department, Information Management Network

    That’s a pretty powerful praise of an event that is in its first year but the sentiment is what most IMEX America attendees are saying of their time at the three-day exhibition. As the strategic partner and premier education provider, MPI interacted with thousands of global professionals through Smart Monday education, daily keynote speakers, show floor presence (did we mention we had quite the view from our two-story booth?) and MPI Foundation PURE Rendezvous fundraising party.

    The MeetDifferent Day of Education on Monday delivered professional development to more than a thousand attendees, with a strong mix of both suppliers and planners in the most popular sessions:

    • “The Essentials of Negotiation”
    • “Meeting Design Workshop” with expert speakers
    • “The Buy/Sell Relationship”

    The daily keynotes kept the collaborative energy from Monday pumping every morning of the show, with hundreds of professionals learning from Robin Sieger, Dr. Brené Brown and Peter Sheahan.

    On the show floor, we were able to share the MPI love and connect with both members and those who were interacting with MPI for the first time, recruiting several of them to become MPI members! And on Wednesday night, we partied for a good cause at the “hottest nightclub in the country,” PURE.  As with every Rendezvous, the money raised goes to support both research and scholarship for the industry.

    For those who attended, do you agree with Tiffany’s quote? And for those who weren’t able to make it to Las Vegas, have you started making your plans for 2012? We surely hope so, because we’ve started ours!



  • Posted by David Basler at
    12:00AM 10/13/2011 • 1 Comments

    IMEX America a "Breath of Fresh Air"

    IMEX America, the newest trade show for the meetings, incentive travel and events industry, lived up to its promise of delivering high-quality business, networking and professional education over the past four days at the Venetian®, The Palazzo® and Sands Expo in Las Vegas. 

    Thursday afternoon, the show's innovator and IMEX Group chairman, Ray Bloom expressed his delight that the first show had gone so well and a received such worldwide positive reaction from the industry.

    Reiterating a comment made earlier in the week by MPI's president and CEO Bruce MacMillan, Bloom said, "We have successfully delivered a new, collaborative business model, which is not a US trade show in Las Vegas but a truly global marketplace in America plus a tremendous education program. That was always our vision but, of course, over the past four days thousands of industry professionals have been able to see and experience it for themselves. They now completely understand what we set out to do and have appreciated the fresh dimension it has brought to the industry here in the U.S."

    One aspect of IMEX America that sets it apart is the educational content provided to delegates. The education was provided by MPI—the strategic partner of IMEX America.

    As Bruce MacMillan had expressed before Wednesday morning's keynote session, "Having packed-out sessions at our own education conference is one thing. Having packed-out sessions at a trade show is unheard of. That's the big difference. MPI and IMEX America have changed the value proposition here in Vegas this week."

    And in tandem with the high-quality education was the value of new business relationships forged on the IMEX America trade show floor.

    Bloom gave the example of the SECC (Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre) who received a booking for a 12,000-delegate event from a buyer who simply arrived on the day without an appointment looking to place the event outside the U.S. for the first time.

    Another exhibitor, Michelle Saran, executive director of the Canadian Tourism Commission commented, "We've had many one-on-one appointments and I haven't seen a booth this busy in North America for years and years. Our team pre-planned appointments, but we've also had a lot of people walking on to the stand for ad-hoc meetings."

    By the numbers:

    • There were 2,000 hosted buyers, 1,700 attendees and nearly 2,000 exhibitors.

    • There were more than 800 U.S. companies represented

    • 53% of hosted buyers attending had budgets in excess of US$1 million.

    • More than 30,000 total appointments were made before and during the show including 23,930 individual appointments.

    • Downloads of the IMEX mobile app (which was developed by IMEX, MPI and QuickMobile and sponsored by Freeman) also reached impressive user levels with 2,050 people using the app to enhance their show experience.



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