A LOOK AHEAD AT WHAT LIES IN STORE AT IMEX FRANKFURT 2023

t the heart of each IMEX show is a living , breathing marketplace – the fundamental and effective way of doing business that powers our industry ,” explains Carina Bauer , CEO of the IMEX Group . She adds that all elements of this year ’ s IMEX Frankfurt show have been carefully curated to complement in person business conversations . “ We ’ re seeing momentum building and look forward to throwing open the doors to our friends and colleagues this May .”

Trends-wise the show will reflect many of the big shifts and changes in the meetings industry . As a buying force , the Chinese market is back and Asia in general is flourishing , driving event demand , locally and internationally . The big tech companies in Korea are one of several factors behind this growth .

International hotel groups plus smaller boutique hotels will be making their presence felt on the show floor . Frankfurt itself has added to its hotel portfolio with several new openings including the Scandic Hafenpark and B ’ Mine , the first WorldHotels Crafted Collection hotel in Germany , and NH hotels signature Nhow brand which IMEX is showcasing as hosted buyer accommodation in the city .

Destinations , venues , and suppliers span the world and include Croatia , Malaysia , Peru , Portugal , Ras Al Khaimah and Spain . Hotel groups Hilton , IHG Hotels & Resorts and Radisson are among the exhibitors expanding their presence on site as well as Los Cabos and Morocco . Sarawak , the largest of Malaysia ’ s 13 states , will have its own stand for the first time .

Experts from Google , Microsoft & Pinterest A programme of 150 educational and networking events will begin with dedicated learning sessions the day before the show , on 22 May . That Monday programme is tailored to specific sections of the event professional community :

• The complexities of delivering events in a hybrid world will be explored at Association Focus , delivered in association with ICCA , AC Forum , AMC Institute , ASAE , ESAE and Global Association Hubs .

• A line-up of experts from world-renowned companies will spearhead Exclusively Corporate , IMEX ’ s invite-only event for corporate event specialists . Google , Meta , Microsoft , Pinterest , SAP and Salesforce will all be sharing insights .

• IMEX ’ s Agency Directors Forum will focus on business management issues . Hot topics are set to include people and talent management , plus new revenue generation models .

• New co-located events for 2023 include MICE Impact Academy , an invite-only education event for German planners , and ELX ( Event Leaders Exchange ), a two-year-old community of senior corporate event leaders from 3,000 + headcount organisations who run more than 700 events per year .

Human Nature underpins learning programme The IMEX 2023 Talking Point – Human Nature focuses on what it means to be human in the 21st century . When we meet in person something special happens – from driving business growth to developing relationships that span the

“ We ’ re seeing momentum building and look forward to throwing open the doors to our friends and colleagues this May .”

world . This need to come together and meet is innate to our human nature , Bauer notes , adding : “ Our Talking Point also helps to deliver a positivity boost – we ’ re focusing on what ’ s good , constructive and loving about human nature .”

The result is a set of new education tracks reflecting the way people live and work now .

Event Marketing is a new addition . A new Business Practices track will include the Event Planner Toolkit , while a People and Planet track will address Equity , Diversity and Inclusion ( EDI ), Professional and Personal Development , Leadership , Culture and Engagement , Wellbeing and Sustainability .

Headline sessions will feature contributions from human behaviour expert David Allison , and international crisis leader Thomas Lahnthaler will talk about building successful remote teams .

The Listening Lab returns with bookable one-to-one coaching . Sessions will explore how people ’ s individual natures influence their professional personas .

IMEX Frankfurt 2023 takes place 23 – 25 May at Messe Frankfurt .