Interview
‘ If you ’ re in the Asia Pacific business events industry you have to be here ’
Right :
AIME 2024 attracted 188 international exhibitors extend their stay . Australians are great people and hospitality is embedded in them . They want you to have a good time .
How much of a role does sustainability play in terms of putting an event together like this ? What have you put in place to make sure you deliver a sustainable event ? We worked closely with the team at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre ( MCEC ) with regards to the menu choices – to produce locally sourced , meal options , etc . For the first time we ’ ve gone totally paperless . There are no printed signs , no printed floorplans – it ’ s all digital . Even our AIME lanyards were made from recycled plastic bottles .
How does that impact your bottom line ? Being more sustainable , does this impact the cost much ? Absolutely ! And this is why working with partners is critical .
The event landscape continues to change . How do you adapt to industry trends and changing expectations ? How do you stay ahead of the curve to ensure that you meet expectations for anybody looking to attend AIME ? We have continually enhanced the show over the past three years by actually listening to the feedback we receive . We act . We continuously improve our tech , such as the meeting matching , show app , show floor plan and so on . We also have our group of ambassadors – AIMEbassadors – and the advisory committee for the Knowledge Programme providing industry insight . We make sure that all year round we stay connected and tap into these groups of different people and listen to what they have to say . We are not pretending we know it all , so rely on the people who have their finger on the pulse in different areas .
You ’ ve also travelled extensively visiting various trade shows and trade association events ; would you attribute a lot of the success of this year ’ s AIME to you visiting your intended buyers and exhibitors in person ? One hundred percent . Visiting these international events is where we get the chance to connect . Meeting the exhibitors and the buyers is crucial , but it also allows us to see what other shows are doing . Getting inspiration from visiting these events goes a long way to developing AIME .
Do you think the launch of the Meetings Show Asia / Pacific and IBTM Asia / Pacific will have an impact on AIME ? We ’ ve delivered a successful event and that ’ s all we can do . If you look at the exhibitors at AIME 2024 , out of the 570 , we have 188 international exhibitors , and the rest are from Australia . We are an Australian heavy show . If we just focus on what we ’ re doing right , make improvements and continue to grow , we ’ ll continue to deliver a quality event .
UFI is attaching their Asia / Pacific conference on the back of AIME 2025 , what might that add in terms of bringing in a different target market in the form of exhibition organisers ? It ’ s very early , but will you add something to the show to accommodate them ? We ’ re definitely looking at it because for us , it ’ s a great opportunity . We ’ re working close with UFI to see how we can collaborate in 2025 and we ’ re very excited .
What are you most proud of and what really stands out for you in terms of the success of AIME 2024 ? The overall journey , the journey with the same team that we started with as soon as Covid lifted . To take it from where it was to this , and to have the industry back , the buzz . The Knowledge Programme for example – last year we had 500 participants , this year we had 1,300 . And , of course , the incredible growth of the number of exhibitors this year . There seems to be a renewed interest in wanting to be at AIME and a fear of missing out . If you ’ re in the Asia Pacific business events industry , you have to be here . What my team has achieved over the last three years is amazing . n
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