26 Show report
THE IMPACT OF IMEX
The Mash Media team was out in force at the IMEX Frankfurt show in Germany in mid-May . Paul Colston reports
egacy , impact , belonging , creativity and the ‘ Taylor Swift effect ’ were all themes in the education programme and in conversations with buyers on the show floor at IMEX Frankfurt 2024 .
Many attendees at the show , which ran 14-16 May , were focused on rebuilding their networks post pandemic and JaNeece Strock from Alliances Management said : “ Most of our clients didn ’ t really go back to events until 2022 and because a lot of people left the industry during Covid , we ’ re now establishing new relationships with new people .”
The power of feeling as if you are part of a community sat at the heart of a session by Megan Henshall , global events strategic solutions lead at Google , part of a series held at the Google Xi CoLaboratory . She guided attendees on the different pathways to foster a sense of belonging . “ For an event to be truly successful , it must foster belonging , create community and generate meaning . We ’ re inviting event professionals to share their experiences and become active collaborators in our discovery work rooted in inclusive experience design ,” she said .
First timers First timers at IMEX Frankfurt were welcomed with a dedicated ice breaker session designed to help them make friends and ease themselves into a busy show . Among the attendees was Evan Morgan from the Occasionall Group . He said : “ I love events because it ’ s a creative industry and every day is different . In our sector you ’ re chucked in at the deep end . You may come in at an entry-level position , but be expected to step up – it ’ s a sink-or-swim environment ! We ’ re in a fast-moving industry , so having fresh people come in from a younger age is important for creativity .”
The demand for an injection of creativity in events was shared by many planners . Chloe Smith from Glow said : “ The main challenge ? There ’ s a lack of innovation – and it can be difficult to find ideas and activities that are outside the box .”
Part of the new Impact Zone at the show ’ s Inspiration Hub was a session focused on encouraging a fresh approach through ‘ serious play ’. LEGO SERIOUS PLAY ® to transform sustainable event
“ The link between Taylor Swift and the events industry was an a-ha moment ”
IMEX Frankfurt 2024 provided a platform for 4,000 buyersi planning , powered by memox , was led by Matthias Renner , LEGO ® SERIOUS PLAY ® Facilitator at Brickolutio . He said : “ My workshops show how our playful approach unites the analytical with the creative side of the brain to bring about real , impactful solutions for more sustainable event planning .”
Hayley Landingham from Cisco talked about how they ’ ve found an inventive solution to attract employees back to in-person meetings : “ We ’ re organising smaller intimate meetings , more one-on-one focus groups , and workshops . It is about giving attendees more power over content and giving them the chance to take something away that immediately benefits them versus a one-to-many delivery system . We ’ re always on the lookout for that ‘ a-ha ’ moment .”
A Swift impact on destinations The link between Taylor Swift and the events industry was the a-ha moment at the centre of # Eventprofs unplugged . Tracy Halliwell from London & Partners and Michel Mari from Visit Paris joined the panel to share the impact of events in their destinations . Halliwell said : “ We ’ re set to host Taylor Swift in what will be the longest residency of any artist in Wembley Stadium . The fans represent a young generation who we hope will be repeat visitors to the city over subsequent years – doing business here , bringing their families on vacation and so on .”
Mari looked ahead to the Olympic Games held in Paris this summer . He said : “ We saw a boost to the economy with Taylor ’ s concerts and www . conference-news . co . uk