How did you get into the events industry?
My career in the events industry started 12 years ago in Sydney, where I worked for an event organiser and a speaker bureau.
I returned to the UK and joined Reed Exhibitions and worked on events primarily for the Aerospace and Defence industry.
I moved to Clarion Exhibitions for a couple of years to run a defence event, however jumped at the chance to come back to Sydney, rejoin Reed Exhibitions and become Event Director for AIME.
How old is the show and how many visitors does it attract each year?
This year will be AIME’s 19th year. 2010 saw us breaking records with 513 hosted buyers from over 33 countries, which was up 9.7 per cent on 2009. A total of 3,101 visitors attended the event to meet with over 800 exhibitors with 195 being first-time exhibitors. At last count, over 50 per cent of qualified hosted buyers will be attending the event for the first time, which is pleasing news for our exhibitors.
How has AIME developed since its inception?
AIME is the premier exhibition for the meetings and events industry in the Asia-Pacific region because it is evolving with the industry and implementing new initiatives to keep it fresh. It also continues to give attendees a quality return-on-investment.
AIME’s excellence has also been recognised with many accolades over its 18 years, and in 2009 it was awarded ‘Exhibition of the Year’ at the prestigious Meetings and Events Australia Industry awards for the second consecutive year.
What is the international / national split of exhibitors and visitors to the show? Do you plan to attract more in the future?
Last year saw 66 per cent of hosted buyers coming from the domestic market in Australia and 34 per cent international. With regards to exhibitors, 45 per cent of exhibitors were from Australia and 55 per cent were international.
Who do you consider AIME’s main competitors? How do you plan to compete?
For exhibitors there are so many different activities and shows which pull at the marketing budget; quality and ROI needs to be key. The global financial crisis has forced many businesses, including those in the meetings and events industry, to really look at their value proposition and what they are offering. AIME is well-aware that being adaptable and innovative has been the key to our success and has allowed us to weather ever-changing economic conditions.
Each year, the team works hard to create new initiatives, attractions, seminars and technology which offer visitors, exhibitors and hosted buyers greater opportunities to connect, learn and do business. As the largest show of its kind in the region, AIME is core to many companies’ marketing plans for visibility both in terms of marketing and business relationships.
Research conducted during our 2010 event found that 93 per cent of hosted buyers had placed, or were likely to place, business as a result of attending AIME.
What challenges do you face for the future of the show?
AIME’s main challenge is staying dynamic and continuing to attract new exhibitors and quality hosted buyers. We continually work hard to keep the event fresh.
Delivering an event that meets and delivers the objectives of every audience involved is also one of the challenges.
We work hard to meet the varied and ever changing needs of our customers .
What interesting developments will we see at the 2011 edition of the show?
This year, there are a number of changes and improvements to AIME 2011 whilst still delivering to our attendees the same high quality looking event that they are accustomed to, with a well-organised fresh programme and professional team of people to assist them. Some of the exciting developments are:
New education opportunities: The Master Class seminars at AIME 2011 will have a fresh new look and feel. There will be four master classes with a line-up of speakers delivering targeted content to match the needs and challenges of our industry. This year, we have introduced two ‘Leaders Forums’, taking place each morning of the two-day event. A panel of industry leaders will address the challenges and benefits in securing sponsorship and industry entrepreneurs will provide insights into how they made it to the top.
The Business Events Forum will also run again and Kati Quigley, Director of Event Marketing for the CMG Events team at Microsoft, will be the keynote speaker.
Attracting Hosted Buyers: We are continually on the lookout for ways to increase the number of quality hosted buyers. This year, we have introduced the ‘Refer a Friend’ programme. This gives hosted buyers the opportunity to refer a friend to be part of the hosted buyer programme and if they successfully qualify, their own registration fee will be waived.
Offering the best show experience to exhibitors: We have set up a hosted buyer message centre, so that all exhibitors will have the opportunity to communicate with hosted buyers during the show by posting a message on this board.
In addition, AIME is introducing a post-show online messaging system allowing all pre-scheduled appointment (PSA) exhibitors the opportunity to contact all hosted buyers post-event via the hosted buyer and exhibitor zones.
AIME 2011 takes place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, 15-16 February.
