AIME reveals keynote speakers for 2026 ‘Knowledge Monday’

The Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME) has announced three keynote speakers for its 2026 Knowledge Monday programme, to take place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), Australia, on 9 February 2026. This year’s Knowledge Monday theme, ‘Expertise Matters!’, will celebrate the credibility, clarity and strategic influence of professionals across the business events sector. Three speakers who will explore the art and science of expertise – from mindset and behaviour to resilience, reinvention and human connection. Dan Haesler (pictured), performance and leadership coach, is a leading authority on mindset, mental skills and leadership. A coach to elite sporting teams, Olympians and global organisations, Dan helps high performers thrive by combining research, psychology and real-world experience. “Expertise matters – however, time and again it’s lost in translation due to environments and delivery that dampen authentic engagement,” Haesler says. “My keynote is less about the expertise we share and more about the environment we create to share it.” Haesler says delegates will leave with “a more nuanced approach to designing for authentic engagement” – something he believes is critical in today’s high-pressure business events landscape. Milo Wilkinson, behavioural scientist & futurist, is renowned for decoding human behaviour in high-stakes environments – from boardrooms to interrogation rooms. “‘Expertise Matters!’ aligns directly with the neuroscience behind intentional design, decision-making, and human connection,” Wilkinson says. “True expertise goes beyond logistics – it requires understanding subconscious drivers of attention, trust, and engagement. By revealing the brain’s pattern recognition and threat-response systems, we can elevate events from functional gatherings to strategically engineered experiences that create measurable impact.” She says delegates will leave with “practical strategies to strengthen mental agility and a deeper understanding of their primal brain — recognising that their expertise is grounded in science, not instinct.” Kristina Karlsson, founder of kikki.K and Dream Life, is an entrepreneur, author and speaker whose story embodies the power of resilience, reinvention and purposeful expertise. From building and leading a $650m global design brand to starting again with her company Dream Life, Kristina inspires audiences to dream big, act bravely and create impact that lasts. “Expertise isn’t just what you know – it’s what you’ve lived,” she says. “I’ll be sharing what I learnt from building then losing a $650m globally loved business – and how that can help you, no matter where you are in life. You’ll walk away refreshed and inspired to dream big, with new practical tools to start using immediately in your own life.” Hosted by BEAMexperience founder El Kwang, Knowledge Monday is expected to attract more than 1,500 global event professionals, setting the tone for three days of networking, learning and connection at the AIME show proper. AIME event director Silke Calder says: “Our keynote speakers each bring a unique lens on what true expertise means today – it’s about lived experience, self-awareness and the ability to apply knowledge with purpose,” The AIME 2026 Knowledge Monday programme brings together AIME hosted buyers and exhibitors, while visitor buyers can upgrade their tickets to attend. AIME 2026 will run from 9–11 February 2026 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC). Organisers are promising the biggest edition yet delivered by Calder and her team, and say the event will feature over 4,500 attendees including 700 exhibitors, 700 hosted buyers and more than 20,000 pre-scheduled appointments. More information, visit: aime.com.au.