New AIME organisers commit to increase international buyer numbers

The Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME), which takes place in Melbourne on 18–20 February 2019 and now organised by Australian-owned Talk2 Media & Events, has made a commitment to bringing the largest and most diverse group of international buyers to the show. Sixty percent of them will originate from outside of Australia. All hosted buyers expressing interest will undergo a rigorous vetting process, the organiser says, noting that 200 buyers from 32 countries have already been approved, with 42% having never attended AIME before. To qualify, all buyers must provide examples of budgets they manage, past events they have organised and details of scheduled events that will take place in the next five years. Additionally, they must pass up to four compulsory industry reference checks. “Through rigorous curation, we are committed to bringing buyers and exhibitors from across the whole Asia Pacific so that AIME is reflective of the diversity and depth of the region. It’s about the right people, selling or buying, being on the show floor ready to do business”, said Matt Pearce, CEO, Talk2 Media & Events. “The new buyer vetting process was seamless while also being highly personalised. I’m looking forward to seeing what AIME 2019 has to offer and how it can help drive more business outcomes”, said Brooke Cowdroy, manager, account operations Asia-PAC at Experient, Microsoft. Buyers can now attend AIME 2019 in two ways; as either a hosted buyer or as a pre-registered trade buyer. The hosted buyer programme includes return flights and 4–5-star accommodation close to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Hosted attendees will be required to commit to 32 pre-scheduled appointments and attend all formal networking events.