Over 3000 hosted buyers from more than 50 world markets visited Messe Frankfurt’s Hall 8 this year, contributing to a total of over 7000 visitors for the show’s busiest three days to date.

The show also enjoyed a record attendance of 3000 exhibiting companies representing 140 countries.

Speaking at the exhibition’s closing press conference, Chairman Ray Bloom said, “Time and again this week I’ve heard exhibitors comment on the high quality of buyers here, and the fact those buyers have concrete pieces of business to place. This year has also been notable for the enthusiasm and professionalism of our new exhibitors, which is good to see. Above all, I think we’re all pleased with IMEX’s new home, hall 8, which has proved a real asset in helping exhibitors and visitors to do more business, more comfortably and more efficiently than before.

The result is that this exhibition has genuinely come to ‘mean business’ within the industry and that’s enormously positive for all of us.”

Lutz Vogt, Chairman of the German Convention Bureau, was also upbeat.  He said, “We are extremely pleased with this year’s IMEX and have received very positive feedback from our exhibitors. They were all delighted with the high quality of visitors and the business they conducted. Moving to Hall 8 has proved to be an excellent decision for everyone.”

Ray Bloom also acknowledged the increasing success of several IMEX initiatives, such as Association Day, which was attended by a record 262 buyers this year. At the evening reception these buyers were joined by 450 exhibitors and enjoyed a major networking event.  

Recapping on the week’s events and the show’s development to date, Bloom was pleased to announce the expansion and advancement of several IMEX programmes in 2006, when the show will take place May 30^th – June 1^st.

Stronger Asian focus for 2006

IMEX will be strengthening its links with the Asian market through a partnership with new Asian association AFECA (The Asian Federation of Exhibition and Convention Associations). Jansen Tan, Secretary General of AFECA was a first time visitor and exhibitor to the show this year. The exhibition will also be building on its already strong links with PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association).

USA interest gains good pace

Bloom also told his audience that IMEX had successfully strengthened its connections with the US market. The show now carries official endorsement from new association partners, the IACVB (International Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus), which will help IMEX to extend its reach even further within the influential US market. IMEX will also be working with ASAE (American Society of Association Executives) to strengthen activities, especially with key US buyers.

Acknowledgement for Women’s Forum

He also thanked Susan Sarfati, President and CEO of the Center for Association Leadership and Executive Vice President of ASAE, for her excellent presentation at the busy IMEX Women’s Forum. Her efforts to encourage and support women’s career development in the meetings industry and to promote women’s unique skills and abilities were to be applauded, he said.

HelmsBriscoe - positive first visit

He added that he was especially pleased to welcome a 40-strong delegation of senior executives from the world’s largest site selection and meeting services agency, HelmsBriscoe. The delegation was led by Roger Helms and Bill Briscoe. IMEX will be working with them closely throughout the year exploring a number of marketing initiatives. Special mention was also made of MPI’s Global Corporate Circle of Excellence, which also attended for the first time this year. 

Two new German alliances

Speaking about developments within the vital German market, Bloom announced two new association partnerships designed to help IMEX achieve even more penetration of the German market and to secure more German buyers.  Partnerships with the HSMA (The Hospitality, Sales and Marketing Association) and the German Business Travel Association, VDR (Verband Deutsches Reisemanagement), will be an important part of next year’s strategy.

New ‘Green’ award launched

The growing worldwide interest in more environmentally-friendly meetings and events will become a key focus for IMEX in 2006. “We’re going to start by launching a new ‘green’ award for the most environmentally-friendly exhibitor in 2006. This will acknowledge and reward a single exhibitor that has made a measurable effort to ‘green’ their stand and their programme of activities during the show,” said Bloom. “In this way we will be taking practical steps to encourage and support those exhibitors who want to ‘go green’ and who want to learn about the difference that doing so can make on their business.”

In summing up, Bloom described how, three years down the line, many of the IMEX New Vision programmes have become truly global in their impact. He sited the Future Leaders Forum as an example of what he called the ‘IMEX effect’.

“We start with the kernel of a great idea. We invest energy, focus and passion in delivering it and proving it can work. We then broadcast that ambition across the world through our excellent networks and partnerships and, time and again, our partners - for Future Leaders it was MPI – enable us to take the concept to a whole new level. That is tremendously satisfying and rewarding.”

He ended by saying that the 25,000 online appointments made through the IMEX website before or during this year’s show were testament to the fact that IMEX not only means business but delivers on that ambition too.