Organizers of IMEX America
have now published full details of the show’s professional education program,
which runs over four days at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas
Every year IMEX America
works with a variety of leading industry partners and partner associations to
deliver an extensive and free education program to complement the strong
business focus of its three-day trade show. The majority of the education earns
CMP/ clock hours or other accreditation.
The 2013 program will kick
off with Smart Monday, Oct. 14, powered by strategic partner and premier
education provider MPI, and also including specialist education from a variety
of additional association partners. This unique pre-show day of education
allows all participants including buyers, exhibitors and trade attendees to
take part in valuable professional development sessions before the show even
opens.
Once the show is underway,
the education focus shifts to daily morning keynotes taking place before the
start of business, followed by regular sessions at various locations on the
show floor for maximum convenience and easy accessibility in between exhibitor
appointments.
The clever way to start -
Smart Monday
As the show’s strategic
partner, MPI runs its own full day program of education, which is open to both
MPI members and all other show attendees. It is free of charge.
Also taking place on Smart
Monday will be the IAEE CEM Program on ‘Security, Risk and Crisis Management’
plus expert seminars delivered by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing
Association International (HSMAI), the International Special Events Society
(ISES) and Site for the first time.
New this year are a number
of Smart Monday deep-dive education sessions. These 3.5 hour sessions will be
led by Paul Bridle, CEO of the Bridle Group, who will present “Leadership
Starts from Within” and David Bancroft-Turner, Director of Training Solutions,
Matrix TC, who will advise on “Using 'Personality DNA' to Influence, Sell and
Communicate More Effectively”. A sustainable event planning deep-dive will also
be presented by Paul Salinger, VP of Marketing Oracle; Shawna McKinley of
MeetGreen; Gina Broel, Senior Planner for Microsoft and Johanna Walsh.
A new set of deep-dives
has also been developed especially for meeting industry professionals with over
15 years’ experience. These sessions will address: “The 10 biggest mistakes to
avoid when owning a business”; “The Seven Deadly Sins of Managing People” and
“Strategic Marketing”.
Also taking place on Smart
Monday, powered by MPI, will be IMEX America’s Association Focus. Now in its
third year, this special, invitation-only event concentrates on the education
and networking needs of around 200 association executives with sessions
designed and delivered by ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership; ICCA and
PCMA.
Once IMEX America is
underway (Oct 15), a nine-track education program will take place at five show
floor locations including the IMEX-CIC
Inspiration Center
Data is Hot Topic for 2013
Several industry hot
topics are set to dominate the schedule this year, with data mining top of mind
for many. Addressing current data practices and challenges will be:
DoubleDutch’s “Become a Data-Driven Event Organizer: Tips and Tricks from the
Veterans” session, “Event ROI”, delivered by ISES and Aimia’s “Customer-Centric
Data, Big Loyalty”.
Example sessions in the
Marketing and Communications track include: “Aligning Marketing Strategies with
Changing Demographics” by IAEE; “How to Get More People, More of the Time to
Buy From You” by Matrix Training & Coaching and a Seven Degrees
Communications campfire on “Integrating Social Media into Your Business
Development Plan.”
Another hot topic will be
technology and apps where a dedicated track will include sessions on “Why
Hybrid Meetings Built Long-Term Engagement” by a team from Aimia; “Evernote
Should Be Called Eventnote: An Event Team's Best Friend,” by DAHLIA and The Meeting
Pool, and SongDivision’s “How Spotify and other Music Subscription Services Can
Bring Soul To Your Event.”
ISES Partnership Develops
In a development of its
IMEX partnership ISES will be running a series of educational sessions
throughout the show. These include “Quick Thinking Solutions to Last Minute
Events with Limited Resources”, “Incorporating Design into Your Event” and
“Leveraging Creativity to Produce Innovative New Ideas.”
Among the many expert
speakers likely to draw a big audience are Debi Scholar, Director of Managed
Meetings Strategies for American Express who presents “Mind the Gap: Risk
Mitigation in Meetings & Events”; Chief Confidence Officer, Alysser Dyver,
who will deliver a campfire on “Need to Know Marketing: Are You Getting The Biggest
Bang For Your Marketing Buck?” and motivational speaker and trainer, Robb
Braun, who will urge his campfire attendees to understand that “Success (In any
Endeavor) is in Your Mind.”
Speaking about the
strength of the education program as part of the trade show’s format, Carina
Bauer, IMEX Group CEO, explained: “In addition to the 2012 show’s strong
business performance, our feedback survey canvassed views on the variety and
quality of education on offer. It showed that 39% of hosted buyers rated our education
program ‘very important’. Of course, it’s essential for us to achieve a balance
between business opportunities – the primary focus for buyers and exhibitors –
and providing a range of other added-value services and education for our
attendees. I believe this year’s program hits the right mark with its excellent
quality and diversity.
