IMEX kicks off at Messe Frankfurt.IMEX, the meetings industry
hosted-buyer trade show held annually in Frankfurt, Germany, kicked off today. This year’s
edition offers 3,500 exhibitors — including first-timers Barbados Tourism,
Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts, the Indian Hotels Co., the Hong Kong Airport Authority,
Vietnam Partners and Nobu Hotels — from 172 countries. The event runs through
May 23.
This year’s show’s theme is
“imagination,” and there is plenty of it throughout the show floor. Among the most colorful examples are adorable robots that can sing, dance and serve as event
emcees; holographic presenters; a painting studio, and clever work pods that
resemble tiny cottages.
Education is also on the
IMEX agenda: more than 250 courses are taking place during the show. Yesterday,
dubbed EduMonday, featured all-day learning in tracks for corporate planners,
association planners and agency directors. Imex’s women’s forum, She Means
Business, also took place yesterday, with Anne Kjar Riechert, founder of the
nonprofit ReDI School of Digital Integration, delivering the keynote.