“How do we do a better job of including everybody in our events, no matter what their need might be?”
That question was considered very seriously by the IMEX Group when creating the educational lineup for the Inspiration Hub—which will feature approximately 170+ sessions during this year’s IMEX in Frankfurt (May 23-25), according to Tahira Endean, CITP, CMP, CED, head of programme for the IMEX Group.
Endean, who has been on the job for less than a year—she was previously head of events for the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE)—says she has always been impressed with the way IMEX brings new ideas into the meeting industry.
“We see new activations and we always see education that is really on the edge of where we’re going,” she says.
This year, of course, is certainly no exception, with a wide range of sessions in a very easy-to-manage schedule.
Learn much more about what to expect at IMEX in Frankfurt. The wide variety of Inspiration Hub topics includes resilience, crisis management, building sustainable business and much more.
“You’ll find whether it’s contracts or the newest thing that’s happening with AI, we’re always bringing in leading-edge speakers as well as people who are actively working in the industry,” Endean says. “The idea is that it happens in short bursts, so it really works on that 30-minute IMEX cycle. Sometimes the sessions are 45 minutes if it’s a panel so there is time with more people to go a bit deeper, but otherwise you can finish an appointment and go get some education, or leave with a fresh idea to take back to your next appointment.”
She says it’s most important for attendees to learn something that will help them then ask better questions when meeting with exhibitors and colleagues.
“Whether it’s about sustainability, contracts, food and beverage or what’s happening with pricing, you’re basically able to apply what you’re learning right away,” Endean says.
Education at IMEX in Frankfurt begins on May 22, the day before show floor opens, with programming built for specific, usually buyer-focused audiences—including association, corporate, agency and incentive meeting professionals—as well as Event Design Collective certificate offerings.
Some highlights of the main educational programming that follows May 23-25 include “She Means Business” (with five sessions) and the Frankfurt introduction of AVoice4All, a program that debuted with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion at IMEX America last year and will feature four sessions in Frankfurt, Endean says.
Added for this year’s IMEX in Frankfurt are sessions focused on event marketing and experience design delivered by expert practitioners. Endean points out that many events are delivered by marketing departments.
“We didn’t have a lot of content for that, so we’re really bringing in some interesting, focused content that looks at how do you market end to end,” she says. “It could be anything from a copywriting session to digital marketing to how are you integrating AI into your digital marketing now. And then with experience design, we’re working with some people who are deeply involved in experience design we have met through involvement with the World Experience Organization.” (One experience-focused session can’t really be held on the show floor because of all the screaming—presented by Michael Badelt, who will share insights into creating immersive haunted attractions.)
Endean says the person who leads a menopause and perimenopause support group at the IMEX office will be leading a session at IMEX, too.
“It’s a two-part session; a gentleman who will be joining for the second part,” she says. “It’s really about how does that phase of life, which impacts all of us at some point, also impact the partners in our lives, and also our work and our colleagues? And what are some of the things that we need to be thinking about to get through a time that can be a bit challenging for people.”
“The idea is that it happens in short bursts, so it really works on that 30-minute IMEX cycle.”
Endean is particularly excited about the personal and professional development offered via a new addition: the Ideation Station.
“If you were at IMEX America and went through the Encore experience, you know it was all in a black box,” she says. “This year, they’re opening it all up, no black box. Essentially, we’ll have a number of speakers who are not only great speakers with really interesting content (around resilience, crisis management, building sustainable businesses, etc.) and deep knowledge around business practices, but also trained facilitators. The idea is it will be seven or eight minutes of presenting an industry problem we have to solve and then 15 or 20 minutes of ideation. We’ll be collecting all of those ideas onto iPads. We anticipate in each session the participants will come up with 50 to 100 ideas about what the industry can be doing. Some of the challenges are around identifying the problems we have now such as the talent shortage or budget constraints. How do we work together as an industry to solve these real problems?”
Biophilia is also being brought into the IMEX learning environment, Endean says.
“We have these beautiful rooms: Canyon, Ocean and Forest. They’re scented, there’s sound and each really has its own distinct setting,” she says. “So if you’re sitting in the forest, you’re sitting on a stump. If you’re in the ocean, you’re on a surfboard. And MPI will feature their content in a gorgeous Valley this year.”
Clearly, there’s something (or somethings) for everyone at IMEX. Learn more about this year’s event.
Photos courtesy IMEX Group.
