Today, Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME) shared insights from its 2024 event, revealing that deals between exhibitors and buyers are

Managed by the Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB), AIME stands as the premier trade event in the Asia Pacific region for the global meetings and events industry, marking the inaugural occasion on the international business events calendar. This edition of AIME attracted over 600 Hosted Buyers from diverse corners of the globe, 570 exhibitors representing 33 nations, and an additional attendance exceeding 4,000 visitors. The event is considered essential for suppliers, business event organizers, and key decision-makers aiming to achieve significant business impacts.

Ron Anderson, Creative Experience Officer, makes a comeback at AIME 2024 to discuss his event management strategies and their impact on the greater good.

He emphasizes the importance of core values within a team, not only for achieving success but also for improving the world.

Key points include curiosity, fun, individuality, fairness, justice, and trust in your team’s abilities.

Anderson also shares a compelling anecdote from his 2018 Cambodia trip, organized for a client.

The AIME 2024 event started with a bang, featuring the “First Nations Cultures in Events” session, led by John Burgess and Emma Bamblett. The session highlighted the integration of Indigenous innovations into Australian tourism, emphasizing the importance of recognizing Indigenous contributions across industries.

The event, held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, boasted over 550 exhibitors, attracting global visitors and buyers. The event layout, which featured the new Ideas Academy space by Spice, made it easy for attendees to interact seamlessly. The presence of convention bureaus from Korea, Thailand, and Western Australia, alongside companies from Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong, created a lively networking hub. The Accor Buyer Lounge served as a central meeting point for key stakeholders.

The AIME 2024 event underscored the importance of environmental sustainability in the events industry through a panel discussion titled “Planet: The Net Zero Carbon Events Pledge.” Led by Kai Hattendorf, CEO of UFI, the session aimed to align with the Paris Agreement’s goals, emphasizing a shift to achieving net zero emissions. Hattendorf highlighted the urgent need for the events sector to contribute positively to the global environmental agenda.

The Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) is embarking on a new partnership with seven prominent Malaysian business events organizations. These include Business Events Sarawak, Langkawi Development Authority, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Borneo Convention Centre Kuching, One World Hotel, Sunway Resort, and The Westin Langkawi Resort and Spa. Their collaboration aims to enhance the Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME), scheduled from February 19 to 21 at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre.

New Zealand Shines at AIME 2024, Aiming to Host 90 Conferences Worth $135m

Tourism New Zealand’s Business Events team, along with 30 industry partners, made a strong showing at AIME 2024, highlighting New Zealand as a top destination for business events. The event drew over 600 global buyers, providing an ideal platform for New Zealand to showcase its stunning landscapes, rich culture, and innovative sectors.

The land of Fiji materialises in the city of Melbourne to join AIME 2024, described as the “happiest place in the world” by their business team.

“Other countries have sandy beaches, for us the people make Fiji unique” said travel industry leader.

She represents one of several voices for her country, inviting attendees to sample Yaqona (pronounced young-gore-na) at their booth. This beverage is made from the roots of the pepper plant family, dried and ground into powder, then strained with water, resembling tea. Natawake describes it as a social drink in Fiji, originally a ceremonial tradition.

Discover the essence of New Zealand’s values. Leonie Ashford, the events manager for tourism in New Zealand, shares why her country is the ideal investment destination in a one-on-one interview.

“We all know the Australian’s love New Zealand, whether it’s summer or winter, to come over and have their incentive programs or conferences,” said Ashford.

A total of 60 people were dressed in their special 100% pure New Zealand branded shirts at AIME 2024. The Tiaki symbol represents “care for place, care for people, and care for our community,” said Ashford.

Boundaries are dismantled, and extraordinary moments are realized by the visionaries at AIME 2024.

Fernando Barraza emphasizes the significance of storytelling and authentic connections through entertainment.

Barraza is the visionary behind Cirkus Bizurkus, a pioneering entertainment agency that debuted during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.