Everything it seems was bigger and better at AIME 2008 in Melbourne: there were more hosted buyers (from 370 in 2007 to 496 in 2008), there was a 24 per cent jump in visitors, and exhibitors swelled to 850, which included 243 new exhibiting companies.
The event itself has also grown, now covering a total area of 13,500 square metres, thanks in part to many long-time show exhibitors increasing their floor space.
AIME 2008, the 16th Asia Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo, held from February 17 to 18, offered plenty of new experiences, exhibitors, product suppliers, and thankfully for those who had paid out money for pre-scheduled appointments, a strong contingent of hosted buyers from around Australia and the world.
Some exhibitors were happy that the traditional sit-down AIME dinner held a few years back has now well and truly seen its use by date. It gave them time to head back to their hotel rooms to write proposals for those eager buyers they had met on day one of the two-day tradeshow.
Perhaps more clearly than previous years, AIME has now cemented itself as Australia’s premier event for the business events market. Even Tourism Australia put its weight behind the expo, exhibiting for the first time in many years, and taking the opportunity to launch its new business events brand strategy (see story page 27).
AIME event organiser, Reed Exhibitions, was understandably happy with preliminary feedback from exhibitors and visitors.
Exhibition director, Rosemarie Sama said AIME 2008 was the largest event to date, covering more space than ever before.
“A record number of visitors and hosted buyers attended AIME with final unaudited total attendance numbers reaching a record high of 3268, almost 24 per cent higher than for last year,” she said.
“Our feedback so far has been fantastic, with most of the comments focusing on the quality of both exhibitors and buyers, the organisation of the event and the impressive array of exhibits and feature areas.”
THEY SAID
Queensland-based buyer
Judy Burling, Judy Burling Inc.
“I found this year much more beneficial than last year. There is a great cross-section of exhibitors, and not just venues but plenty of product as well. The networking opportunities have also been great.”
Northern Territory exhibitor
Leanne Toogood, business development manager, Northern Territory Convention Bureau
“We’ve had a really productive show [with] a lot of interest and good leads. We have 28 people [working on the stand] and 18 operating businesses. I seriously don’t think I’m going to get out of the office for the next few weeks with the amount of leads we have secured.”
Queensland exhibitor
Julie Ford, business tourism manager, Hamilton Island
“There does not seem to be as much foot traffic as in previous years but I think that this is probably because the visitors are well qualified. AIME has worked well for us this year.”
NSW exhibitors
Sally Irwin and Tai Petit, Rosehill Gardens
“We have had quality appointments. Being a Melbourne show [and the fact that we are a Sydney venue] the walkthrough traffic hasn’t been great for us. We did have quite a number of Sydney-based buyers in our PSAs [pre-scheduled appointments] and so we have some very good leads. We will definitely be here next year.”
National exhibitors
Michelle Deece and Kimberly Ashton, Off-Site Connections Event Management
“We have had a lot of great leads from the walk-through traffic and through the PSAs. We have had interest from what we offer in Australia and now with our offices in Asia. AIME has also been an opportunity to catch up with clients.”
National buyer
Jennifer Noonan, marketing manager, Manhattan Associates
“It’s such an easy option to come here and have everyone in the same place, certainly from a buyers’ point of view and especially as a corporate who doesn’t necessarily organise conferences all day every day but more as a project, coming here certainly saves a lot of time.”
As the AIME 08 conference came to a successful end many delegates enthusiastically claimed this year’s event as the best ever!
In its sixth year of collaboration with the industry’s leading event, Staging Connections too was delighted with the company’s association with AIME 08. Not only did Staging Connections mark its presence at the exhibition with an innovative environmentally friendly eco-stand, its creative team led by industry guru Jon Smith conceptualised and staged the major social event of the AIME08 exhibition – the Welcome Reception at the Docklands.
According to Jon the Welcome Reception went off without a hitch, however, there were unexpected surprises over which he had no control such as a ferry sinking right out the front of Pier 5 just minutes before doors opened!
According to Jon “the ferry incident had us a bit worried …momentarily. We were all geared to open the doors and give 2500 guests the time of their lives when the ferry started to sink right before our eyes. Luckily the drama unfolded quickly and we were able to continue with our official opening on time and without any hiccups whatsoever which is remarkable for an event of this scale.”
As well as guests, praise for Staging Connections’ creative concepts and execution of the Welcome Reception event came from all quarters including the event sponsor, the MCVB.
MCVB’s general manager, marketing + communications, Nikki Seymour-Smith confirmed that feedback to the event had been exceptional.
“We were absolutely thrilled with the Welcome Reception; theming, passionate staff, entertainment, décor…even the ship sinking…you guys are great! It has been such a pleasure to work with an enthusiastic, dedicated, sensational group of people,” Nikki said.
Reed Travel Exhibitions’ much-anticipated AIME 2008 Awards were announced on the second day of the event with the following results:
Elizabeth Rich, executive director of the Business Events Council of Australia, won the Industry Person of the Year Award for the Asia Pacific region. Elizabeth’s 30 year career in the meetings industry has included the management of two of Australia’s leading industry associations, the establishment of industry education programs and lobbying of successive governments on the value of the business events industry. Ms Rich also manages the AIME Business Events Forum and ICCA Youth Forum at AIME.
The AIME Award for the Industry Person of the Year in the International category was won by Martin Lewis, managing editor of Meetings & Incentive Travel magazine, based in the United Kingdom. In presenting the award, RTE group exhibition director, Paul Kennedy, described Martin as a true internationalist, an outspoken commentator on industry affairs, a speaker and presenter whose body of work over the last 20 years has gone beyond his company’s self interest.
The AIME Awards also included five categories of stand awards including a new environmental stand award and an award for the Best Environmental Supplier. Winners were:
Best Single Exhibitor Stand - Flemington - The Event Centre
Best Multi Exhibitor Stand - Northern Territory Convention Bureau
Most Creative Stand Design - Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority
Best Environmental Supplier - Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC)
Best New Exhibitor Stand - Tourism Australia
Best Environmental Stand - Intercontinental Hotels Group, New Zealand
THEY SAID
Gold Coast exhibitor
Jacqui Taylor, director - business tourism, Tourism Gold Coast
“I have brought five staff down to the show so they are all learning new contacts and it’s a cost effective way to do it and I could never have taken five people to an overseas trade show, so it does have a lot of value for us and it’s just as good quality, without a doubt.”
International exhibitor
Rajat Gera, regional manager international sales, Cox & Kings (India) Ltd.
“I was actually really excited to be at AIME, we’ve had a lot of walk-ins and a great set of appointments and a great reach. Actually it was above my expectation because it’s my first time at AIME.”
Melbourne exhibitor
Rachael Stokes, conference & events manager, Citigate Albert Park Melbourne
“There are all these people that you know or might have worked with that you get a chance to see so it’s really nice to catch up. And people have obviously made an effort with their stands and it’s well laid out.”
Queensland exhibitor
Jackie Roulston Stuart, general manager QLD, Solution RED
“Solution RED has been an active participant in AIME for many years and the 2008 event certainly provided us with a valuable platform to further solidify our brand position. We have so many areas of expansion to communicate to our partners and industry alike. AIME 2008 successfully delivered the right showcase opportunity for us to launch our new offices in NSW and Queensland, announce the arrival of our new & improved website and to further display our technical and creative ability in the AIME Theatre. Further to this, we were thrilled to work with our partners, Flemington - The Event Centre, to design & create the winning individual exhibition stand of the show.”
Almost every hour on the hour throughout the two-day event one company or another were announcing new products, refurbishments, expansion plans, and everything in-between. mice.net highlights some of these over the following pages:
New brand for Melbourne Centre
When you’re spending millions of dollars on construction of a new convention centre you might as well invest in a new logo too. The new convention centre development, now called the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) has adopted a distinctive contemporary three dimensional ‘M’ brand mark. Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre director of marketing, Petrina Gillespie, says a bold identity change was vital to reflect what will be Melbourne’s new meeting place.
Mercure’s carbon neutral meetings
Mercure hotels launched its carbon-neutral conferencing product at AIME 2008. Under the Mercure Meetings package Mercure hotels will fully fund offsets for carbon emissions produced during conferences held at Mercure properties. Mercure has teamed up with the Carbon Reduction Institute to streamline the carbon offset process. Other initiatives of the Mercure Meetings packages includes the creation of special healthy menus for conference groups, guaranteed same-day response to conference enquiries, and the latest in AV equipment. Visit www.mercuremeetings.com.au for further details.
Singapore flyer up and away
The Singapore Flyer, modelled after the London Eye (but taller), completed its first rotation in March, in plenty of time for the launch of the world’s first Formula 1 night race on September 28. The Singapore Flyer is being targeted at corporate conference and incentive groups. It offers 28 capsules, each with a capacity of 28 guests, as well as other event spaces, the largest of which can seat up to 600 people.
The world’s highest meetings space
The Park Hyatt Shanghai, set to open in July 2008, will be contained within the tallest building in China, have its lobby on the 87th floor, and offer the world’s highest meetings space. The property will offer 174 guest rooms with the smallest hotel room still a whopping 55 square metres in size. Director of marketing, May Pendraat, said it will be the only hotel in Shanghai where you can safely drink water straight from the tap. Rack rates for the property will be around USD520 per room per night. The opening of the Park Hyatt Shanghai will be closely followed by the opening of the Park Hyatt Beijing in late July 2008.
Heritage Queenstown’s new convention space
Heritage Queenstown’s new convention centre facility opens this month (April 2008) with the group naming it the Icon Conference Centre.
The two-storey venue is said to be suitable for a range of events, and will certainly prove popular with its stunning views across Lake Wakatipu. Some people may not know that the Heritage Queenstown is the only hotel in Queenstown which has a swimming pool. Heritage also announced at AIME that they had assumed management of Esplanade Residences by Heritage Hotels – luxury three-bedroom accommodation on the lakefront.
The all green Novotel Creswick Forest Resort
Novotel Creswick Forest Resort has announced its property as Australia’s first drought-proof resort. Developer Jim Walsh said they were very conscious of their ecological footprint when building the resort. This recognition led to developers building their own water treatment plant which is expected to not only benefit the resort, but make an impact on the surrounding region. The resort is located 80 minutes northwest of Melbourne in what is considered the heart of Victoria’s spa region, between Ballarat and Daylesford. The hotel was due to open in March.
ePresenter sets a new standard
Continuing with the green theme at AIME was ePresenter which enables exhibitors to edit posters and present posters without the economic or environmental cost. ePresenter is recent technology that enables delegates to view electronic posters as well as enabling users to edit their work without the cost of re-printing. This technology enables conference organisers to manage submissions and the display of posters in an efficient way. The system is broken down into three modules of author, reviewer and delegate.
So much to offer in Mackay
Even though you may be familiar with Mackay because of its unseasonably wet weather lately, drenching this part of Queensland, Mackay has much more to offer than just rain. Mackay’s newest drawcard, to be revealed early next year will be the Mackay Convention and Entertainment Centre. In addition to this Mackay Tourism is expecting a 50 per cent rise in total hotel room inventory over the next three years, with more than 1000 additional rooms either planned or proposed. Mackay is located mid-way between Brisbane and Cairns and has direct flights on most major airlines from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
A new RED website
Solution Red claims to be one of Australia’s leading technical and creative services companies and announced at AIME the addition of two new creative event services offices that will open in New South Wales and Queensland.
In conjunction with these new offices, Jackie Rouleston Stuart has been appointed as general manager for the Queensland branch and Brett Dennis is now the New South Wales general manager.
While managing director Rhona Walker was thrilled with these new developments she also announced the launch of the new Solution Red website, which will enable users access to event experts.
Shimmering on the Gold Coast
The news on the Gold Coast is Very-juicy with popularity that seems to continue to grow and according to Gold Coast Tourism this area’s prosperity is Very-much on the rise. The team at Gold Coast Tourism presented figures at AIME that showed its domestic travellers surpassed that of Australia’s other major capitals Sydney and Melbourne.
Gold Coast Tourism reported an increase in overall MICE market share and this looks to continue once the $10 million development of the Gold Coast Convention Centre is completed in November this year. The next big development for this area will be the Hilton at Surfers Paradise which is due for completion in 2010.
Ovation goes Global
Ovation Global DMC took the opportunity of AIME to announce its launch into the Asia Pacific meetings and incentive market. This group, which is said to be the world’s first global, wholly-owned DMC organisation, is offering destination management services at over 12 local destinations throughout the EU and Gulf states of the Middle East. Ovation is already planning to open more offices in Austria, China, India and Portugal throughout this year.
Hilton’s go-to-guy at Melbourne’s South Wharf
With AIME situated just next door to a construction site that will soon be home to the new Hilton South Wharf it’s hard not to get caught up in the excitement, and new general manager Michael Bourne is certainly looking forward to this new property.
The property is due for completion next March and according to Hilton Vice President Ashley Spencer this property is the biggest Hilton development since the major refurbishment of the Sydney CBD property in 2005. The hotel will comprise 364 rooms, which will include 26 suites and an additional 32 apartments that have been specifically designed with conference planners or longer-stay guests in mind. At AIME, Michael Bourne was announced as the general manager of this new property. He will be looking after this up scale full-service hotel which will be built in conjunction with the new Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. This development is sure to make an impact on the business events market.
Grand Hyatt Melbourne makeover
The Grand Hyatt Melbourne is on track to reveal its $40 million renovation to the world beginning in August 2008 with the completion of its restaurant and bar. The hotel’s upper and lower lobbies, entrances, retail space and a brand new events centre should all be completed by October 2008. The event space, to be called the Residence, is being described as a “spectacular event venue unlike any other function space in Australia. Guests entering the Residence will feel like they are entering a private home with a soaring conservatory blending soft interiors with natural lighting. The Residence combines an impressive collection of individually-styled rooms including a dramatic functional kitchen opening onto a stunning terrace overlooking Collins Street and a garden courtyard.”
You can keep up to date with all that is happening at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne by reading the general manager’s blog at: http://davidmansfield.typepad.com/thesiteoffice/ />
Environmentally responsible products
Execugifts has announced the launch of a brand-new division under the name of Envirogifts. This division specialises in offering a range of environmentally responsible products for the business tourism sector. The Envirogifts slogan “Environmentally Responsible” refers to products that provide reduced waste, are reusable and durable, energy efficient, free from hazardous ingredients and not resourced from environmentally sensitive regions. Visit www.envirogifts.com.au for further details.
Emirates'’ first australian resort
The Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa is on track to open in August 2009. Catering for a maximum of 80 guests the rack rate at the property, about 2.5 hours by car from Sydney, will be around $1700 to $2000 per couple per night. This price includes all meals, with alcohol extra. The $100 million resort will be contained on less than two per cent of the 4000 acre property. The resort and spa is being modelled on Emirates’ Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa, the conservation-based resort set in the 225 square kilometre Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve. This exclusive venue averages occupancy levels above 90 per cent. Emirates is looking at building three or four other similar properties in Australia.
As Deni Hines belted out tunes to VIP visitors on the Sydney Convention & Visitors Bureau stand at the AIME exhibition in Melbourne, Tourism Australia executives were urging their special guests to move closer so they could hear what the Business Events Australia brand was all about.
It was the first time in many years that Tourism Australia had decided to exhibit at AIME, with the event providing the peak tourism organisation with a perfect platform from which to launch the new brand. At least that was how it was probably envisaged prior to the big moment.
For those who could hear, Tourism Australia explained how the Business Events Australia brand had been developed in consultation with the industry.
“In recent months Tourism Australia has worked in close consultation with the Association of Australian Convention Bureaux (AACB), Conventions Australia, the Business Events Council of Australia (BECA), and other industry leaders to develop the brand,” Tourism Australia said.
But that certainly didn’t seem to be the case at the critical launch of the brand identity when there appeared to be a lack of communication between Tourism Australia and the Sydney Convention & Visitors Bureau with the two events happening simultaneously.
This was very clearly an error by one or both parties in failing to coordinate their activities, however, those with a knowledge of the past history of Tourism Australia with some of the state-funded convention and visitor bureaux may have believed that this clash of events was a continuation of the bad old days when TA and bureaux didn’t always see eye to eye. Hopefully, this is all in the past.
Tourism Australia managing director, Geoff Buckley, says the new Business Events Australia brand would help strengthen Australia’s position in the increasingly competitive global business events market.
“Our message is: Come to a country unlike any other, an ancient land with a welcoming culture that’s fresh and dynamic. It’s a place where ideas thrive. Bring your people and be inspired to create great things in Australia,” he says.
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