 
As February swings around, the AIME exhibition for the conference and events industry in Melbourne becomes the great tribal gathering of our industry.
AIME has gathered critical mass in recent years to the extent that many buyers of services in this sector no longer feel they have to migrate to the mega-shows in Europe and the USA.
Last year I participated as a hosted buyer and was pleased to find the show as relevant and stimulating as ever. There is a temptation when one’s been to a few of the shows to assume that one’s fully up to speed with the industry and there’s not a lot to be gained. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
I had some 25 scheduled appointments and found it helpful to devote the first couple of minutes providing the supplier with a concise snapshot of our business and what I was possibly looking for from them. It had the effect that we were both singing from the same song sheet when we came to discuss the service on offer. Also, what last year’s AIME told me was that – to use the unlamented Donald Rumsfeld’s logic – there was a lot that I didn’t know and it was only revealed by my participation.
Of course, AIME and the other industry events around the country are also a good opportunity to meet up with other buyers, many of whom are friendly competitors. The informal conversations where one can recommend or warn off a supplier are grist for the mill of our industry. One can also gain some useful market intelligence by attending the various seminars that pepper the program.
Another thing I noticed was how much better the interaction with a supplier is when the chief executive takes the time to capitalise on his or her investment by being available throughout the show and not leave the fielding of visitors to junior staffers. I’d also suggest that exhibitors put their mobile phones on mute or just switch them off. AIME is by no means the only forum for this interaction. Winston Broadbent at Saxton Speakers has long been proactive in organising regular events where his top speakers have a chance to strut their stuff before a corporate audience. There is a temptation after a long day of networking to give the official dinner a miss, but there’s certainly some value in having at least one of your team attend as there is often new talent being showcased. It’s also useful to get a first-hand impression of the staging and presentation techniques employed at this event.
For more information, contact
Bryan Holliday at ICMS Australasia at
02 9254-5000. www.icmsaust.com.au
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