With the international, award-winning meetings, incentive travel and events industry trade event, IMEX in Frankfurt, just two months away, the IMEX Group has announced the entire education line-up for its hallmark Association Day, which occurs on the Messe Frankfurt Congress Center on Monday 20th May.
This year’s programme have been devised in consultation with association executives, lots of whom have attended IMEX Association Day formerly. The result’s an afternoon of pro education, discussion and networking that addresses association professionals’ most necessary issues from the association perspective – focussing on case studies and group discussion. The sessions also take the overarching theme of ‘innovation’ for the primary time.
Rich and sundry – 10 seminars across 3 tracks
Following a networking lunch, the 300 delegates could have a call of 10 education sessions which occur across three separate tracks to mirror the differing roles and responsibilities of the Association Day audience: ‘Executive’ (targeting strategic development issues); ‘operations’ (specializing in logistical issues) and ‘meetings’, a good way to treat implementation and delivery challenges. Speakers were drawn from a various group of association executives, in addition to reflecting the worldwide nature of the audience.
The first executive track session will see Willis Turner CAE CME CSE, CEO, of Sales & Marketing Executives International, Inc. discussing “The quest for relevance: Free is a business model”. Turner will address the thorny problems with member subscription rates and attrition, long-term value and ‘fear’ of competition. Following him may be Carla Nagel, Director of the Neuromarketing Science & Business Association, who will explain how she developed a method for a brand new field by making the most of her online skills and open-minded attitude. Since she seriously is not an association manager by experience, Nagel’s session is determined to present a fresh tackle “How to develop an association inside the digital age.”
In the primary operations track of the day, Kevin Novak, Vice chairman of recent Business Development and Digital Strategies for the yank Institute of Architects (AIA), will share his expertise on “Virtualizing and Hybridizing your Events for Greater Impact and Participation.” Jointly “Innovative Ideas for Growing an Association” would be presented by Ajay Kakar, President Elect and Vice chairman of the Indian Academy of Aesthetic and Cosmetic Dentistry and International Academy of Periodontology.
Lady Gaga’s intriguing contribution
Elsewhere within the afternoon’s intensive programme, other sessions will include: “Marketing like Lady Gaga”, by Sheri Jacobs, CAE, President & CEO of Avenue M Group (an ASAE devised session); “Sustainability and Growth of Congresses in Difficult Times” by Davi Kaur of the ECCO European CanCer Association and, within the meetings track, “How to apply different models for evaluating your event”, for you to be moderated by Martin Sirk, CEO of ICCA. Also within the meetings track, William Thomson, Founding father of Gallus Events and Jo Lewis, Sponsorship Manager for The British Dietetic Association (BDA), will co-present a case study on how a brand new client brief – “create. excite. innovate” – generated a totally different technique to the association’s events. The meetings track rounds off with Sherrif Karamat, CAE, and Chief Operating Officer of PCMA, giving his perspective on “Innovative Delivery in Meetings and Events.”
Speaking in regards to the quality of this year’s Association Day programme, IMEX Group CEO, Carina Bauer, explains: “I am delighted that, especially during the last two years, we have now been ready to devote new resources and fresh direction to Association Day, making it an excellent more valuable element of our extensive education offering for the show. The one way for the sphere to flourish and grow is thru empowering and educating people who work inside it. IMEX is incredibly pleased to be a part of this ongoing effort by providing a single day of free professional education of the very best quality, and likewise bringing together association executives for important networking and relationship building.”
15 round-tables are icing at the cake
The 2013 Association Day will finish off with a call of 15 facilitated round-table discussions, including: ‘Entering New Markets: Keys to Success’; ‘Membership Recruitment and/or Retention Tactics’; ‘Social Media & Viral Marketing’; ‘Conference VAT’ and ‘The art of successful bidding.’ These small facilitated group discussions also act as a networking opportunity, moreover the networking breaks scheduled in the course of the day.
Finally, and as tradition now has it, Association Day will lead to a ‘doors open’ evening reception on the Westin, that’s open to IMEX exhibitors who’re also members of the organising associations. This permits suppliers the danger to satisfy, network and do business with the association buyers who attended the sooner event.