Association Forum of Chicagoland Partners
with IMEX America
Offers Member Participation in Hosted Buyer Program
Many Association Forum members organize, influ- ence or make budgetary decisions for interna- tional events, but need to learn more about how to find global partners and conduct business with the global meetings industry.
Association Forum has found a way to provide this knowledge
to its membership this year through a unique partnership with
the inaugural IMEX America show, a new exhibition for the
worldwide meetings, events and incentive travel industry on
October 11-13 in Las Vegas.
The partnership means that association meeting professional
members have a new opportunity to meet with exhibitors of
their choice for focused one-to-one appointments during this
show to help them solve challenges and determine business
solutions. It also is an opportunity for Association Forum members to become more adept with the state of international meetings and current challenges related to conducting business in
the global marketplace.
“We’re pleased to partner with IMEX America and provide a
new, members-only benefit so our members can participate in
the IMEX America hosted buyer program,” says Christie A. Tar-
antino, CAE, president and CEO of Association Forum, which
also will exhibit at the tradeshow and provide education during
the Association Day & Evening event on Oct. 10 — “Smart Mon-
day”— the day prior to the show’s opening. “Our partnership
means our members producing international events have a new
opportunity to stay abreast of industry changes and become
connected with more than 1,500 global exhibitors of their
choice.”
Association Forum members are invited to take part in the
IMEX America hosted buyer program, which offers complimen-
tary flights, accommodation and ground transfers. In turn, the
program assures exhibitors that they have the opportunity to
meet and have business appointments with more than 2,000
hosted buyers who are among the world’s top-spending meet-
ings, incentives and association buyers. To qualify for the
hosted buyer program, members will need to meet certain crite-
ria and commit to attend four individual appointments per day
at the show with exhibitors of their choice.
Q&A with Carina Bauer, CEO,
IMEX Group:
FORUM: Please provide an overview of
planning an international trade show,
including how to find partners, navigate a different culture and manage
increased risk.
Bauer: Over the past nine years we’ve
had the chance to develop and refine a
new type of tradeshow experience and
our learning curve with IMEX in Frankfurt
has greatly informed the way we have
approached the launch of our new U.S.
show, IMEX America.
At the core of the IMEX model of
tradeshow is our hosted buyer program,
whereby we cover the costs for thousands
of key buyers to travel to and stay free at
the show. The hosted buyers pre-arrange
thousands of appointments with exhibi-
tors prior to the show and in this way
business opportunities, on both sides, are
guaranteed. This program and appoint-
ment system has been constantly refined
over the past 10 years to ensure that buy-
ers and suppliers are able to maximize
their time and ROI at the show.
