Bangkok will play host to some of the brightest up-and-coming students in the international meetings and incentive travel industry when the IMEX – MPI & IT&CMA Future Leaders Forum takes place at The Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld on 6 and 7 October 2009.
This initiative, developed and organised jointly by IMEX, the leading exhibition for meetings and incentive travel held in Frankfurt, and MPI (Meetings Professionals International), offers talented young students the chance to gain an unrivalled insight into how to build a successful career within this expansive industry.
“We are investing in the future”, says Carina Bauer, IMEX marketing and operations director. “The Future Leaders Forum effectively assists up and coming event organisers in developing their talents and enhancing their understanding of the market so that they are equipped with the knowledge needed to one day lead the industry. Proof of this is the fact that the Forums have now become hunting grounds for savvy employers who want to snap up the best students at the very start of their careers.”
In addition to Mrs Pornthip Hirunkate, secretary general at the Tourism Council of Thailand, speaking on the meetings industry in Thailand, the day will comprise of a series of presentations from leading industry experts. Robin Lokerman, president of MCI Asia Pacific and CEO, Institutional Division, will be speaking on ‘The Meetings Industry – Not a job but a career!’; Jane Vong Holmes, managing director at Best Cities Global Alliance, will discuss ‘Meetings for Generation Y’; and IMEX’s director of international relations, Tom Hulton, will present ‘Cross-Cultural Understanding for Effective Business in the Meetings Industry’.
Students will also be given the opportunity to create and plan their own perfect event in team exercises before presenting their work to a panel of judges on the second day of the Forum, but not before a group visit to the IT&CMA & CTW Exhibition. The Future Leaders Forum will also consist of the Bangkok stage of the International University Challenge. Students will have prepared presentations in advance of the Forum to deliver to the panel of judges who will decide on an overall winner. This student will then be invited to compete against other International University Challenge winners from around the globe at next year’s IMEX Exhibition, taking place 25 – 27 May 2010 in Frankfurt, Germany.
All students receive a Certificates of Participation at the end of the Bangkok Future Leaders Forum and then an ongoing communications, networking and mentoring programme allows students to stay in touch with peers from around the world and continue to build their industry knowledge.
Offering unique culture, traditions, cuisine and landscapes as well as a healthy infrastructure, Thailand expects to receive 636,000 foreign visitors for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) in 2010. This will include over 400 different events and generate an estimated 45,100 million baht income. This demonstrates the value of the MICE industry to Thailand and the Future Leaders Forum has been designed as a means of securing a bright future by investing in the next generation of industry leaders.
IMEX – MPI Future Leader Forums will also take place this year in destinations around the world as widespread as Shanghai, Belgrade, Warsaw, Rome, Puerto Rico and Vancouver. Around 900 students will take part in the 2009 programme, with approximately 3000 students having undertaken the programme since its launch in 2003. 80 per cent of those stated they are “more likely to enter the industry as a result of attending the Future Leaders Forum.”
Carina Bauer finished: “The Future Leaders Forum is a life-changing experience for many of the students that take part. Most come away with the knowledge and experience that sets them apart from the crowd when looking for that all important break-through into their dream job and many are successful in securing internships and jobs through the Forum. Furthermore, it offers the mentoring and educational opportunities that will help to secure the future of the industry by producing a new generation of leaders.”
