Organisers of the annual Asia-Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo (AIME) 2011 are expecting the show to generate record business for exhibitors with Hosted and Semi Hosted Buyer spots filling up fast and 50% of registered Hosted Buyer’s new to the show in 2011.
AIME is in its 19th year and is the largest exhibition showcase in the Asia-Pacific region for the business events industry, held from 15 – 16 February 2011 at the award winning Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC).
This year, AIME have introduced the ‘Refer a Friend’ program for the first time ever. This gives Hosted Buyers the opportunity to refer a friend to be part of the Hosted Buyer Program and if they successfully qualify, their own registration fee will be waived.
Sally de Swart, AIME’s Event Director, says that the Hosted Buyer Program is renowned for its quality reputation of generating genuine business leads and sales transactions, and continually attracts large numbers of quality buyers.
“AIME’s Hosted Buyer Program has proven increasingly popular year-on-year and the early registrations to date indicate that AIME 2011 will certainly be yet another successful event for both exhibitors and hosted buyers alike,” Sally said.
“Demand has been high with International Hosted Buyer spots almost full and the Australian and New Zealand Buyer places filling up fast. The 2010 event broke buyer records with a 9.7% increase on 2009 with 513 attending from over 33 countries around the world. Following this success we are set to target over 500 Hosted Buyers yet again for the 2011 show.
“Visitor registration for 2011 is also currently ahead of last year’s numbers to date and we are aiming to exceed the impressive figure of 3,101 visitors who attended the 2010 event.”
In the 2010 AIME survey report it was shown that 93% of Hosted Buyers were likely to place business as a result of attending AIME and they stated high levels of satisfaction in regard to identifying new products and suppliers at the event.
A range of exclusive benefits are made available to buyers accepted as part of the program including, complimentary flights and accommodation, pre-touring in Victoria and access to AIME’s famous networking and educational opportunities. To maximise the two day event, hosted buyers have a personalised appointment schedule, which allows them to meet with the exhibitors they are interested in doing business with.
For more information about AIME 2011, visit www.aime.com.au
