EUROPE - The Central American country of El Salvador and the Japanese city of Sendai has been awarded Wild Card places to exhibit at the 2012 IMEX meetings industry tradeshow in Frankfurt.
IMEX Frankfurt takes place 22-24 May and the wild card scheme offers applicants that show potential as new meetings and incentives travel destinations, free exhibition space and other benefits to help maximise their participation at the meetings exhibition.
In a change to the usual programme, this year's winners will also benefit from a new support package, provided by business events consultancy, GainingEdge. The company has committed to providing each winner with advice on prescheduled appointments, detailed sales training, press release training and a review of marketing collateral as well as advice on how to maximise trade show participation plus other business-critical tips.
To be eligible for a free place, Wild Card entrants are required to justify their potential as a meetings and incentive travel destination or a new convention and conference centre. They are also expected to demonstrate sufficient infrastructure and skill to support their ambition to flourish within the global meetings or incentive travel market.
Sendai in Japan was ravaged by a tsunami following the earthquake in March 2011. “The city of Sendai also known as ‘City of Trees’ has long hosted international conventions and groups, we are very accessible, have great venues, a fascinating local culture, beautiful nature and an excellent tradition of service but, until recently, our region of Japan was little known in the wider world,” said Yumiko Nakao, assistant manager of STCB.
“On March 11, 2011, Japan was struck by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake which resulted in severe damage to Sendai and surrounding regions. At IMEX, we would like to tell the international meetings and events industry that Sendai (and much of the Tohoku region) has rebuilt itself, is safe and is very much open for business.”
The Central American nation of El Salvador is the smallest country on the mainland of North and South America. Although the International Fair and Convention Center of El Salvador has been in the events industry for 46 years and has hosted a number of national and international events, the destination of El Salvador has never exhibited at an international meetings trade show before.
"Being awarded a Wild Card space this year is extra special due to the added attention brought by this being IMEX in Frankfurt's 10th anniversary plus GainingEdge's involvement,” says CEO of the IMEX Group, Carina Bauer. “Despite El Salvador's long history, it has remained largely hidden as a viable destination for the meetings industry and is now well placed to emerge from the shadows."
Previous Wild Card winners over the years have included Armenia, Western Siberia, the Hof Cultural Center in Iceland, The Cook Islands and Senegal.
The 10th IMEX in Frankfurt will take place 22 -24 May at Messe Frankfurt.
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