Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME), which returns to Melbourne in February, has announced a partnership with Australian charity, Guide Dogs Victoria (GDV) designed to bring a pop-up sensory experience workshop to the show.
In an industry first, Guide Dogs Victoria will run its award-winning programme, Dialogue in the Dark, as part of AIME’s Knowledge Programme, sponsored by the Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB).
Participants can expect an immersive experience designed to offer them the opportunity to kick-start AIME by challenging their own limits, overcoming boundaries, and discovering their hidden potential – all while being led through tasks in complete darkness by facilitators who are blind and vision impaired.
“The Knowledge Programme is all about community, diversity, innovation and inclusivity, and we’re thrilled to partner with GDV. Between us, we can highlight the extraordinary ability rather than the disability within this community and how we can learn from them,” said Matt Pearce, Director of show organiser Talk2 Media & Events. The February show in Melbourne CEC will be the first edition of AIME under his company’s new management, with Reed’s deal having run out with MCB.
Founded by social entrepreneur Andreas Heinecke in Hamburg in 1988, Dialogue in the Dark has been experienced by more than 10m visitors across 39 countries and employed upwards of 10,000 people with blindness or partial blindness.
Dialogue in the Dark will run across four sessions on Monday 18 February during AIME, which runs until 20 February.