IMEX 2006 Growth Figures Reflect Market Optimism, Maturity

Figures announced for the next IMEX exhibition in Frankfurt, slated from May 30 to June 1, 2006, show that the global meetings, incentive travel and events exhibition is due to post significant exhibitor growth for a fourth straight year.

Many of the exhibition´s major exhibitors have already increased their stand sizes following a highly successful show last year. Spain will now take one of the largest stands at IMEX with 600 square meters.

In line with Middle Eastern market growth, Dubai and Jordan have also increased their presence, while Ras Al Khaimah, an emerging Gulf destination, has nearly quadrupled its stand size. South American exhibitors, Argentina, Chile and Brazil will also be represented on bigger stands at the Messe Frankfurt exhibition.

Increasingly popular destinations such as Taiwan and Turkey have also significantly enlarged their exhibition space, as have several eastern European countries including Hungary, Romania, Lithuania and Poland.

Peru, Abu Dhabi and Kenya will be exhibiting for the first-time in 2006, alongside leading brands such as NH-Hotels, BMW Welt, Kuoni and Best Western Deutschland.

IMEX 2006 planners are forecasting the attendance of 3,400 international hosted buyers, many of whom are the key clients of leading hotel groups and with 10 percent coming from strategically important long-haul markets such as North America, Canada, Middle East, Australia, Thailand and China.

Several of the world´s leading airlines are now fully incorporated into the IMEX hosted buyer program, including Emirates Airlines, Singapore Airlines, United, Malaysian Airlines and British Airways.

New for 2006 will be a dedicated IT Lab to give association planners the chance to sample and view state of the art technology for association management.