Thanks to partnerships with four of the meeting industry's largest associations, the 2012 Americas Meetings & Events Exhibition (AIBTM) will feature twice as many education sessions as the 2011 event, organizer Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE) announced this week. According to RTE, "multiple concurrent education events" will ensure there are tracks for all types and levels of meeting planners.
"AIBTM has listened to the industry and structured an education program in response to the industry's demands," said Craig Moyes, the portfolio director for RTE's IBTM Global Events Portfolio. "We are thrilled to partner with the world's top education associations to deliver a tailored series of programs that directly address our audiences' diverse needs."
Associations providing AIBTM education content are:
• The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), which will host Education Powered by PCMA, PCMA Executive Edge and the State of the Industry Panel. It also will deliver six, 15-minute "bite-size" learning sessions with clear takeaways at its AIBTM booth. PCMA mini-session topics include: Apps for the Meeting Professional; Evaluating Hands-on Community Service Projects for Your Meetings; Recognize What It Takes to Put on a Hybrid Meeting; iPad for Specs: Learn How to Maximize Your Use of an iPad for Your Meeting in Place of a Notebook; and Engagement of the Virtual Audience.
• The Society of Incentive Travel Executives (Site), which will host the Site Young Leaders Program, along with an educational session on the benefits of incentives.
• The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE), which will present three education tracks on how industry professionals can make the most of face time and use technology to best enhance the corporate travel experience. Its education sessions include: Issues That Matter, a speed-learning session focused on the industry's hottest issues; Cost-Savings Tips & Insider Information from Road Warriors; and Is it Time to Eliminate the Hotel RFP Process?, a session exploring the future of hotel aggregators.
• The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), which will present the ICCA Global Meetings track, featuring two 90-minute roundtable sessions. The discussions will be followed by a one-hour clinic, where ICCA members will be available to give personalized advice to planners. This year's ICCA roundtable sessions and clinic topics are: How Global Destinations Can Penetrate the U.S. Market; Global Meetings: Practical Advice for North American Planners; and Going Global One-on-One Clinic.
AIBTM 2012 is taking place June 19-21 in Baltimore. For more information, visit www.aibtm.com.