IMEX Declaration of Support for Meetings Surpasses 100 Signatures

At last year’s IMEX in Frankfurt trade show, the IMEX Group introduced a “Declaration of Support for the Meetings and Events Industry” as part of a pro-meetings advocacy campaign. Designed to generate “official” support for meetings amongst politicians and decision makers, it recently received its 100th signature, the IMEX Group announced this week.

The Declaration reads: “In a critical period of global economic transition and recovery, I believe that creating jobs and retraining work forces, increasing trade and inward investment, spreading knowledge and improving professional practices, enhancing innovation and creative development, nurturing community awareness and advancement, and stimulating business regeneration are all essential factors in sustaining long-term economic growth and stability.

“I further acknowledge the key role that meetings and events play in delivering these important objectives by instigating and facilitating the critical interactions required to exchange information, share knowledge and achieve consensus while at the same time enriching the visitor economy and raising the profile of the host destination.”

The Declaration’s 100th signatory was Ibrahim Çaglar, president of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce in Istanbul, Turkey. He was joined by Dr. Gerhard Rüsch, city councilor for tourism in Graz, Austria, who became the 101st signatory.

“Achieving full-scale global understanding of the true benefits of the meetings sector is clearly a long-term task,” IMEX Group Chairman Ray Bloom said in a statement. “However, when we see visible advancements, such as the politicians and dignitaries who have signed the declaration to date … our joint progress becomes real. It also provides further encouragement and focus for the work that lies ahead.”