The day before IMEX opens, there is an event designed exclusively for association executives -Association Day, attended by around 300 association executives from 40 countries each year. Open to all levels of association executive registered to attend IMEX as either hosted buyers or buyer visitors, Association Day offers a VIP opportunity to invest in yourself and your association. A free afternoon of education, co-delivered by ICCA and ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership. Followed by the much-loved networking reception, Association Evening hosted by Marriott Frankfurt.

All associations and nonprofits are encouraged to tap into The Power of A campaign materials to help broadcast how your group builds a stronger nation and world. Just as you provide a community, network or home for your members, The Power of A is the identity for the more than 1.9 million associations and nonprofits in America, as well as those around the globe. Through The Power of A, ASAE provides several easy ways to be part of the industry’s Power of A campaign and help let legislators, members, partners and the public at large know how you are part of an industry that is essential to society, the economy and more. In addition to the ideas below, you are encouraged to find new ways to spread the word that best meet your organization’s needs. The Power of A is how we help enrich lives through setting industry standards of quality, ethics and safety. How we train our nation’s workforce; teaching skills, growing jobs. How we drive safety and sustainability standards, keeping the engine of Industry running smooth and safe. And how we draw on the wisdom and perspective of the collective so we can predict trends and seed progress. +++++ http://www.thepowerofa.org +++++

The UK chapters of event industry associations ISES and MPI have formalised a collaboration plan to jointly promote their event activity and initiate joint events for the mutual benefit of their members. ISES UK Chapter president Richard Foulkes said that this collaboration extends the networking and business building potential of a complementary and mainly non-competing members across the two associations. Both MPI and ISES are international and are based on individual membership, with MPI representing the professional meeting and event planning sectors and ISES representing the creative side of the international event business. Fiona Pelham MPI UK & Ireland president said that the more people attend joint meetings the more he two memberships can connect and grow.

Our members have seen steady growth over the past years - says Hasan Dinc, president of EUROMIC - We have all the momentum and reputation that comes with 40 years of leadership. It is safe to say that we are in a position to maintain our competitive stance-continuing to lead the way in the industry and expand our market base ++ To date, EUROMIC represents 45 unique destinations and an international team of travel professionals who are knowledgeable in planning and executing creative programs for meetings, incentives, conventions and exclusive special interest tours. +++++ www.euromic.com

IAPCO is the worldwide association representing professional congress organizers and meeting planners. With over 100 members from 37 countries, IAPCO plays a leading role in the promotion and professionalization of congress organization throughout the world. IAPCO has trained over 1700 people worldwide via this intensive residential course, now in its 39th year. IAPCO monitors a strict Quality Control Procedure amongst its members and also publishes a number of documents and guidelines for the meetings industry, including a dictionary of over 900 technical terms (translated in 14 languages). IAPCO is a member of the Joint Meetings Industry Council [JMIC] and the Convention Industry Council [CIC].

The British Association of Conference Destinations (BACD) announced that its members have voted unanimously in favour of a proposal for BACD to merge with the trade body, Eventia. Following the merger the BACD brand disappeared but collaborative marketing opportunities continue to be offered to the community of British conference and event destinations. Eventia itself grew from the merger of the ITMA and the CEA in January 2006. It offers its membership a variety of networking opportunities, education options, social events, good practice guidance and benchmarks. Actually members are more than 320.

Every year the German Association of Event Organizers offers a whole day of education during ITB Convention (ITB Business Travel Days). Topics include how to avoid typical organizational pitfalls, how to master cultural disparities abroad and how to spot and react to significant trends. Experienced professionals as well as beginners will benefit from a wide variety of hints and suggestions for their daily work.

Opened January 2006 the Meeting Support Institute is a non-profit association with a mission: to develop a new category in the meetings industry alongside logistics and hospitality, which is familiar to anyone in the industry. The emerging category of meeting support brings together tools and services with a common objective to produce better meetings with more powerful, measurable results. Membership in the Meeting Support Institute provides new avenues to develop and promote products and services, while learning more about the strategic meeting products and services on the market. For meeting planners, a wide range of resources is provided to improve their meetings toward today's major challenges such as ROI, regulatory limitations, procurement etc. The MSI website is open to everyone. It is a database on meeting support tools, services, books, articles or research interesting for meeting planners.

The Business Visits and Events Partnerships' aim is to lead the way in supporting a competitive, high quality and more profitable business visits and events sector in Britain. The Partnership seeks to provide a cohesive industry voice and works with VisitBritain and other government departments and agencies to influence and develop policies and practices favourable to the growth of tourism, with an interest in conferences, meetings, exhibitions, trade fairs, incentive travel, corporate hospitality, and business, sporting, cultural and festival events. The BVEP forecasts that next year will continue to be a challenging one, with an even greater need for the industry to demonstrate its value in every aspect of business and community life. +++++ more info ?? +++++ www.businessvisitsandeventspartnership.com

The President of Skal International, Nik Racic received an IMEX Academy Award for Europe. he award was presented to Nik Racic by IMEX Group Chairman Ray Bloom during a IMEX Gala Dinner. In announcing the award IMEX Managing Director, Paul Flackett said IMEX wanted to recognise Nik Racic for his pivotal role in developing the tourism industry in Croatia. In 2001 Nik Racic was appointed as Director of the Croatian Congress and Incentive Bureau.

This landmark study, conducted by PwC US, assisted by a team of industry researchers, spanned more than a year in research and analysis and is the first-ever study of the size and scope of its kind. The research quantifies the economic contributions made by the 1.8 million meetings, trade shows, conventions, congresses, incentive events and other meetings that take place across the country. The Economic Significance of Meetings to the U.S. Economy was spearheaded by an alliance of 14 organizations representing the collective meetings, travel, exhibitions and events industries in the U.S. brought together via the Convention Industry Council. The Economic Significance of Meetings to the U.S. Economy builds on past research that has demonstrated the return on investment and value of face-to-face meetings. In 2010, leading global research firm Oxford Economics established the first clear link between business travel and business growth, proving that for every dollar invested in business travel, businesses experience an average $12.50 in increased revenue and $3.80 in new profits. With the country looking for effective ways to work its way out of a recession, the meetings industry plays a critical role in supporting jobs in communities across America, creating environments that foster innovation and business success. +++++ more info ?? +++++ http://www.conventionindustry.org

One LinkedIn group, SPIN (Senior Planners Industry Network), which was launched in October 2008 as a place for senior meeting planners to network, went live in 2011, hosting 40 events in 14 cities. SPIN, the Senior Planners Industry Network, is an association serving meeting and event planners with at least ten years of experience. It provides networking and educational opportunities, and is free to join for qualified members. SPIN was founded by Shawna Suckow, a Minnesota-based certified meeting professional with 18 years of planner experience. For more information about SPIN, please visit +++++ www.spinplanners.com +++++

The Meetings, Incentives and Trade Show Council (MIT) challenged U.S. Travel to become a powerful collective voice for the industry and build capabilities that add to the activities of other meetings-related associations. The group held its first strategy session on March 2nd,2010. "The critical meetings, incentives and trade shows industries need a collective voice and U.S. Travel is excited to build on its successes - said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association - and we'll strive to ensure that the attacks of 2009 never again take place and that the value of this industry is finally understood." U.S. Travel will develop a blueprint that clearly defines the industry’s short and long-term goals as well as hire an individual to manage the council and its initiatives on a daily basis.

MPI has partnered with IMEX to bring you MPI Business Barometer. The MPI Business Barometer is a near-term study that reports as clearly as possible what industry professionals are collectively thinking, doing, and planning based on actual and anticipated economic conditions. The MPI Business Barometer was created to monitor mice industry’s most immediate needs in relation to economic concerns and opportunities. The Business Barometer is published and posted bi-monthly.

The Site International Foundation and the MPI Foundation have cooperated in a study to determine the degree to which convergence is taking place between incentive travel and meeting planning. The research not only test the combination of incentives and meetings in the marketplace but to also clarify who is taking the lead in planning when there is overlap. Full results and analysis from the study on Convergence of Incentive Travel and Meeting Planning Activities are available at Siteglobal.com and MPIfoundation.org - http://www.mpiweb.org/MPIF -

The International Federation of Tour Operators (IFTO) is an association of trade associations representing tour operators from the major source markets of Europe. Its members carry approximately 70 million passengers on organised holidays each year. IFTO's primary focus is in relation to the practical consequences of tour operating, and its members therefore have extensive experience in implementing the provisions of the Package travel Directive in virtually every legal jurisdiction within Europe. +++++ http://www.fto.co.uk +++++

As announced at the ITM conference, focus groups are being established around air, hotel, technology, travel management company and meetings. The focus group meetings are there to enable you to join other ITM buyer members ONLY in a confidential environment to discuss, share and benchmark best practices in travel programme management, supplier sourcing and contract negotiation. Together our buyer members have the purchasing power and depth of knowledge to help each other achieve best in class travel programmes therefore the agenda for these meetings will be set by our buyer members for our buyer members. With that in mind we welcome your input so if there are specific topics you would like included on the agenda please include this when confirming your attendance. The first focus group meeting will cover air and hotel programme management. Just to reiterate, this is a buyer only meeting and conversations and discussions will be held in the strictest of confidence. First appointment August 2012. info ??? Harriet.Holmes@itm.org.uk - http://www.itm.org.uk/go/events/focus_group.html

The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE), founded in 1988, is a leading non- profit organization that serves and advances the global business travel industry in 102 different countries. For more than 20 years, ACTE has continued to fulfill its vision of uniting travel executives around the world, providing them with up-to-date news, knowledge, beneficial research findings and networking opportunities. The education of ACTE members infiltrates to more than 12 million business travelers worldwide. From corporate buyers to agencies and suppliers, all sectors of the industry are granted equal membership. ACTE has representatives in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Australasia, Canada, Europe, Latin America, Mexico, Middle East and the United States. +++++++ To join ACTE, or for more information, please visit www.acte.org.

Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) today announces Meeting Professionals International (MPI) will host two sessions at HSMAI's MEET National, the meeting and event-planning industry's premier show focused on Meetings, Events, Education and Technology. As part of the partnership between HSMAI and MPI announced last July, MPI provides its leading education for meeting planners at select HSMAI events, and HSMAI provides its renowned training and professional development for sales and marketing professionals at choice MPI events.

The DMC Network, LLC, announced that Gina Rodigou, CMP - results-oriented hospitality professional, with a solid reputation for developing and facilitating client relationships - has been named to serve as the company's new Director of Global Sales. Her well-rounded industry experience in DMC's, Hotels and CVB's provides clients with a wealth of knowledge and insight to ensuring their meetings are successful, and as a hospitality industry veteran of over 20 years, Gina has a solid record of achieving business goals by building and maintaining mutually beneficial partnerships. The DMC Network is an LLC of independently owned DMCs throughout North America. The alliance with Ovation Global DMC guarantees to produce meetings and events around the world.

The Brazilian Association of Event Companies - ABEOC BRASIL was founded on January 15, 1977. Its purpose is to coordinate, guide and defend the interests of its members, represented by organizers, promoters and service providers of events, registered with the Ministry of Tourism. Today, ABEOC BRAZIL is present and regulated in 13 states: Amazonas, Bahia, Ceará, Espirito Santo, Goiás, Minas Gerais, Pará, Paraná, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and São Paulo. It brings together about 500 associated companies. The ABEOC BRAZIL is a member organization of the Federation of Organizing Entities and Congress Afines Latin America - COCAL .

With a history spanning 60 years, Financial & Insurance Conference Professionals (FICP) provides access to education, experience and resources targeting the needs of financial services and insurance meeting professionals from across North America. FICP offers first-rate conferences, symposia, virtual networking and educational opportunities to assist the development of high-caliber meetings professionals. These resources also serve to help meetings professionals increase their success and strategic value. FICP boasts a community of 1,500 meetings and events professionals and hospitality partners and maintains a unique, balanced planner-to-hospitality partner ratio at all events. FICP is a community of financial services and insurance industry meetings and events professionals dedicated to developing members, and advocating the positive impact and value of their work. We elevate the profession by leveraging partnerships and our members’ collective skills and experiences to create purposeful interactions for all stakeholders whose professional success is linked to our member's work. +++++ info@ficpnet.com