ICCA announced a new Industry Partnership with AIME (Asia Pacific Incentives and Meeting Event) focused on the continued commitment to bringing extended business opportunities to ICCA members in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and other global regions.
AIME will serve as a partner in advocacy, amplifying the voice of International BE industry for destination enhancement. AIME is owned by the Melbourne Convention Bureau and is managed by Talk2Media Events.
ICCA CEO Senthil Gopinath signed the agreement with AIME representative Matt Pearce, Director of Talk2Media Events, and Julia Swanson, CEO of the Melbourne Convention Bureau, during AIME 2026 in Melbourne, held from 9 to 11 February in Melbourne.
At AIME 2025, ICCA also participated in the AIME Leaders Forum with the Australian Business Events Association (ABEA), during which emerging leaders shared their insights and ideas on the future of the business events industry.
ABEA hosted the AIME Leaders Forum on 13 February for an interactive and impactful discussion on advocacy and how the business events industry can support advocacy initiatives. Participants took part in an interactive group discussion focused on areas of advocacy including legacy, growth, and the value of business events.
Senthil Gopinath, CEO of ICCA, “ICCA’s partnership with AIME signifies our commitment to supporting the growth of the Asia Pacific meetings industry, which has experienced incredible growth over the past few years and continues to figure prominently on the world stage. We’re looking forward to working with APAC members to support development of meetings and events professionals in the region, including ICCASkills, business exchange workshops, advocacy and more.”
The partnership between AIME and ICCA underscores the commitment of both parties to expanding opportunity, growth, and development for members of the business events community in the region. Planned programmes include a Bidding BootCamp and an AIME scholarship aimed at cultivating talent for the next generation of business events professinals. AIME will also have a presence at the 2025 ICCA Congress in Porto, Portugal, November 9-12.
Talk2 Media & Events Director Matt Pearce, “The AIME team has worked closely with Senthil, Waikin Wong (ICCA Asia Pacific Senior Regional Director) and the whole ICCA team for several years and we are pleased to formalise this with an industry partnership. We look forward to driving business events growth and prosperity in APAC with ongoing personal and professional development opportunities through AIME and ICCA in the coming years as AIME cements its position as the leading business events exhibition and learning platform.”
