New Show Format. The newly designed ibtm america has sharpened its focus on face-to-face business connections with this year’s show theme “Connections Mean Everything” in Chicago from 9-11 June.
This year’s “Discovery Day” (formerly “Education Day”) will kick off the Knowledge Forum with a keynote session around the show’s theme. Directly following this, there will be two sets of three congruent sessions. The first set of sessions will include a breakout around tools for planner productivity titled “Big Data Part 1” as well as an industry engagement option “Shared Economy”. Attendees will have an opportunity to learn how to put meetings design into practice with the session on “Audiovisual Technologies and Adult Learning in Meetings”. The next set will see more sessions around industry engagement and the last option “Way Cool Tech Tools”.
Keynoting on day two this year is Debbie Mayo-Smith. Debbie will speak on how to improve profits and communication through the use of email, smartphone and other software. Meetings Mean Business will be keynoting the Inspiration Lunch on day two of the show. The coalition is dedicated to showcasing the value that business meetings bring to the US economy.
To enhance productivity and informal connection making, the “ConnectZone” will bring additional education offerings. A hybrid of last year’s Innovation and Refresh Zones, the ConnectZone revisits some of AIBTM 2014’s popular attractions such as the Innovation Spotlight Stage and the TECHbar. New this year will be the WellnessNexus, a showcase of the latest and emerging trends in personal and professional wellness, as well as the ImageDeck, where attendees can enrich their personal and professional appearances via image consultants, beauty experts and a professional headshot lounge. Attendees will also be able to participate in some charitable activity, as “Dress For Success” will be on-hand accepting clothing donations. The not-for-profit organisation promotes economic independence for disadvantaged women by providing them with professional attire.
“Our focus this year for the ConnectZone twofold: we want our attendees to feel productive, even during their appointment breaks, but to also have fun and relax” says Jaime McAuley, ibtm america’s Event Director. “The ConnectZone allows for learning about the most recent technology innovations, and gives people a chance to better their wellness and productivity. We’ll have experts on hand in a variety of topics on hand to teach planners and exhibitors about emerging trends and techniques they can apply not only to their personal, but their professional lives as well.”
www.ibtmamerica.com
