Reed hires DMC for Asia boost

MELBOURNE Reed Travel Exhibitions has hired a leading Asian destination management company to boost its Asian hosted-buyer roster for its AIME 2004 show. AIME exhibition manager, Ms Rosemarie Sama said those on the Asian programme would receive customised pre- and post-touring programmes with language assistance in addition to the normal benefits received by hosted buyers to the show. An Asian Business Summit will also be held during AIME to discuss issues affecting the Asian business sector. "We have enlisted the services of Pacific World, an organisation with 14 offices throughout Asia to attract and qualify corporate conference organisers and agency buyers for AIME," Ms Sama said. "We expect to almost double the number of Asian buyers attending AIME, from 33 in 2003 to 65 in 2004." Along with this new programme, the association buyer programme, launched at AIME 2003, will continue next year, Ms Sama added. Ms Sama said exhibition space allocation is on schedule, with most 2003 exhibitors retaining the same space or increasing space in 2004. "We expect increased space sales for AIME 2004, based on the results reported by exhibitors this year," she said. AIME organisers are basing changes to this year's event from research in 2002. AIME is at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre on February 17-18.