IMEX Group’s 10^th annual IMEX event, held May 22-24 in Frankfurt, snagged impressive numbers, with the show scoring a 21-percent increase in buyer appointments with exhibitors to reach a total of 64,000.

Forty thousand of those appointments were individual ones, and the remaining were group appointments, according to Ray Bloom, chairman of the IMEX Group.

Bloom also said that just fewer than 4,000 hosted buyers attended the show from an overall total of nearly 9,000 visitors from around the world.  

Exhibitors at IMEX 2012 gave the show positive reviews.

“The number of booked appointments has exceeded previous years, which is incredibly encouraging,” said Jennifer Salsbury, senior director, International for the China National Convention Center. “IMEX is an essential part of our activity in this market.”

Amy Riley of the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority, agreed, adding, “The show’s been very busy. Appointments have increased from 180 last year to 250 this year, which is huge. We’re meeting a great variety of planners.”

This year’s IMEX also had the largest education program in its 10-year history, with nearly 140 seminars, workshops and short-session campfires taking place.  

The informal campfires were first introduced last year to allow intimate discussions with subject experts to take place on the showfloor, according to IMEX show organizers.

Sessions on social media, innovative event design and sustainable meetings and events had exceptionally high attendance numbers this year, they added.

“Without doubt, the scope and quality of our education program now marks IMEX out,” Bloom said.

He added, “It allows all of our participants to prove even stronger ROI so we will continue to review and develop the show’s education to ensure that it keeps delivering good content in the new and exciting formats that the industry demands.”

Bloom also praised the 2012 Politicians Forum at which Gloria Guevara Manzo, Minister of Tourism for Mexico (and member of President Calderon’s Cabinet) spoke about how meetings and events in her country are a catalyst for growth.

New for next year, Bloom announced at the event a dedicated education program just for corporate buyers.

“The model will be similar to Association Day, although smaller in scope, and will enable us to bring in more high quality corporate buyers from leading markets around the world,” he added.

Next on tap for the IMEX Group is the second annual IMEX America in October in Las Vegas.

“Increases are planned across all parts of the show, and we will announce full details on these in the summer,” Bloom said. “The opening of 14 new gates at the city’s international airport later this year is also good news for us.”