Organisers of the Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME) have unveiled three out-of-industry keynote speakers who will address an expected audience of over 1,500 buyers and exhibitors on February 9, the day before the show floor opens and business talks begin.
What was called the AIME Knowledge Program, renamed for 2026 as Knowledge Monday, is being built around the theme Expertise Matters!
“Our keynote speakers each bring a unique lens on what true expertise means today – it’s about lived experience, self-awareness and the ability to apply knowledge with purpose,” said AIME’s event director, Silke Calder.
“Knowledge Monday continues to be the heart of AIME’s learning experience, inspiring our community to connect, collaborate and lead with confidence.”
Sponsored by Saxton Group, performance and leadership coach Dan Haesler works with elite athletes, Olympians and organisations, guiding high performers to excel.
“Expertise matters – however, time and again it’s lost in translation due to environments and delivery that dampen authentic engagement,” said Haesler. “My keynote is less about the expertise we share and more about the environment we create to share it.”
According to Haesler, Knowledge Monday attendees will gain “a more nuanced approach to designing for authentic engagement” from his keynote.
Meanwhile, ICMI Speakers Bureau is sponsoring behavioural scientist and futurist Milo Wilkinson, with her talent for explaining human behaviour in high stakes scenarios.
“Expertise Matters! aligns directly with the neuroscience behind intentional design, decision-making and human connection,” said Wilkinson.
“True expertise goes beyond logistics — it requires understanding subconscious drivers of attention, trust and engagement.
“By revealing the brain’s pattern recognition and threat-response systems, we can elevate events from functional gatherings to strategically engineered experiences that create measurable impact.”
Wilkinson will help delegates strengthen their mental agility and understand the science of their expertise.
Founder of kikki.K and Dream Life Kristina Karlsson rounds out the trio of just-announced speakers.
“Expertise isn’t just what you know – it’s what you’ve lived,” said Karlsson.
“I’ll be sharing what I learnt from building then losing a $650 million globally loved business – and how that can help you, no matter where you are in life.
“You’ll walk away refreshed and inspired to dream big, with new practical tools to start using immediately in your own life.”
