This is a 1,500m2 increase from the 2025 event, which in turn was larger than the 2024 event – and the 2024 event was touted as the largest in a decade, showing how much the event has grown in recent years.
With under six months to go until AIME 2026, over 80 per cent of exhibition space has been sold for the Melbourne Convention Bureau-owned business events trade show for Asia Pacific.
Now hosted buyer applications for both domestic and international event organisers and decision-makers have opened.
Fully hosted buyers receive flights, accommodation and access to the AIME Knowledge Program and welcome event, alongside 32 pre-scheduled appointments, facilitated by AIME’s AI meeting matching solution.
There are also semi-hosted and day buyer options for buyers looking for fewer pre-scheduled appointments. These come with fewer inclusions.
After 650 hosted buyers and 675 exhibitors took part in AIME 2025, participation from both key stakeholder groups is expected to rise in 2026, with over 700 exhibitors and 700 hosted buyers set to attend the show.
“AIME 2025 was an incredible success, and we’re confident 2026 will raise the bar even higher,” said AIME’s event director, Silke Calder.
“The early demand from exhibitors highlights the essential role AIME plays in driving business outcomes across Asia Pacific.”
The 2026 edition of AIME will be the largest delivered by Calder and the Talk2 Media and Events team, after Talk2 Media took over organising the event on behalf of MCB from Reed Exhibitions – now RX – following the 2018 show.
Both Talk2 Media and MCB confirmed to micenet at this year’s show that the delivery partnership between the pair had been extended for another three years, with the new term taking in the 2026, 2027 and 2028 shows.
“We are incredibly proud of the ongoing success of AIME, which has become a key event for the global business events community,” said MCB’s chief executive, Julia Swanson.
“AIME brings people together from around the world to our amazing city of Melbourne and as always we look forward to the new partnerships, connections and opportunities that will come out of the 2026 event.”
AIME 2026 will run from February 9 to 11, 2026, at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, with a Melbourne famil day on Sunday February 8 for all hosted buyer types.
