The partnership, signed at AIME in February, will see ICCA run new programs in the region to continue to drive business opportunities to its members in Asia Pacific, which number around 290 across Australia, New Zealand and Asia and include major bureaus, venues and PCOs.
Meanwhile, AIME’s role in the partnership is around advocacy for the business events sector. AIME’s owner, Melbourne Convention Bureau, and its organiser, Talk2 Media and Events, are both members of ICCA.
The AIME Leaders Forum, delivered by the Australian Business Events Association around the time of the AIME, is already focussed on advocacy.
“ICCA’s partnership with AIME signifies our commitment to supporting the growth of the Asia Pacific meetings industry, which has experienced incredible growth over the past few years and continues to figure prominently on the world stage,” said ICCA CEO, Senthil Gopinath.
“We’re looking forward to working with APAC members to support development of meetings and events professionals in the region, including ICCASkills, business exchange workshops, advocacy and more.”
At the next iteration of AIME, set for February 9-11, 2026, elements of the ICCA-AIME partnership will include an ICCA Business Exchange, The Bidding BootCamp and an AIME scholarship supporting the next generation of industry leaders.
“The AIME team has worked closely with Senthil, Waikin Wong (ICCA Asia Pacific regional director) and the whole ICCA team for several years and we are pleased to formalise this with an industry partnership,” said Talk2 Media’s director, Matt Pearce.
“We look forward to driving business events growth and prosperity in APAC with ongoing personal and professional development opportunities through AIME and ICCA in the coming years as AIME cements its position as the leading business events exhibition and learning platform.”
