Inhouse event planners and corporate meeting directors from around the world brought their success stories, challenges and aspirations to Exclusively Corporate earlier today, part of a specialist education day taking place before IMEX Frankfurt opens May 20-22.
Imagination emerged as a common theme with many attendees citing the need to do more with less along with the added pressure of including fresh ideas each time. Carolina Rocha from Bayer says: “My organization has a very established and structured approach to events—my challenge is how to rethink them so they really support engagement.”
To help the multiple business units within her company achieve productive connections, Jahel Loaiza Gomez from Tecnofarma facilitates numerous bespoke breakout discussions at each of her events.
Adele Farina from CIS also acknowledged the need for creating a personalized experience. “It’s important to really understand your leadership. Give them what they want so they can walk into an event and feel good.”
Opening speakers at Exclusively Corporate, sponsored by Destination DC, were Kim Arazi from sensory innovation collective innosensi and Pigalle Tavakkoli from the School of Experience Design. Together they delivered a session sharing examples of their visionary and inventive approaches to events all over the world.
Their specially designed ‘edible icebreaker’ was used to demonstrate how to use food to create multisensory engagement and embed positive memories. Kim explains: “What we’re often missing in events is a deeper connection. There are many creative ways to use food, to not only nourish and energize delegates, but to tell a story, support learning and challenge perceptions.”
Exploring the ‘expectation economy’
While attendees were immersed in dimensions of the experience economy at Exclusively Corporate, association professionals were being introduced to the ‘expectation economy’ at Association Focus, sponsored by Amsterdam Convention Bureau.
Keynote and futurist Henry Coutinho-Mason explains: “We live in an expectation economy—your competition isn’t other associations or organizers—it's the companies, the brands, the startups that are creating best-in-class expectations around our basic human needs. Look at innovations to understand how they’re changing fundamental human needs and wants.”
Henry’s session at the dedicated day of education for association planners focused on ‘thriving in the AI era’. “AI will not be a technological story—it will be a human story,” he explains. “The organizations that win will be the ones that use AI to empower their employees and members to do things better."
Attendee Bel Hanson from the International Society for Computational Biology details how her organization is using AI. “It’s become an incredibly useful tool, especially for a small team like ours—there are just five of us supporting over 4,000 members—so we use AI to help with tasks like marketing copy and translation.”
Adapting event models
Discussions also centered on the global business landscape and how association planners are adapting their event models and approaches. Bel explains: “One of the ongoing challenges in 2025 is ensuring global equity and access for our members when planning events—deciding where to hold them, balancing finances, and making sure we're meeting the needs of members around the world.”
Attendee Anastasia Mercherz from the ESVS—European Society for Vascular Surgery, adds: “One of our biggest challenges is selecting the right destination because of political tensions in various countries—from Brexit to student demonstrations to government changes. We talk to our local partners to get a clear and accurate picture of the situation on the ground and adapt our communications with members and delegates to acknowledge concerns and provide reassurance. We make sure every decision is rooted in what’s best for our members and our scientific mission.”
Association Focus featured two tracks, one devoted to meetings and events, the other to management and leadership. The program wrapped with a look at ‘the personal side of leadership’ including the critical skills leaders need to navigate disruption while maintaining well-being and leading with authenticity, especially in times of complexity and rapid change.
- Photo (L): Enjoying the 'edible icebreaker' crafted for Exclusively Corporate—download image here.
- Photo (R): Henry Coutinho-Mason at Association Focus—download image here.
IMEX Frankfurt is currently taking place at Messe Frankfurt May 20-22. #IMEX25
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Next year’s IMEX Frankfurt will take place May 19-21, 2026
IMEX America will take place October 7-9, 2025 at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas.