Association and corporate event planners gathered today for specialist education and networking, making the most of being together in person—sharing insights, learning from one another and exploring the technology they need now. Association Focus and Exclusively Corporate took place the day before IMEX Frankfurt, May 19-21.
Keith Burton from K.I.T. Group - African Agenda and Association Focus attendee, said: “The reason I’ve travelled from Cape Town to the show is simple—it’s to meet the people in the room. I can guarantee I'll see people I wouldn't ordinarily meet, whether that’s in meetings, on the show floor or even in the coffee queue.”
Other attendees brought challenges and issues with them to discuss with others, as Roksolana Bobyk from the International Political Science Association explained: “Association Focus was one of the main drivers behind me registering for the show—I want to speak to other meeting planners about their innovations and find new ideas for programming.
“During my time at the show, I’m focusing on second tier cities in Europe as I want to offer new and unexpected destinations to my delegates and I value the support and proactivity these cities offer. I held an event in Poznań, Poland, recently and thinking about it, even now, still gives me goosebumps!”
Rapidly changing sector
Keeping up with a rapidly changing sector was also paramount as Cecilia Delgado-Molina from the International Sociological Association explained: “The market’s changing all the time so I’d like to learn new practices from others, such as how they're now managing RFPs and negotiations.
“Also, we’re using AI to maximize efficiencies and support our team, from content creation to bid comparison. We already have staff training and an AI policy in place to help our team use it considerately and consistently.”
This perspective was echoed by Toby Bassford from Tillon, one of the opening speakers at Association Focus, organized in collaboration with ASAE and sponsored by Amsterdam Convention Bureau. He said: “As associations you’re the center of gravity for expertise – AI's therefore a threat and an opportunity. The potential for AI lies in its integration into human capability.”
In the room where it happens
Speaking at Exclusively Corporate, sponsored by Messe Frankfurt, futurist and author Henry Coutinho-Mason said the real opportunity for AI in events is not automation, but unlocking the intelligence that already exists among delegates: “We gather all of these amazing smart minds, and we get so little back,” he told attendees. “Most of the intelligence in this room is sitting down here, not up on the stage.”
He argued that while the purpose of events will remain unchanged, AI could fundamentally reshape how they’re delivered—particularly around learning, connection and idea generation: “AI is not going to change why we gather at events—but it will change how we realize those ambitions,” he said.
Christina Brühl from TIMOCOM, an Exclusively Corporate attendee, underlined the value of peer-to-peer networking: “The connection to other corporate event managers is the number one reason I’m at Exclusively Corporate—this is something we don’t get to do very often. I want to know how they’re solving similar pain points to me, so I can get new practical ideas and solutions that are relevant to my work.
“This week I’m hoping to come away with ideas on new AI tools I can implement and smarter ways to use AI for brainstorming and agenda design so we can truly deliver what our audience wants. I’d also like to gain specific knowledge around how we can achieve more effective post-show lead management so we can turn in-person interactions into customer relationships.”
The 2026 edition of IMEX Frankfurt opens its doors tomorrow.
