• Thank you for your interest in the AIME 2025 Hosted Buyer Program

  • Applications close 5pm AEDT on Friday, 6th December 2024

  • Thank you for your interest in AIME 2025 (10 - 12 February), and welcome to the hosted buyer program application process!

    AIME, the Asia Pacific Incentive & Meetings Event, stands as a defining trade show for MICE professionals (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Events) worldwide. Known for its global reach and exceptional networking opportunities, AIME remains the premier platform for fostering business events growth and partnerships.

    Whether you're a seasoned event planner or new to the industry, AIME 2025 promises to build on its past successes, offering a dynamic platform for networking, learning, and business expansion. Explore a diverse array of over 600 exhibitors, showcasing everything from cutting-edge technology and stunning venues to exotic event destinations and premium service providers – all conveniently under one roof.

    We anticipate hosting more than 650 qualified buyers, facilitating tens of thousands of connections and business meetings at AIME 2025. Attendees from key markets across Europe, North America, Asia, and beyond will converge, reaffirming our commitment to driving business growth and nurturing global partnerships.

    We warmly invite you to apply for our hosted buyer program and become a part of this dynamic event. Your participation will play a crucial role in shaping the future of the MICE industry, and we eagerly anticipate welcoming you to Melbourne.

    AIME Hosted Buyer Team

     

    To assist with your application we provide more information in the drop down menus below. Our first piece of advice is to complete the application on a computer and not on a phone or a mobile device - it will be much easier for you.

    • Who can be hosted? 

    • Hosted Buyers (HBs) are:

      • Experienced and senior event planners with at least 5 years’ experience in the business events industry organising events.
      • Experienced planners who can come from different sectors of the business events industry including, associations, PCOs, event management agencies, corporate in-house event planners, incentive planners etc.
      • Event planners who research, organise, influence, contract and make budgetary decisions for business events.
      • Planning and/or booking business events on a weekly or monthly basis - at least on average 6+ per year with 50+ attendees.
      • Venue ‘finders’ or venue sourcing companies with a history sourcing venues for business events

      Note: in addition planners from outside Australia must be:

      1. Organising 6+ business events per year outside their home country with at least 50+ attendees at each event.
      2. Some of the events must have been held in Australia in the past or there are definite plans to organise events in Australia as well as the Pacific or Asian destinations in the next two years.
      3. Business event planners and not wedding planners, tour operators who are just organising tours for a business event, or travel agents organising group travel for a business event.
      4. Relatively fluent in English - enough to correspond with the hosted buyer team and conduct meetings at the show without an interpreter.

      Note: Business events are association or corporate conferences, corporate incentives, corporate events. We do not consider weddings, school groups, community / special interest networking groups etc. to fall under the umbrella of business events.

    • Application Process 

    • There are a few steps in the process to become a hosted buyer:

      Step 1 is completing the application form below – this is where you provide information on your company and your events in order for the AIME team to verify and qualify your application. The more information you provide, the stronger your application will be.

      Step 2 involves the assessment of your application by the hosted buyer team. Please be patient, this can take days or weeks, particuarly when we are reference checking and reliant upon referees to answer queries in a timely manner. 

      Step 3 is the approval phase. We will send you the terms and conditions to be hosted and it will be necessary to read, understand, and accept them before being officially confirmed. Then, once confirmed, you’re on board to attend AIME 2025 and we will provide further instructions at that point.

      Why such an indepth form and rigouous qualification process? It is a sizeable investment to host buyers, and a sizeable investment for our exhibitors to showcase their products and services on the show floor. We need to ensure there will be good matches between buyers and exhibitors for PSAs. We curate your PSAs for you - saving you time.

    • Application form tips and information before you start 

    • Here are some tips before entering the application form:

      • It's highly recommended that you complete the form on a computer and not a mobile device.
      • The application form is lengthy and will take time to complete. If you cannot complete your application, click "Save and continue later" so you retain the information you have already entered.  You will need to create a Jotform account to access your form again.
      • International buyers will be asked to provide:
        • Examples of four (4) in-person international events you have organised (outside your own country) since January 2023 - name, type of event, dates, number of attendees, and venue - together with event verification URL or pdf program/invitation
        • Examples of potential future event leads.
        • To make the application as speedy as possible to complete, it is recommended you have this information at your fingertips before you go further.
      • Domestic buyers will be asked to provide:
        • Examples of four (4) domestic in-person events you have organised since January 2023, and 2 international in-person events (if applicable) - name, type of event, dates, number of attendees, and venue - together with event verification URL or pdf program/invitation.
        • Examples of potential future event leads.
        • To make the application as speedy as possible to complete, it is recommended you have this information at your fingertips before you go further.
      • Accelerate Program applicants (Rockets) will need to provide your managers information - the person whom you will 'shadow' during the PSAs.
      • Event Verification: If you are verifiying your event with a URL and your website is now inactive, there is a way around this. Wayback Machine is a digital archive that stores snapshots of web pages over time. Simply enter the URL of the event website into the search bar on the Wayback Machine, and you may be able to access snapshots of the site from various dates. When you find your website, copy the full URL from the top of your web browser into your application.

  • PERSONAL INFORMATION

  • A LinkedIn profile with work history lends weight to your application – you can save this application and return later if you wish to leave and create a LinkedIn profile to add to the application.

  • HOSTED BUYER TYPE

    How would you like to be hosted?

  • Hosted Buyer (HB)

    On a complimentary basis AIME will provide:

    • Return economy flights to Melbourne from a major city location
    • Group coach transfers to/from Melbourne airport 
    • Accommodation with buffet breakfast in a 4 or 5-star hotel - 4 nights for internationals and 2 or 3 nights for domestic buyers
    • Uncover Melbourne Experiences on Sunday 9 February - showcasing hidden gems and unique event experiences in Melbourne - mandatory for internationals - optional for domestic buyers
    • A ticket to the Knowledge Program on Monday 10 February 
    • A ticket to The AIME Welcome Event on Monday 10 February 
    • Morning, afternoon tea and lunch on show days – Tuesday & Wednesday
    • Access to the Ideas Academy on the show floor on Tuesday & Wednesday
    • Tickets to ‘Invite Only’ exclusive events
    • Access to the ‘Hosted Buyers Lounge’ in the middle of the show floor
    • And much more.... 

    In return, HBs will be required to commit to 32 x 15-minute PSAs (Pre-Scheduled Appointments) across two days.

  • Semi-Hosted Buyer (SHB)

    On a complimentary basis AIME will provide:

    • Accommodation with buffet breakfast in a 4 or 5-star hotel - 4 nights for internationals and 2 or 3 nights for domestic buyers
    • Uncover Melbourne Experiences on Sunday 9 February - showcasing hidden gems and unique event experiences in Melbourne - mandatory for internationals - optional for domestic buyers
    • A ticket to the Knowledge Program on Monday 10 February 
    • A ticket to The AIME Welcome Event on Monday 10 February 
    • Morning, afternoon tea and lunch on show days – Tuesday & Wednesday
    • Access to the Ideas Academy on the show floor on Tuesday & Wednesday
    • Tickets to ‘Invite Only’ exclusive events
    • Access to the ‘Hosted Buyers Lounge’ in the middle of the show floor
    • And much more.... 

    In return, SHBs will be required to commit 20 x 15-minute PSAs (Pre-Scheduled Appointments) across two days.

    The difference between HBs and SHBs:

    32 PSAs for a HB (flights included) compared to

    20 PSAs for a SHB (flights NOT included)

  • Hosted Day Buyer (DB) - Wednesday PSAs

    On a complimentary basis AIME will provide:

    • Uncover Melbourne Experiences on Sunday 9 February - showcasing hidden gems and unique event experiences in Melbourne
    • A ticket to the Knowledge Program on Monday 10 February 
    • A ticket to The AIME Welcome Event on Monday 10 February 
    • Morning, afternoon tea and lunch on show days – Tuesday & Wednesday
    • Access to the Ideas Academy on the show floor on Tuesday & Wednesday
    • Access to the ‘Hosted Buyers Lounge’ in the middle of the show floor

    In return you would be committing to 10 x 15-minute Pre-Scheduled Appointments (PSAs) on Wednesday 12 February.

    We also encourage you to attend AIME on Tuesday 11 February if you wish, however PSAs for DBs will ONLY be scheduled on Wednesday 12 February.

  • The Accelerate Program for the 'Rockets' of the industry

    Rockets are event coordinators (or similar) who have less than five years' experience in the events industry - but rocketing towards success. Normally coordinators are ineligible to join AIME in a ‘hosted’ capacity. The Accelerate Program is available to assist the more junior members of our industry to network, learn and grow - using AIME to accelerate their industry career path.

    Your manager will be required to attend in a hosted, semi-hosted or hosted day buyer capacity and you, as the ‘Rocket", would join your manager on their Pre-Scheduled Appointments (PSAs). Your manager would introduce you to venues and suppliers relevant to your company, meeting them face-to-face and building future relationships.

    The interstate ‘Rockets’ may be eligible to qualify for flight and accommodation funding – we have a small amount of sponsorship available. Otherwise, it will be necessary for your employer to invest in your personal and professional industry development by paying for your flights and accommodation. You will need to discuss this with them prior to applying.

    All ‘Rockets’ (interstate or Victorian) will be provided with:

    • Uncover Melbourne Experiences on Sunday 9 February - showcasing hidden gems and unique event experiences in Melbourne
    • A ticket to the Knowledge Program on Monday 10 February 
    • A ticket to The AIME Welcome Event on Monday 10 February 
    • Morning, afternoon tea and lunch on show days – Tuesday & Wednesday
    • Access to the Ideas Academy for ideas and inspiration for your future events - Tuesday & Wednesday
    • Access to the ‘Hosted Buyers Lounge’ in the middle of the show floor

    Rocket applications are only available for domestic planners who have less than 5 years' experience in the events industry, and must be accompanied by a manager who has been confirmed as a Hosted Buyer for AIME 2025.

  • By clicking 'Next', you acknowledge the above buyer type selection is correct. 

  • COMPANY INFORMATION

  • EVENTS PROFILE

  • Note: If you need to step away from your application, please scroll to the bottom of this page and click "Save and continue later" to save the populated information.

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  • PREVIOUS ATTENDANCE

  • Note: If you need to step away from your application, please scroll to the bottom of this page and click "Save and continue later" to save the populated information.

  • Please provide one (1) or two (2) examples of events held in Australia in 2023 or 2024 as a result of attending AIME previously.

    If you populate the fields below they will be carried forward to a question on the next page to save you time.

    • Event Example #1 
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    • Event Example #2 
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  • INTERNATIONAL EVENT EXAMPLES

  • Note: If you need to step away from your application, please scroll to the bottom of this page and click "Save and continue later" to save the populated information.

  • Please provide examples of four (4) in-person MICE events you have organised INTERNATIONALLY - outside of your own country - since January 2023 (including any events organised in Australia during that time).

  • Please provide examples of four (4) in-person MICE events where you have sourced venues INTERNATIONALLY - outside of your own country - since January 2023 (including any events organised in Australia during that time).

  • As you already provided 1 example earlier, please provide three more event examples below.

  • As you provided 2 examples earlier, please only provide 2 more event examples below (Event Example #3 and Event Example #4)

    • Event Example #1 
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    • Event Example #2 
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    • Event Example #3 
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    • Event Example #4 
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  • DOMESTIC EVENT EXAMPLES

  • Note: If you need to step away from your application, please scroll to the bottom of this page and click "Save and continue later" to save the populated information.

  • Please provide examples of four (4) in-person MICE events you have organised in a DOMESTIC location since January 2023.

  • Please provide examples of four (4) in-person MICE events you have contracted/confirmed for your clients which were/will be held in 2024.

  • As you have already provided 1 event example on the previous page, please provide three more event examples below.

  • As you have already provided 2 event examples on the previous page, please provide 2 more event examples below (Event Example #3 and Event Example #4)

    • Event Example #1 
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    • Event Example #2 
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    • Event Example #3 
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    • Event Example #4 
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  • INTERNATIONAL EVENTS

  • Note: If you need to step away from your application, please scroll to the bottom of this page and click "Save and continue later" to save the populated information.

  • Please provide information on two (2) international MICE events you have organised (or sourced for venue finding companies) outside Australia since January 2023.

    • Event Example #1 
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    • Event Example #2 
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  • EVENT LEADS

    Future event leads - confidential information which is provided to the hosted buyer team is not shared with any third party.

  • Note: If you need to step away from your application, please scroll to the bottom of this page and click "Save and continue later" to save the populated information.

  • Are you sure? Answering yes or maybe and providing details will add weight to your application.

  • Please provide examples of one (1) or two (2) MICE events you are planning or likely to organise in AUSTRALIA in 2025/2026. This information is 100% confidential.

    We understand that you may not have these details confirmed as yet, but we do need indicative details to fully assess your application.

    • Event Lead #1 
    •  / /
    • Event Lead #2 
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  • Are you sure? Answering yes or maybe and providing details will add weight to your application.

  • Please provide examples of one (1) or two (2) MICE events you are organising or likely to organise in ASIA-PACIFIC in 2025/2026 (outside of your own country if you are based in Asia). This information is 100% confidential. 

    We understand that you may not have these details confirmed as yet, but we do need indicative details to fully assess your application.

    • APAC Event Lead #1 
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    • APAC Event Lead #2 
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  • EVENT LEADS

    Future Event Leads - confidential information which is shared with hosted buyer team only and not share with any third party.

  • Note: If you need to step away from your application, please scroll to the bottom of this page and click "Save and continue later" to save the populated information.

  • Are you sure? Answering yes or maybe and providing details will add weight to your application.

  • Please provide examples of two (2) in-person DOMESTIC MICE events you plan to organise in 2025. This information is 100% confidential.

    We understand that you may not have these details confirmed as yet, but we do need indicative details to fully assess your application.

    • Event Lead #1 
    •  / /
    • Event Lead #2 
    •  / /

  • REFEREES

    Please provide 3 referees our team can contact to confirm your events background.

  • International Applicants: please provide referees who can verify your work outside your own country

     

    Note: If you need to step away from your application, please scroll to the bottom of this page and click "Save and continue later" to save the populated information.

    • Referee #1 
    • Referee #2 
    • Referee #3 

  • TRAVEL INFORMATION

    Your ability to travel to Australia

  • ROCKETS

    Manager and supporting information

  • We formulated this Accelerate Program for our events industry 'Rockets' because as a basic criteria to be hosted, we accept buyers who have 5+ years experience in the industry, and who are senior decision makers for budgetary expenditure.

    Rockets do not generally have this background and so to accommodate them at AIME, and provide some of the hosted buyer benefits, we opted for them to 'shadow' their manager on their PSAs and be introduced to the company suppliers and preferred venues on the show floor.

    Please provide the following information on the person who you would like to accompany on their PSAs – eg. manager/team leader:

  • Thank you for your interest in AIME 2025. We are not hosting buyers from {typeA47} for AIME 2025.

    Please feel free to attend AIME 2025 as a self-funded visitor. Visitor registration will open towards the end of the year and will be available via our website: www.aime.com.au

    If you have a compelling reason to be hosted at AIME 2025 or if you wish to express interest for AIME 2026 please email the Hosted Buyer team: aime.buyers@talk2.media 

  • REFERRALS

    Can you recommend any senior event planners who organise 6+ events each year outside of their own state, who may qualify to be hosted and really benefit from joining you on the AIME experience? If so, we will invite them to attend, if you provide their information (with their permission of course).
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