While this year’s IMEX flagship Frankfurt event was canceled back in March, members of the IMEX community will still have opportunities to come together virtually over the next several months. The virtual PlanetIMEX platform aims to keep the spirit of IMEX alive by allowing visitors to explore content, reconnect, talk about future business and continue learning in the company of friends and colleagues.

Designed in collaboration with Cvent, PlanetIMEX will feature three 3-D, interactive “islands” as destinations within the platform.  Each island will have its own theme (community, education or networking) and agenda.

"We decided early on that we wanted to give something back to the industry and at the same time continue our commitment to providing high quality training, business and networking opportunities,” said Carina Bauer, IMEX Group CEO. “Instead of a singular online event, we opted for an innovative, transformative and new approach.”

Each year, IMEX names a single emerging or important trend as the year’s talking point. Bauer explained that PlanetIMEX was inspired by 2020’s focus topic, nature, which will also be featured in educational content. 

Two of the three PlanetIMEX islands are slated to open on May 6:

• Community Island — This beach-themed space will feature news, views, research and insights from the business events world, along with leisure activities from the #imexstillrunning solo run to laid-back island music mixes.
• Education Island — A lineup of education focused on professional development, which will also be home to the IMEX Sustainability Village and the IMEX 2020 talking point: nature, will be held in this forest-inspired island. Education is sponsored by Cvent and supported by Streamlined Communications.

IMEX Group plans to expand the content, programs and interaction options on the platform over time, but has already announced some key dates for May activities:

May 11

EduMonday Live, featuring a full day of education and interactive content, will take place on Education Island. Content highlights will include:

• Explore the virtual world of PlanetIMEX with Bauer, and IMEX Chairman and Founder Ray Bloom
• Keynote address featuring Guy Bigwood, managing director of Global Destination Sustainability Index; and futurist Rohit Talwar
• She Means Business panel including Julia Brewing, head of marketing for Germany, Austria and Switzerland at Facebook; and Gabriela Suhoschi, director of World Water Week

May 12

IMEX Community Day will bring together education from industry partners and associations including EIC, IAEE, Association of Destination Management Executives International, German Convention Bureau, International Association of Professional Congress Managers, International Congress and Convention Association, ZEUS and more. The IMEX-MPI Future Leaders Forum will also be included in the Community Day lineup.

May 13

#IMEXstillrunning — Join the community of IMEX participants who will be running, walking or doing any other form of exercise in place on this designated date. Share your workout with the hashtag on your social media platform of choice to inspire others.

May 14

The mountain-themed Networking Island will open featuring IMEX Introductions. These will help planners explore potential new business relationships and have one-to-one conversations with other members of the IMEX global community.

May 18

PlanetIMEX will offer by-invitation specific training for event professionals from associations, agencies and companies, including a virtual interpretation of Exclusively Corporate, the Agency Directors Forum and Association Focus.

Access to PlanetIMEX will be free, but registration for each scheduled event is required. Register for access to PlanetIMEX EduMonday Live here.