Home NEWS Reimagined IMEX program to take corporate events to the next level

Reimagined IMEX program to take corporate events to the next level

Mar 26, 2025

Flipping the format at Exclusively Corporate

With an “edible ice breaker”, advice from a combat helicopter pilot and even a touch of magic, Exclusively Corporate, at IMEX Frankfurt this May (sponsored by Destination DC), has been designed to connect corporate planners with each other and reveal behind-the-scenes insights from industry experts.

Exclusively Corporate, a dedicated day of networking and learning for corporate event planners, takes place the day before IMEX Frankfurt on Monday, May 19.

Tahira Endean, Head of Program at IMEX, explains: “The team designs the program in response to attendee feedback–we’ve put interactivity and networking at its heart and have created space for global insiders to peel back the curtain and share the secrets of their own best practice. We know that when we put the right people in the room, insights and creative sparks fly!”

Sonia Cuchillo from the European Central Bank, who attended last year, explains: “Our clients, very rightly, have high expectations and we want to do our best to meet them. However, it can be a challenge to come up with new, creative solutions for clients when we have to work to defined parameters, with restrictions on resources and budget. It’s interesting to see how other planners are tackling this.”

Exclusively Corporate highlights

An “edible icebreaker”: Experience design experts Kim Arazi and Pigalle Tavakkoli have worked with the venue (Hotel Meliá, Frankfurt City) to create a networking lunch with a difference. Attendees will be united by their shared experiences and favorite foods, forming a friendly and fun start to the program and setting the scene for the group work to follow. Later in the day, Kim and Pigalle will share their inside take on how they designed this session.

The art of science and magic: A former experience designer for Ferrari, Ferdinando Buscema is an engineer by trade and magician at heart. As a “designer of magical experiences” he uses magic to highlight the impact of experience design. Tahira says: “We can expect a fresh way of approaching design as well as a few surprises…”

Amazon Accelerate: Amazon’s Head of Global Seller Events and its Sustainability Lead will detail how they drive sustainability solutions at their flagship seller partner conference, Amazon Accelerate.

Innovation snapshots: Contributors to the ebx.lab White Paper 2024: Transforming Business Events will share some of their tried and tested approaches to innovation through a series of short and powerful case studies.

In the hot seat: Want to know how today’s top event strategists deliver high-impact experiences when the pressure’s on? Event leaders from the education, engineering and blockchain sectors answer rapid-fire questions, tackling everything from last-minute budget cuts to crisis management disasters.

Thriving under fire: Combat helicopter pilot Sarah Furness shares strategies from the frontline and military leadership techniques which translate perfectly to the business world. “Performance and resilience under pressure are not instinctive,” Sarah reveals. “It can–and should be–taught.”

Food for thought

Tahira Endean summarizes: “Corporate planners appreciate time with their peers, and we therefore want to make these connections happen and maximize them. We’re experimenting with formats and trialing more new ideas this time- it should be fun!”

“We’ve also brought real-life experiences to the fore, with speakers delving behind the scenes and with best practice shared in group discussions. Above all else, we hope this sparks ideas for planners to weave into their own events. We want to provide food for thought-in a very literal sense in the case of our “edible ice breaker”!”

Exclusively Corporate is sponsored by Destination DC with AV provided by Encore. It takes place on Monday, May 19, at Hotel Meliá, Frankfurt City.

Exclusively Corporate is part of IMEX Frankfurt, taking place May 20-22. Find out more here.