Media FAQs

AIME will be held at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre (MCEC). The program commences on 10 February until 12 February:

• Monday 10 February – Knowledge Program (11.30am - 5.30pm) & Welcome Event (7pm - 10pm)
• Tuesday 11 February – Day 1 Tradeshow including the Ideas Academy (9am to 5:30pm)
• Wednesday 12 February – Day 2 Tradeshow including the Ideas Academy (9am to 5pm)

Travel restrictions and Covid-19 requirements have been relaxed across Australia. It is no longer mandatory to be vaccinated against Covid-19 in order to enter, Australia, the state of Victoria or the AIME 2025 venue, Melbourne Exhibition & Convention Centre. It is also no longer mandatory to wear masks, however, we recommend you make your own judgement on whether you would prefer to wear a mask. We also recommend keeping this in mind if you have an upcoming event in the weeks immediately leading up to or following AIME. As AIME 2025 gets closer, please also keep up with developments via the https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/

• Saturday 8 February - International arrivals
• Sunday 9 February - Domestic arrivals / Uncover Melbourne Media Famil & Program
• Monday 10 February - Official Press Conference / Knowledge Program / Welcome Event
• Tuesday 11 February – Media Presentations / Tradeshow / Invite-Only Functions
• Wednesday 12 February – Media Presentations / Tradeshow / Departures – domestic & international

Hosted Media are senior editors and journalists from key trade media within Australia, New Zealand and around the world.   To be eligible to apply for AIME’s 2025 Hosted Media Program, the media partner must be invited by Talk2 Media & Events and meet the following criteria:

• Agree to participate in the entire AIME 2025 program including any specific media events as outlined within the Hosted Media Program and signed Hosted Media Partnership Agreement
• Demonstrate you are actively engaged in creating original business events content and your content is published on your supporting trade media platforms
• Agree the information provided to us (for example name, position, company details) may be shared with AIME 2025 event partners

Media who are invited to attend AIME are senior editors and journalists from key trade media from:

• Australia
• New Zealand
• China
• South-East Asia
• North Asia
• India
• Europe
• USA and Canada

The most important commitment for hosted or semi-hosted media is to fulfill the deliverables outlined within your media agreement.

Hosted media are expected to be on the show floor all day Tuesday, 11 and Wednesday, 12 February. They must also attend the Opening Press Conference, Knowledge Program and Welcome Event on Monday, 10 February and the Uncover Melbourne Media Famil on Sunday, 9 February.

It is complimentary to attend AIME, and as hosted media you can take advantage of:

• economy flights to/from Melbourne
• group coach transfers to/from Melbourne airport
• accommodation - 3 or 4 nights depending on your location
• hotel buffet breakfast each morning
• the educational Knowledge Program sessions and networking lunch on Monday
• a casual dinner at the Welcome Event on Monday evening
• morning/afternoon tea and lunch on show days - Tuesday / Wednesday
• ‘invitation’ only special events on Tuesday evening

Semi-hosted or Guest media are provided with the same benefits above, with the exception of flights, transfers and accommodation – these are covered at your own expense.

The below costs are not included in the hosted media program:

• additional accommodation over and above the nights covered by AIME (see travel and accommodation section below)
• meals outside those provided in the catering provisions
• personal extras at the hotel eg. extra meals, snacks, mini bar etc., these will be settled by you on departure from the hotel
• transfers to/from Melbourne airport if arriving outside the nominated group transfer times on Saturday 8,  Sunday 9 and Wednesday 12 February (more info will be provided in January)
• visa application costs
• travel insurance

The benefits in attending AIME are numerous including:

• pre-scheduled appointments with VIPs and exhibitors
• meeting buyers from around the globe – Pacific, Asia, MEA, Europe, The Americas
• increasing your brand awareness and positioning within the global meeting and events industry
• attending educational sessions at the Knowledge Program on Monday 10th February
• Access to the Ideas Academy on Tuesday 11 & Wednesday 12 February
• keeping up with the latest trends and developments – strengthening your communication and messaging to your readers
• networking with industry suppliers from Australia and around the globe – we’ve all learnt over the past few years that strong supplier relationships help us to generate more meaningful news and event outcomes
• networking with like-minded event professionals – many of us learn as much from each other as we do from a speaker at an educational session
• exclusive opportunity to access AIME’s sponsorship program and elevate your brand
• having fun – at the end of the day when the serious business is done it’s time to let your hair down at the Welcome Event on Monday evening.

Hosted and guest media are provided with:

• buffet breakfast in the restaurant of your nominated hotel
• lunch on Monday 10 February for those attending the Knowledge Program
• casual dinner at the Welcome Event on Monday 10 February
• morning, afternoon tea and lunch in the Hosted Buyers Lounge on Tuesday 11 & Wednesday 12 February

Hosted media have flights, group transfers and accommodation included and in return, agree to fulfilling deliverables outlined in the media partnership agreement.   Semi-hosted media are provided with accommodation and pay for their own flights and transfers - they commit to less deliverables and have more flexibility over their time at AIME.   Guest media are not provided with flights, group transfers or accommodation but they do receive VIP access to the showfloor and AIME program – in return they are asked to complete the deliverables negotiated as part of their partnership agreement. All media types are provided with:

• MCB Uncover Melbourne Media Famil and/orExperiences on Sunday 9 February
• A ticket to the Knowledge Program on Monday 10 February (education sessions)
• A ticket to The AIME Welcome Event on Monday 10 February
• Morning, afternoon tea and lunch on show days – Tuesday & Wednesday
• Tickets to ‘Invite Only’ exclusive events
• Access to the ‘Hosted Buyers Lounge’ on the show floor

1. Anyone can express interest to participate in AIME’s Hosted Media Program however acceptance into the Program is at the discretion of AIME’s marketing team and fulfillment of the selection criteria outlined below
2. Invitations are also distributed direct to prospective media partners by AIME’s marketing team.
3. If you receive an invitation and you'd like to be a hosted media partner,  you will be asked to accept your invitation via return email.
4. Once the invitation is accepted, the marketing team will request a media kit and prepare a media agreement based on mutually agreeable deliverables.
5. Once the Agreement is signed you will receive an email outlining next steps in the process, for example flight information, spec requests etc
6. If your application does not meet our assessment criteria you will be notified and invited to register as a self-funded ‘visitor media’ - these applications will open on our website in November 2024.

To be eligible for AIME’s 2025 Hosted Media Program, the media partner must meet the following criteria:

• Alignment with AIME’s 2025 strategic objectives
• Agree to participate in the entire AIME 2025 program including any specific media events as outlined in the Media Program; and
• Demonstrate you are actively engaged in creating original business events content and your content is published on your supporting trade media platforms.

The very last day we will accept applications will be 31 October 2024 – without exception.

Domestic applicants: We have places for 10 fully hosted media at AIME 2025. Please apply early to avoid disappointment. Applications will not be accepted after the close-off date.   International applicants: We have places for 10 fully hosted international media. Please keep in mind that we have a limited number of positions available for each country – in some cases only 2 positions. Please do not delay your application or you risk missing out on attending AIME.

If your application does not meet our assessment criteria, you will be notified and invited to register as a self-funded ‘visitor media’ – these applications will open on our website in November 2024.

Hosted receive complimentary accommodation and buffet breakfast at a 4 or 5-star hotel in Melbourne within a close distance to the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre.

• domestic media are provided with 3 nights’ accommodation (Sunday, Monday & Tuesday).
• international media are provided 4 nights’ accommodation – Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday night and check out Wednesday morning.

Additional nights over and above those listed will be at the individual media’s personal expense.

Yes, a buffet breakfast in the hotel restaurant is included with accommodation. Any in-room dining, breakfasts, other meals or snacks, mini-bar etc., will be at your own expense and paid direct to the hotel.

Most definitely, however additional nights are at your own expense.

Information will be provided on how to extend your stay - it will involve either clicking on a link provided by the hotel or alternatively emailing the hosted buyer manager to extend on your behalf and will depend on hotel availability.

No. If everyone could choose their own hotel, then we’d have everyone choosing the most popular, well-known international 5-star properties and the lesser-known properties could have none, or very few requests.

Your accommodation is covered by AIME and to be fair to our hotel partners, the marketing team will allocate each media to a hotel. This is done once the applications have closed and we know exactly how many buyers are attending AIME and exactly how many rooms are required from the blocks we have negotiated with hotels.

It is not an option to swap hotels after they have been allocated by the marketing team.

Media will be notified of their accommodation in January 2025.

We allocate accommodation once the applications have closed and we know exactly how many buyers and media are attending and exactly how many rooms are required from the blocks we have negotiated with our partner hotels.

Flight costs are included for hosted media only. Guest media are required to pay for their own flights.

Group coach transfers are included to/from Melbourne Airport to the CBD hotels for hosted media only on Saturday 8, Sunday 9 and Wednesday 12 February. If your flights are outside the group transfer times, then you will be required to fund your own transfers to/from the Airport. Guest media cover their own transfers but are welcome to take advantage of group transfer if there is one available coinciding with your flight. The transfer schedule will be made available closer to the event when we can see the spread of flight bookings and where group transfers will be required.

Hosted media are unable to book their own flights. Flight reservations will be made by the AIME travel agency in conjunction with hosted media requirements.

International media (except NZ) are required to arrive on Saturday 8 February or early on Sunday morning prior to the commencement of the Uncover Melbourne Program.

The show concludes at 5pm on Wednesday 12 February and flights should be booked departing after 8pm on Wednesday evening.

The Uncover Melbourne Media Program scheduled for Sunday 9 February is compulsory for media partners. Flights to Melbourne should arrive on Sunday 9 February by no later than 10am in order to participate in the Uncover Melbourne Program. Departures should be on Wednesday 12 February. The show concludes at 5pm and the airport transfers will commence at 5.15pm from the Melbourne Convention Centre.

No, the transfers in your home country are at your own expense.

You can opt for an Uber or taxi to/from Melbourne airport, alternatively the SkyBus departs the airport every few minutes and will take you to Southern Cross train station for a cost of A$22 one way or A$34 return (subject to change).

The Australian government website contains a range of information for those who wish to enter the country on a temporary basis, and you will find answers to many of your questions on their site.

Please check your passport is valid before applying to become a hosted buyer. As we’ve seen around the world in recent times, there are long delays to have passports reissued. The Australian government does not impose six month passport validity for travellers entering the country, however, some airlines insist on the validity as part of their terms and conditions to board a flight – please ensure you have checked this.

Please check visa requirements for entering Australia on this site - visas are dependent on which country issued your passport.

From the list on the government site the main purpose of your visit is ‘attending a conference or expo’ which is about halfway down the list on the link above.

Visas applications must be covered at your own expense, and you should apply once your hosted buyer status has been confirmed. Please be advised that, due to high demand, visas are taking longer to process and can take months in some cases.  Please book early to avoid disappointment.

If you require a letter to support your visa application, please advise the Hosted Buyer Manager ASAP.

• Saturday 8 February - International arrivals
• Sunday 9 February - Domestic arrivals / Uncover Melbourne Media Famil & Program
• Monday 10 February - Official Press Conference / Knowledge Program / Welcome Event
• Tuesday 11 February – Media Presentations / Tradeshow / Invite-Only Functions
• Wednesday 12 February – Media Presentations / Tradeshow / Departures – domestic & international

Below is an overview of the types of exhibitors who attend AIME:

• • Destinations – Australia, Pacific, Asia are the majority with some additional destinations in Europe and the Americas
  • Convention bureaux or tourism offices with a business events focus
  • Convention centres
  • Hotels and resorts
  • Boutique and specialty venues
  • Attractions and activities relevant for groups and events
  • Caterers – many offering unique venues as part of their portfolio
  • Event technology companies inc. registration platforms, apps, video conferencing etc – from within Australia and around the globe
  • Production and AV suppliers
  • Destination Management Companies (DMCs)
  • Travel and tour operators
  • Airlines
  • Cruise companies
  • Support services for events eg. promotional goods, photographers and videographers, event designers and stylists, florists etc.

It is important to note that a large number of the exhibitors are from Australia and in order to fulfil the commitment of 32 quality PSAs you must have some upcoming event business for Australia.

This is the moment where Talk2 Media & Events will officially welcome you to the event. LittleBIG (AIME's PR partner) will meet you at your hotel lobby and escort you to MCEC and the Press Conference. The Press Conference will begin at 9am and conclude at 10am, allowing you time to walk to the opening of the AIME Knowledge Program Networking Lunch, held in the Plenary Foyer.

littleBIG (AIME's PR partner) will work with media partners to facilitate the VIP interview schedule for hosted media. Prior to AIME, the PR team will reach out to all hosted media with a date/time for interviews with VIPs from Talk2 Media & Events and Melbourne Convention Bureau. At the time, you will be asked to provide a list of questions for interviewees. These questions will be vetted and briefed ahead of AIME. Should you wish to interview exhibitors or any other key stakeholder, media will be able to facilitate these interviews themselves via AIME's meeting platform and/or event app or direct email communication. Unless otherwise agreed too, all media interviews take place in the Media Lounge.

As our media partners, we appreciate your efforts to support us and trust that you do understand the importance of attending official media events and the exhibitor press conferences. A well-attended conference makes for a happy exhibitor and a better return on their investment in AIME. It is a mandatory requirement as part of your media agreement with AIME that one representative of your publication attends all scheduled press conferences. AIME's PR team will set-up a WhatsApp group and do a call out prior to all press events - this serves as a gentle reminder of what's on and where you need to be. Please ensure you have notifications turned on your phone.

Priority should always be given to attending official media events, VIP interviews and exhibitor press conferences.

Last-minute shifts are a possibility and there are often multiple events happening at the same time as part of AIME's overall event program. We understand you can't be in two places at once.

If this happens and causes a conflict in your schedule, please let littleBIG (AIME's PR partner) know. In the first instance, they will endeavour to resolve the conflict and if this is not possible, they will ensure you have access to relevant materials and/or organise a one-on-one interview, if possible.

 

You must notify the marketing manager immediately (see contact details below). There are various penalties if you cancel after January 2025.

If you need to cancel for some reason, then it will be acceptable to have a colleague from your company to replace you. However, the colleague should be a senior team member, who meets the criteria and will still need to be approved by the marketing team

Once your participation has been confirmed you can access the Media Hub to find answers to most of your questions. If you have any additional queries please contact: Michelle Dawson | Marketing Manager | Email | +61 414 589 920

Talk2 Media & Events (AIME Organiser): Michelle Dawson, Marketing + Communications Manager // +61 414 589 920 // Email littleBIG (AIME's PR team): Dan Stock, PR & Content Account Director // + 61 403 953 351 // Email   A dedicated Media WhatsApp group will also be set up to connect everyone