Some 13,000 meetings and events profs gathered in Germany this week for IMEX Frankfurt. Many took the congress as an opportunity to release news and share updates. We captured the buzz here.

The Largest IMEX Frankfurt Ever

The 21st edition, as IMEX CEO Carina Bauer referred to the gathering, which took place May 20-22 at Messe Frankfurt, was the largest ever in terms of exhibitor floor space, generating over 67,000 pre-scheduled meetings across three days. She inferred that the robust attendance “reflected both current sentiment and momentum within the worldwide events sector, with robust business pipelines evident in the meetings, connections and collaborations happening on a busy show floor.”

The Inspiration Hub, home to the show’s education programming, saw event professionals come together to question, debate and look to the future. Several themes arose time and again—the importance of trust, transparency and experiential design combined with emotional journey planning, psychological safety and leadership.

In a panel session exploring how agencies and planners can work together more successfully, Alexandra Howar, director of business development at InVision Communications, said “transparency is the currency of trust.” She encouraged planners to collaborate across the supply chain to drive efficiencies and elevate the audience experience.

Learn More: IMEX Group CEO Carina Bauer on What One Thing

Looking ahead, Carina Bauer, IMEX Group CEO, noted that Frankfurt has been designated World Design Capital 2026, which offers the show multiple opportunities to extend its partnerships across the city and promote the importance of strong design principles as the bedrock of successful events and experiences.

Dubai Named Tops in Association Biz

Dubai at IMEX Frankfurt 2025

The capital of the Emirate of Dubai ranked first globally for attendance at association meetings and number of meetings in the Middle East in 2024 according to International Congress and Convention Association. It was also rated a Top Meetings Destination in the Middle East and Africa by Cvent.

Dubai Business Events (DBE) showed up in Frankfurt with an array of partners to stress alignment with this year’s IMEX theme, Impact 2.0: Activating the Future. It emphasized the global events community’s responsibility to address major global and community challenges while driving positive change through events, partnerships and initiatives.

Read More: Smart Travel: New Dubai Hotels Focus on Luxury

DBE reported that the city won a record 437 successful bids to host international conferences, a 20% year-on-year increase. Visiting groups include Amway ESAN 2025, the 27th General Conference of the International Council of Museums 2025, the Global Symposium on Health Systems Research 2026, the World Congress on Medical Informatics 2027, ISAPS Olympiad World Congress 2027, Forever Living Products Global Rally 2026, the Scientific Assembly and Associated Events of the Committee on Space Research 2028 and The International Conference on Computer Vision 2029. These events are set to attract over 210,000 delegates to Dubai in the coming years.

Dubai welcomed a record 18.72 million international overnight visitors in 2024, a 9% year-on-year increase. That momentum has continued into 2025, with 5.31 million international visitors arriving between January and March, marking a 3% increase compared to Q1 2024.

Business events have been a key contributor to this sustained growth, generating economic impact across sectors and further strengthening Dubai’s global brand, according to a DBE release. Expansion plans for Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City Dubai were promoted at IMEX Frankfurt along with expansion plans Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC).

EXCEL London Announces Record Year

Excel London exterior
Excel London exterior

James Rees, executive director of the recently expanded Excel reported at IMEX Frankfurt that the venue will host 10 major international conferences in 2026, a record for a single year. The 80,000 international delegates expected in 2026 include the European Association of Urology, the Full Fibre Council Europe FTTH Conference and the International Trademark Association. The events are estimated to generate £250 million to London’s business economy, in addition to the £4.6 billion Excel brings annually through its 400-strong event calendar.

Read More: ExCel London Paves the Way for Green Meetings

Built to leading BREEAM sustainability standards, Excel’s £220 million expansion development will increase the venue’s facilities by 25%—totaling 125,000 sq. m. (1.3 million sq. ft.) and making it the largest fully integrated conference and exhibition center in Europe. With the finishing touches now being made, the first official event in Excel’s new space will be the all-electric Formula E motor racing series at the end of July.

London as a city has been turning heads as TripAdvisor’s 2025 World’s Top Destination and Cvent’s Top Meeting Destination.

Celebrating Event Excellence

The grand finale was the IMEX Frankfurt Gala Dinner Awards. Held at Alte Oper, the “grande dame” of Frankfurt’s cultural institutions, the ceremony brought together the sector’s stars to honor their positive impact on the industry and wider world, celebrating their achievements, innovation and passion.

The winners were:

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