Details of the two new events being launched this year by the International Association for Exposition Management were released at the association's midyear meeting, June 9 to 12 in Reno, Nev. The educational meeting drew 632 registrants, 42 percent of whom were exposition managers.

Responding to the keen interest in contract issues, IAEM and Meeting Professionals International will hold the Meetings and Exhibitions Contracts Forum, November 1 to 2 at Hyatt Regency Chicago O'Hare, Rosemont, Ill. Other co-sponsors are the International Association of Assembly Managers and the International Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus. New York University law professor Kim Taylor- Thompson will lead a panel in the General Session, using the Socratic dialogue technique popularized in such PBS programs as "Ethical Choices," which Taylor-Thompson has moderated.

There will be 12 "specialized" workshops on subjects such as attrition and cancellation clauses; hotel and conference center contract basics; convention center/exhibit hall contract basics; and sessions on liability issues, music licensing, and independent planner/show manager contracts. Registration is $149 for members of co-sponsoring associations and $249 for nonmembers, with rates increasing by $100 for each category after September 30.

Another new event is the Global Matchmaking Summit, November 29 to 30, 1999, in Miami, Fla. The conference is designed to attract exhibition and conference organizers from around the world with the purpose of discussing possible joint ventures, strategic alliances, co-locating shows, locating agents, and mergers and acquisitions, according to Steven Hacker, CAE, president of IAEM.

The event is a joint project of IAEM and NCH, a trade fair promotion organization located in The Hague, Netherlands. More than 25 other organizations, representing more than 50 countries, are co-sponsoring the event, Hacker says. A photo directory of participants will be sent to delegates a month prior to the event so that delegates can contact each other before the meeting. Participation is limited to decision-makers who have the authority to discuss and create strategic alliances, Hacker says. Each delegate will pay $1,000.

In other news, IAEM has just published two booklets: How to Apply State Sales Taxes and Service Charges, and Convention Center Facilities Contracts. They are available for $15 for members and $20 for nonmembers.

Also, the association will hold the Big Bonanza golf event, a fund-raising event for IAEM's foundation, September 22 to 25, 1998, at the Sierra Nevada Golf Course and Northgate Golf Club in Reno, Nev. For fees and participation information, or for more information on any of the items above, telephone IAEM at (972) 458-8002, or fax (972) 458-8119. --Regina McGee