There’s a new conference taking place in Europe that promises to offer an effective platform for sharing the trends and challenges in the meetings industry. European Meetings Industry 2009 is a two-day, hosted-buyer program planned for February 16–17 in Vienna, Austria, organized by Fleming Gulf, a conference company based in Dubai, U.A.E.

Padraic Gilligan, partner and director of marketing, Ovation Group, Dublin, Ireland, and immediate past president of Site (formerly the Society of Incentive & Travel Executives), will be a featured speaker at the two-day education program on a panel about dealing with change.

For more details, visit emi-bcm.com.

The largest Australia-Asia show in the meetings industry, the 17th AsiaPacific Incentives & Meetings Expo, will be held in Melbourne, Australia, February 17–18. But next year’s show will be moved to April, announced Reed Travel Exhibitions and the Melbourne Convention and Visitors Bureau, the show’s organizers, because of Chinese New Year.

Paul Kennedy, group exhibition director, RTE Meetings and Incentive Events, said, “While AIME has traditionally been held annually in February, we have had to consider carefully the effect Chinese New Year, which falls on February 14 in 2010, would have on AIME. This is a time when many of our exhibitors and hosted buyers take extended leave to celebrate with their families. In addition, airline schedules in the region are stretched to capacity.”

AIME 2010 will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 27–28.