The International Association for Exhibition Management is working to broaden its scope to include all aspects of the exhibition industry, including the growing corporate exhibitions and events area. One step in that direction was to change the group's name to the International Association for Exhibitions and Events, presented as a motion to members at the IAEM annual meeting in Atlanta in early December.

With many members saying they were unaware of the possible name change, the motion met with contention. Paper ballots were cast, but leaders later declared the vote invalid because they said there was not a quorum.

Steven Hacker, IAEM president, vowed to do a better job of selling the reasons for the name change in the coming year. He acknowledged at a press conference that there had been no communication to members specifically stating that a name change would be voted on.