Considering Mali, Africa, for your next event? Rotura, New Zealand? Cesky Krumlov Town, Czech Republic? These emerging destinations will have a place on the show floor at IMEX, May 12-14 at Messe Frankfurt, Germany, alongside the hundreds of established meeting and incentive destinations expected at this major industry exhibition.

Mali, Rotura, and Cesky Krumlov Town, along with Snowmass Village, Colo., were selected for the IMEX Wild Card slots this year, giving them free exhibition space. To be considered, entrants had to demonstrate their potential as a leading destination in the future — and must never have exhibited at a major meetings trade show.

Supplementing the exhibition — which in its inaugural year in 2003 drew 2,200 exhibitors from 119 countries — are this year's educational topics, which include emerging destinations, meeting technology trends (online auctions, venue searching, and registration), and working with destination marketing companies. Meeting Professionals International will run a session on its new research on women in leadership in Europe.

For information on IMEX's hosted buyer program, contact Nikki Williams at nikki@imex-frankfurt.com. For more information on exhibitors, a virtual exhibition is online at www.imex-frankfurt.com/virtualex.php.