The 10th annual IMEX Frankfurt and the 2nd annual IMEX America both are parlaying their 2011 momentum into bigger shows this year. IMEX Frankfurt is coming right up, May 22–24, with new education, more hosted buyers, and more exhibitors. Don’t miss the new education tracks, separating meetings from events education; or the informal “campfires,” led by industry experts in sustainability and technology, lasting no more than 30 minutes and repeated regularly throughout the three-day trade show. And of course Association Day takes place the day before the show opens, this year with a new format but again closing with its legendary evening networking event.

And IMEX America returns October 9–11 to The Venetian/The Palazzo for its second year. Its inaugural outing exceeded expectations and has resulted in the show having to book a second exhibit hall at the Sands Expo Convention Center for this year’s big event. See what else is on tap at both shows.

“An association meeting planner, a corporate meeting planner, and an attorney meet up for a webinar …” Sound like the start of a bad joke? Actually, it’s the source of tons of takeaways for planners booking programs outside the United States. From beginner tips to advanced contract issues, we’ve got it all in this summary of questions asked during our recent webinar on risk management for international meetings.

The burgeoning country of China has so many possibilities for U.S. meeting and event planners to expand their footprint. Learn the ins and out of how to launch a meeting, event, association convention, or incentive program in Beijing from a local expert: Richard Rheindorf, CMP, deputy managing director China, MCI CHINA, Beijing office.

In a free, half-hour webinar at 2 p.m. EDT on April 26, you will hear about geography, cultural protocol and norms, how to navigate the city, how to negotiate, and so much more. It’s the second in our global meeting planning webinar series, how to do business in a variety of countries. For more, visit our registration portal.

A key reason German meeting destinations have stayed at the top of their game, besides the relatively healthy German economy, is that they’re constantly updating and reinventing themselves. We’ve got a rundown of major developments in Frankfurt, Munich, and, notably, Berlin, where the new CityCube Berlin convention center is taking on displaced business while the International Congress Center renovates and where the modern, Frank Gehry–designed Axica conference center turns heads. Here's our report.