AIME has revealed the theme for its 2027 Knowledge Monday program, two new industry-led formats and the new Knowledge Monday Program Committee that will help shape the event’s opening day in Melbourne.
For the 2027 edition of the Asia-Pacific Incentive and Meetings Event (AIME), the program theme “AIMEplify: People, Business and Impact” will explore where human connection meets technology.
Organisers say that as AI changes how events are planned and delivered, AIMEplify asks the industry to identify what is already working and amplify it. That means the value of its people, the expertise behind its businesses and the impact business events create when people come together.
Curated by AIME in collaboration with BEAMexperience founder El Kwang, Knowledge Monday will open AIME at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on February 15, 2027.
Industry leaders and subject matter experts will be encouraged to share knowledge and challenge conventional thinking to give business events professionals practical insights to take back to their own teams and businesses.
Kwang says the theme recognises the increasingly important role of human connection and judgment in a world shaped by rapid technological change.
“Business events have always been about what happens when people come together with purpose, including the relationships they build, the ideas they exchange and the opportunities they create,” he says.
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“As technology takes on more of the execution, the value of our profession sits in the expertise people bring: the experience, judgment and creativity that turn a meeting into a business outcome. AIMEplify is about recognising that value and amplifying what is already working across our industry.”
Knowledge Monday is divided into two sessions each tied to the AIMEplify theme. The morning focuses on people through “Inspire Me, Motivate Me and Look After Me and My Team”. The afternoon turns to business and impact, with “Challenge Me and My Team and Show Me What’s Possible” exploring how technology can extend what the industry does while human expertise stays at the centre.
Shaping the topics, keynote speakers and overall content is the new Knowledge Monday Program Committee. Its members come from corporate, agency and consulting businesses across the business events industry. The committee has built a program around the topics the industry asked for by working with input from curated focus groups.
Introducing the Committee
Ashleigh Cooper, Group Event and Engagement Manager, Charter Hall;
Darren Chuckry, Founder and Managing Director, HK Initiative
Janene Wardrop, Director, Ascot Event Collective
Michelle Sargent, Managing Director, Events Beyond
Petrina Goh, Regional Account Director, BCD Meetings & Events
Sarah Markey-Hamm, Founder, SMH – Event Industry Consulting
A session called The Debate will put a hot topic, chosen by the industry, to a panel of clients and suppliers from across business events.
The Pitch will give event practitioners the stage to present bold ideas that reimagine the future of business events. These are designed to put industry voices on stage and get people talking.
AIME Event Director Silke Calder said the 2027 Knowledge Monday program would reflect the evolution of AIME and the industry at large.
“Knowledge Monday is where the AIME community comes to learn, question and think about what comes next,” she said.
Technology is changing how events are planned and delivered, but the value is still created when people come together with purpose. The program will bring practical thinking, different perspectives and bold ideas into the room, and give our community the chance to share their own experience and shape the conversation.”
– Silke Calder, AIME Event Director
Business events professionals interested in speaking at Knowledge Monday 2027 can submit an expression of interest by November 15. Successful speakers will be notified by December 11.
Knowledge Monday is attended by Hosted Buyers, Hosted Media and Exhibitors, while Visitor Buyers may purchase a ticket upgrade to attend.
Building on five consecutive years of growth, AIME 2027 organisers expect to host more than 25,000 meetings between over 800 exhibitors and more than 1,600 vetted buyers.
The trade show floor, on days two and three, is where business happens, featuring pre-scheduled appointments, networking opportunities and experiential showcases from across the global events sector.
AIME is delivered by Talk2 Media & Events on behalf of the Melbourne Convention Bureau.
