IMEX in Frankfurt 2012 Wild Card winners announced as Sendai and El Salvador – initiative supported by fresh help from GainingEdge

Sendai in Japan and El Salvador in Central America have both been selected as winners of the IMEX in Frankfurt Wild Card competition for 2012 - the show’s 10th anniversary year.

The IMEX Wild Card programme offers aspiring entrants into the international meetings market the chance to exhibit free of charge alongside established destinations and other participants. In a change from the usual, this year’s winners will also benefit from a brand new support package, provided by specialist business events consultancy, GainingEdge. The company has committed to providing each winner with advice on prescheduled appointments, detailed sales training, press release training and a review of marketing collateral as well as advice on how to maximise trade show participation plus other business-critical tips. (GainingEdge will also be supporting the winners of IMEX America’s Wild Card Americas programme in October).

To be eligible for a free place, Wild Card entrants are required to justify their potential as a meetings and incentive travel destination or a new convention and conference centre. They are also expected to demonstrate sufficient infrastructure and skill to support their ambition to flourish within the global meetings or incentive travel market.

In addition to their free exhibition place on the tailor-made IMEX Wild Card Pavilion, winners receive free accommodation, as well as a complimentary ticket to the show’s Gala Dinner.

Previous Wild Card winners over the years have included Armenia, Western Siberia, the Hof Cultural Center in Iceland, The Cook Islands and Senegal.