AIME 2027: Dates, Venue, Tickets and Who Can Attend

Cover image: The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre at South Wharf, Melbourne, venue of AIME (file photo) — photo by Donaldytong, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

AIME 2027 runs from Monday 15 to Wednesday 17 February 2027 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), and hosted buyer applications close on 27 November 2026 for international planners and 4 December 2026 for domestic ones. The Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event is owned by Melbourne Convention Bureau and is managed by Talk2 Media & Events. The organiser bills it as Asia Pacific's "largest and longest running business events trade show".

Monday is Knowledge Monday, the education day, followed by the Welcome Event; the trade show runs on Tuesday 16 and Wednesday 17 February. There are no public days. AIME 2028 is set for 14 to 16 February 2028.

Who exhibits and who attends AIME?

AIME 2026 ran from 9 to 11 February 2026 with 766 exhibitors from 36 countries and territories, more than 1,500 vetted buyers, more than 5,000 attendees and about 25,000 pre-scheduled meetings, according to the organiser, which cites post-show research projecting A$425 million in business over the following 12 months. For 2027 it is planning for 1,600+ buyers and 800+ exhibiting organisations.

Exhibitors are destinations, convention bureaux and centres, hotels, venues, destination management companies, event technology, AV and production firms, airlines and cruise lines, with a large share from Australia and Asia-Pacific. South Africa, the United Arab Emirates and Uganda exhibited for the first time in 2026. By business type, the organiser's 2026 buyer breakdown shows event management companies at 20%, membership organisations at 19%, professional conference organisers (PCOs) at 12%, and corporates and travel management at 11% each. Hosted buyers came 64% from Australia, 23% from Asia, 5% each from New Zealand and the Americas, 2% from Europe and 1% from the Middle East.

How to attend AIME: hosted buyers, guest buyers and visitor passes

Hosted buyers need at least two years' experience planning business events end to end, whether for an association, PCO, agency or corporation, or as incentive planners or venue finders. Domestic applicants need six or more events a year with 50+ delegates. International applicants need events held or planned in Australia or Asia-Pacific and must meet in English without an interpreter. Tour operators and travel agents who book only the travel component do not qualify.

Applications take at least 15 minutes and are reviewed within 10 business days, with checks on the venues you name. Fully and semi-hosted buyers get four hotel nights if international (13 to 16 February) and two if domestic (15 and 16 February). Flights are reimbursed only after all matched meetings are completed, and cancelling after December 2026 incurs penalties. Planners with under two years' experience can join the Rocket Program and shadow their manager's meetings; their employer pays for flights, hotel and transfers.

Guest Buyers, event planners vetted for purchasing authority, attend free with trade-show entry and the AIME meetings app, and can pay to add Knowledge Monday and the Welcome Event; the buyer FAQ says their applications open at the end of 2026. Suppliers who do not exhibit need the new Visitor Supplier Pass: A$199 plus GST early bird, A$250 plus GST from November (the registration portal shows A$199.50 plus GST). As of 1 November 2026 the organiser's visit page still described the early-bird rate as open. The pass excludes Knowledge Monday and the Welcome Event. Media, industry educators and students register free. Exhibitors book stands, from Space Only to a shared DMC Zone, through the sales team; prices are not published.

Is it open to the public? No. Every registration category is for the business events trade, and buyer registrations are vetted.

Networking at AIME: matched meetings, Knowledge Monday and the Welcome Event

AIME builds each hosted buyer's diary from their exhibitor preferences, using human curation and AI scheduling. Meetings last 15 minutes with 10-minute breaks, up to 15 a day between 9:00 and 17:00, in English. Matching starts once buyers and exhibitors are confirmed in mid-December 2026, and hosted buyers see the exhibitor list in January 2027. Exhibitors can add requested meetings, and buyers can fill their open diary.

Knowledge Monday 2027, themed "AIMEplify: People, Business and Impact", adds two formats, The Debate and The Pitch; speaker proposals close on 15 November 2026. The Welcome Event, attended by 2,400 people in 2026, follows that evening at a venue to be named in January 2027. Ideas Academy on the Floor sessions, open to all attendees, run on both show days.

Getting to MCEC and where to stay

MCEC is at 1 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf, with entrances on Clarendon Street (Exhibition Centre) and Convention Centre Place (Convention Centre). From Melbourne Airport, take a taxi or rideshare, or SkyBus to Southern Cross Station, then tram 96, 109 or 12 to stop 124A Casino/MCEC/Clarendon Street, or walk 10 minutes.

The organiser's hotel-deals sheet lists Pan Pacific Melbourne, directly connected to MCEC (15% off for exhibitors), Novotel Melbourne South Wharf (10% off with the code MCEC), Crown Metropol Melbourne (A$265 room only, Sunday to Thursday) and five TFE hotels, including Vibe Hotel Melbourne and Rendezvous Hotel Melbourne. Those two have no rates for 12 to 13 February 2027 because of a city event, and the sheet warns that other hotels will fill fast. International visitors should apply for an Australian visa early; confirmed hosted buyers can request a support letter. Self-funded travellers can compare fares in our guide to the cheapest way to fly to Australia.

How does AIME compare with IT&CM Asia and IBTM World?

AIME calls itself the first trade show on the international business events calendar. IT&CM Asia and CTW Asia-Pacific, the MICE and corporate travel event in Bangkok, runs from 14 to 16 September 2027 and had 600 exhibitors and 361 buyers in 2026, according to its organiser. IBTM World in Barcelona (17 to 19 November 2026) reported almost 2,500 exhibitors and 79,000+ pre-scheduled meetings in 2025. See our Asia-Pacific travel trade shows guide and the full travel trade show calendar.

Frequently asked questions

When is AIME 2027?

AIME 2027 runs from Monday 15 to Wednesday 17 February 2027 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Monday is Knowledge Monday and the Welcome Event; the trade show runs on Tuesday 16 February (8:30 to 18:00) and Wednesday 17 February (8:30 to 17:00). AIME 2028 is scheduled for 14 to 16 February 2028.

Is AIME open to the public?

No. AIME is a business events trade show with no public days. Attendees are vetted hosted and guest buyers who plan and buy events, exhibitors, visitor suppliers with a paid pass, media, industry educators and students. Guest Buyer registrations are checked to confirm the applicant is an active event planner with purchasing authority.

How much does it cost to attend AIME?

Buyers attend free: hosted, flexi and guest buyers pay nothing, and fully hosted buyers also have flights and a hotel covered. Guest buyers can pay to add Knowledge Monday and the Welcome Event. Suppliers who do not exhibit pay A$199 plus GST early bird (A$199.50 in the registration portal) or A$250 plus GST from November for the Visitor Supplier Pass. Media, educators and students register free.

How do I become an AIME hosted buyer?

Apply online through the AIME registration portal and choose a buyer type: fully hosted, semi-hosted, day or flexi. You need at least two years' experience planning business events, and international applicants need events held or planned in Australia or Asia-Pacific. Applications for 2027 close on 27 November 2026 (international) and 4 December 2026 (domestic).

Where is AIME held?

AIME is held every February at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf, Victoria 3006, Australia. The nearest station is Southern Cross, a 10-minute walk away, and trams 96, 109 and 12 stop outside the Clarendon Street entrance.

Sources

• AIME, Hosted Buyer Program
• AIME, Hosted Buyer FAQs
• AIME, Visit: guest buyers and visitor suppliers
• AIME, Exhibit
• AIME, AIME 2026 opens with record numbers (9 February 2026)
• AIME, AIME 2026 generates $425m for APAC business events industry (18 March 2026)
• AIME, AIME 2026 post-show report
• AIME, Program
• AIME, Registration portal
• AIME, AIME reveals 2027 Knowledge Monday theme (21 October 2026)
• AIME, AIME 2027 special hotel deals (PDF)
• Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Plan your visit