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AIME has strengthened its executive team ahead of its 2027 return to Melbourne, appointing Monica Kent-Giles as Marketing Director and Brooke Campbell as Buyer Engagement Director.

The two appointments put extra weight behind marketing and buyer strategy as the Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event prepares for another big year. In trade-show terms, that means getting the right people through the door and making sure they meet the right people once they are inside.

Simple in theory. Rather more complicated when thousands of diaries are involved.

AIME Event Director Silke Calder, now approaching her seventh year leading the team, said the new executives would bring fresh thinking to an already experienced leadership group.

“AIME continues to grow in both scale and impact, with more of the global community across Asia Pacific and beyond coming together each year to connect and do business. Every year we set ourselves the challenge to raise the bar for the industry. Expanding our executive team with leaders of Monica and Brooke’s calibre ensures we can further elevate the quality of our show floor connections and deliver an unrivalled experience for our global community,” she says.

“We are excited to welcome Monica and Brooke to the executive leadership team. They are already making their impact felt, bringing new inspiration and specialised skills that strengthen our overall leadership team as preparations for AIME 2027 continue at pace.”

That pace has a firm deadline.

AIME 2027 runs from 15 to 17 February 2027 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC). Knowledge Monday and the Welcome Event take place on 15 February, followed by the trade show on 16 and 17 February. AIME says its 2027 edition is being built around more than 800 exhibitors and more than 25,000 meetings.

Kent-Giles takes AIME brand global

For Kent-Giles, the appointment brings her back close to where her career began.

She started at the Melbourne Convention Bureau and has since held senior marketing positions across media, recruitment, aviation and technology-related businesses, including News Corp in the UK and Australia, the Recruitment, Consulting and Staffing Association, Melbourne Airport and PMY Group.

Her appointment as AIME Marketing Director is also reflected in her current professional profile.

Kent-Giles brings extensive experience in brand management, internal and external communications, digital marketing and events across major international markets.

And unlike somebody arriving with only a freshly printed business card and an optimistic LinkedIn announcement, she already knows the product.

“Having attended AIME over many years, I’ve experienced firsthand the energy, incredible connections and value the show delivers to the business events industry,” she says. “Stepping into the role at such a pivotal moment is a privilege, and I look forward to further elevating its global presence.”

It is a timely brief.

AIME is no longer simply selling exhibition space and a busy Melbourne diary. It is selling access, quality and measurable commercial opportunity to an increasingly international audience.

That makes the marketing task considerably broader than filling a convention centre.

Campbell puts buyers firmly in focus

Campbell, meanwhile, brings more than 20 years of specialist experience across hotels, wholesale, corporate business, events, convention centres and destination bureaux.

Her Buyer Engagement Director position is newly created, an indication of the priority AIME is placing on the quality of its buyer program.

Campbell’s recent senior roles include Experience Gold Coast, the New Zealand International Convention Centre and MCEC, the very venue AIME calls home. AIME’s official team profile confirms Campbell’s new position and those previous appointments.

Her priority will be to improve the overall buyer journey while maintaining the calibre of planners attending from key global markets.

“AIME is already the benchmark for business events in our region, and I’ve been fortunate to witness this as a show exhibitor, but we are setting an even higher standard for 2027,” she says. “The strength of AIME lies in how precisely we match exhibitors with a curated group of decision-makers ready to do business, and our focus is on enhancing this to make every meeting on the show floor as productive and impactful as possible.”

That focus goes straight to the heart of AIME’s commercial proposition.

Trade shows can have sparkling stands, clever activations and enough branded merchandise to furnish a small airport lounge. But buyers with genuine briefs, budgets and decision-making authority remain the currency that matters.

AIME says it uses a combination of human expertise and technology to match exhibitors with buyers. The organisation describes itself as Asia Pacific’s largest and longest-running business events exhibition and learning platform.

The event is owned by the Melbourne Convention Bureau and managed by Talk2 Media & Events, with MCEC serving as the venue partner.

Bigger event, deeper leadership

For AIME 2027, the leadership message is clear.

Kent-Giles will be charged with sharpening the event’s market presence and building its international profile. Campbell will concentrate on the buyer experience and quality of its commercial connections. Calder remains at the helm as preparations accelerate towards February.

It is an expansion designed for growth rather than decoration.

And in a business-events market where almost everybody promises “meaningful connections”, AIME is putting senior executives in place to ensure those meetings actually mean business.