Joyce DiMascio Shares Her #AIMEMoments
4 February 2023 • AIME News, Industry Profile
In the lead up to our 30th Anniversary, we spoke to a few of AIME’s longtime supporters about their #AIMEMoments. First up, we hear from industry leader, commentator and AIME Industry Person of the Year in 2014, Joyce DiMascio from Joyce DiMascio Consulting.
When was your first AIME? Have you attended many since?
2009 was my first and I have attended AIME every year since then.
Can you remember a trend, prediction and/or key speaker from that year? What was everyone talking about?
The big thing for me as Head of Business Events Australia was that we brought Tourism Australia back to AIME to launch the new Business Events Australia. New brand, new energy, new name – new everything. It was very exciting and it grabbed a lot of media and industry attention.
The very first AIME was held in 1993. Can you tell us what you were doing in 1993 and how things have changed in your life?
I was doing the big juggle with two young children and a very big job as the Director of Marketing Communications at Tourism NSW. These were exciting times in destination marketing – we launched new campaigns in Australia and around the world.
It was the year the IOC announced that Sydney would host the 2000 Olympic Games so there was a lot of excitement about that. The extraordinary transformation of Homebush Bay precinct to become Sydney Olympic Park was underway. It was a year filled with anticipation as Australia emerged onto the world stage as the nation that would open its doors to the world for this major sporting festival.
Paul Keating was Australia’s Prime Minister – and in the US it was Bill Clinton. Two mighty personalities in public life.
What’s one way the business events industry has changed since your first AIME?
The business events industry is now much more recognised as an important economic and social contributor to Australian economy. It’s much better funded and it has stronger connections to universities, governments, and industry. There has also been massive investment in purpose-built venues right around the country.
Also, Australia now faces a lot more competition from other destinations competing for business events.
The other key things that have changed is the focus on outstanding food and beverage experiences, commitment to legacy programs and running events in more ecologically sustainable ways. Corporate Social Responsibility now goes hand-in-hand with the principles that underpin the industry.
The take-up of technology has been profound and events now can have a much bigger reach through combining virtual and F2F models. The quality of on-stage activities is now extraordinary and production is so much more sophisticated.