What New Zealand business leaders can learn at AIME 2026
- January 15, 2026
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As New Zealand’s business events sector continues to navigate rising client expectations, tighter timelines and increasingly complex stakeholder environments, the need for genuine expertise has never been clearer.
Next month, that question of what expertise really looks like in practice will take centre stage at the Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME), returning to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) from 9–11 February.
AIME 2026 will be the biggest edition yet delivered by Event Director Silke Calder and the Talk2 Media & Events team, with a renewed focus on equipping business events professionals with practical tools they can apply to their daily worklife. For New Zealand planners, incentive specialists and event strategists, AIME continues to be a critical forum for understanding where the Asia Pacific industry is heading, and how to stay competitive within it.
The event opens with AIME’s Knowledge Monday program, which sets the tone for three days of business, connection and collaboration.
Curated by the AIME team in collaboration with BEAMexperience Founder El Kwang alongside an advisory committee of eight industry leaders, this year’s theme, “Expertise Matters!”, explores the behaviours, habits and environments that underpin high performance in demanding professional contexts.
Silky Calder, Event Director, AIME says the refreshed Knowledge Monday structure reflects the realities facing today’s events professionals, particularly the pressure on time and attention.
“Event planners are the busiest they have ever been, so the quality of the content you offer has to be on point,” Calder says. “People are coming to Knowledge Monday sessions wanting to take something away,” she adds. “Our keynote speakers each bring a unique lens on what true expertise means today, sharing ideas that professionals can put into practice immediately.”
Among the keynote speakers is Performance and Leadership Coach Dan Haesler, whose experience working with elite athletes, Olympic teams and multinational organisations brings a high-performance perspective that resonates strongly with the business events sector. Haesler’s keynote addresses a question familiar to anyone delivering major events or incentive programs: how do we relate to pressure? Rather than viewing pressure as something to be avoided, Haesler argues it is an essential ingredient of elite performance.
“There is no high performance without pressure,” Haesler says. “By trying to avoid pressure, you’re setting yourself up for failure from the get-go.”
For an industry where deadlines are immovable and expectations are high, Haesler’s message reframes pressure as a signal rather than a threat. His work highlights that pressure does not expose a lack of talent so much as it reveals underlying habits, an insight with particular relevance for teams managing complex, multi-day events or international incentive programs. “People don’t rise to the occasion, they fall to the level of their habits,” Haesler adds.
For New Zealand professionals, whose work often involves long lead times, cross-border coordination and the need to anticipate issues before they arise, this focus on disciplined daily behaviours offers a compelling counterpoint to last-minute panic. It also aligns with the growing recognition that sustainable performance is built long before the doors open on site.
Haesler will be joined on the Knowledge Monday stage by Kristina Karlsson, founder of kikki.K and Dream Life, and Milo Wilkinson, Behavioural Scientist and Futurist, each bringing a distinct perspective on what expertise looks like beyond technical skill.
Karlsson is a globally recognised entrepreneur whose career spans business growth, reinvention and resilience. Her perspective speaks to the often-unseen work that underpins successful outcomes, a reality well understood by business events professionals whose best work frequently happens behind the scenes. She emphasises that expertise is not built in moments of visibility, but through consistent effort over time, and underscores the importance of personal sustainability in maintaining long-term performance.
Wilkinson, meanwhile, brings a behavioural science lens to the conversation, exploring how cognitive biases, decision-making patterns and emerging societal shifts are shaping the future of work. For an industry defined by constant change, her insights offer a framework for understanding how teams can adapt more effectively under pressure, rather than simply reacting to it. Together, the Knowledge Monday keynote speakers reinforce the program’s ambition to move beyond inspiration and into practical capability-building. For New Zealand attendees, this creates a valuable opportunity to benchmark thinking against global perspectives, while also connecting with Australian and international peers facing similar challenges.
Beyond the Knowledge Monday program, AIME 2026 continues to play a vital role in strengthening trans-Tasman business relationships. Melbourne’s accessibility, depth of business events infrastructure and cultural offering make it a natural hub for New Zealand professionals seeking to expand networks, secure new partnerships and stay connected to Asia Pacific trends.
Calder notes that AIME’s role is not just about scale, but about relevance.
“Our focus is on making sure every part of AIME delivers value,” she says. “That means creating spaces where meaningful conversations happen, where buyers and sellers connect with purpose, and where learning translates into action.”
The AIME 2026 Knowledge Monday program brings together AIME Hosted Buyers and Exhibitors, while Visitor Buyers can upgrade their tickets to attend. For New Zealand business events professionals looking to sharpen their thinking, deepen connections and reflect on what true expertise looks like under pressure, AIME 2026 offers a timely and practical forum.
