Global meetings and event industry event IMEX 2008 closed yesterday against a backdrop of sound business optimism throughout the international conference industry.

In his closing ceremony speech, IMEX chairman, Ray Bloom, explained that IMEX 2008 had been marked by a series of record-breaking highs, both on and off the show floor.

"An indication of the robust and healthy nature of the international meetings industry currently is that IMEX welcomed well over 8,500 buyers to Messe Frankfurt, of which more than 3,600 were hosted buyers – a far larger proportion of these being from long-haul markets than ever before. Adding to this positive picture is the fact that these buyers achieved over 40,000 pre-organised appointments over the last three days, of which more than 30,000 were made through the individual online appointment system," he said.

In addition, Bloom explained that working closely with the German Convention Bureau to market even more intensively to German buyers – and to Germany's influential marketing professionals – had clearly paid dividends this year.

"Noticeably more German trade visitors made the trip to Frankfurt,” he said. “We will continue to maximise our German partnerships and leverage the fact that we are located within the most influential outbound market in Europe to ensure that German buyer participation builds every year."