Insights on Resilience at AIME 2026

On February 9th at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, AIME 2026’s Knowledge Monday event aimed to impart crucial insights on human resilience and priorities that truly matter in a high-pressure industry. This year’s theme elevated from 2025’s ‘We Matter’, underscoring the significance of experience and credibility in the MICE sector and beyond.

Keynote Highlights
Three unique keynotes were presented, alongside various breakout sessions that included experts from outside the traditional hospitality experience.

Shorter and More Impactful Keynotes

AIME event director Silke Calder noted: “The feedback from our new format was overwhelmingly positive!” The keynotes were designed to maintain audience engagement, each lasting approximately 30 minutes.

Lessons from Kristina Karlsson

The first keynote speaker, entrepreneur Kristina Karlsson, shared her powerful narrative of resilience in crises, presenting three thought-provoking questions:

1. What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?
2. What if you had all the money and resources?
3. What if you had unlimited health and energy?
   Karlsson emphasized that the industry professionals should focus on truly important aspects: health, energy, and vision.

Behavioral Insights with Milo Wilkinson

Milo Wilkinson, a behavioral scientist, explained that “Humans fear loss rather than change itself.” Her insights stressed that successful change management depends on addressing what people might lose.

Sporting Insights from Dan Haesler

Finally, Dan Haesler, a performance coach, compared high-pressure event management to elite sports, advising attendees to set controllable goals, separating one’s identity from professional outcomes. He used Olympian Jess Fox’s mindset as a prime example of differentiating performance from outcome, thus cultivating confidence based on existing capabilities.

In summary, AIME 2026 shed light on crucial topics for the event industry in a rapidly evolving landscape.