The global business events community gathered in Melbourne for the 33rd edition of AIME Asia Pacific — the leading meetings and incentives event in the Asia Pacific region. With exhibitors from 36 countries and territories and representation from across Australia, AIME 2026 once again set the benchmark for connection, innovation, and industry growth.
This year, Creative Hire were appointed as one of the official Welcome Function and Hosted Buyers Lounge partners, tasked to design and deliver immersive experiences that would support the 2026 exhibition and event design. We also took a custom stand space to showcase our group capability and capacity to produce custom exhibitions, live events and creative activations at scale.
Paul Enright, Business Development Manager – Creative Hire, commented on the scale of event this year, reinforcing AIME’s position as the leading business events trade show in the Asia Pacific region.
“AIME is an excellent opportunity to connect with existing clients and engage with new ones. It’s been exciting to see the exhibition floor come alive with colour, movement and activations that make it feel more like an experience rather than just a regular trade show”
“The new floor zoning and expanded networking areas are a welcomed addition this year that have refreshed the exhibition hall and encouraged more engagement with visitors to discuss upcoming events”.
Leona Byrne, Senior Business Development Manager – Creative Hire, said there was a lot of interest from visitors on unique ways to elevate their events;
“AIME reinforced the power of face-to-face connections in driving real business opportunities. It was clear that clients are looking for creative, impactful solutions that elevate their events and deliver meaningful engagement.”
AIME 2026 Stand Design Concept
For Creative Hire and sister company, DisplayWise, this year’s event marked a defining moment — bringing together our shared expertise into one pavilionised space. Our stand design concept centered around inviting visitors to reimagine what’s possible for their next event or exhibition through our combined offering in a clear message of “Big Builds. Bold Ideas.”
AIME 2026 was our first-time exhibiting together as partners under one collective. Taylah Crome, Group Brand Manager, explained why AIME 2026 was the right moment;
“With strong brand growth and collaborations this past year, we’re more aligned than ever before to push forward and deliver beyond expectations for our clients. We’re passionate about pushing boundaries and being at the forefront of the latest trends, so our design concept came together quite easily when looking for inspiration. With the resurgence of colour blocking in 2026 to create bold, unique combinations, this choice was the perfect foundation.”
“Creative Hire’s magenta brand colour paired with DisplayWise’s raspberry red, was incredibly striking to create one cohesive look. Often mistaken for just using black and white, our talented team of Industrial Designers conceptualised a colourful monochrome gradient using different variations of brand shades, textures and finishes.”
“Paired with the dynamic visual animations on our next-gen LED wall, the result was a high contrast, minimalist and modern aesthetic that we’re predicting will see in more displays and design concepts this year”.
Designing the Shift from Safe to Bold Concept
This year’s stand design concept explored a transition from safe to bold, neutral to vibrant, and static to immersive. Vibrant gradients and high-impact tones from the Creative Hire and DisplayWise brand colour palettes created an energetic, expressive environment that invited guests to step into boldness and experience the brands, collectively, firsthand. This pavilion style was conceptualised as a hybrid custom stand that would combine the modularity and reusability benefits of a system build with elevated features through premium craftsmanship and custom timber joinery.
Our unique approach demonstrated how aluminium framing increases flexibility without compromising design impact and that the future of exhibition environments can move beyond structure to create meaningful, memorable experiences.
Big Builds. Bold Ideas.
“Big Builds” represents our delivery of large-scale, complex event and exhibition environments with precision, reliability, and impact. It reflects our capability to design, construct, and execute physical spaces at scale from national roadshows and event builds through to custom exhibition stands. This capacity to combine our technical expertise, seamless logistics, and end-to-end delivery, all under one roof, offers PCO’s and event managers a unique opportunity to bring your ambitious visions to life.
“Bold Ideas” represents fearless thinking and design-led strategy that challenges convention and pushes creative boundaries. It reflects our commitment to innovation, immersive experiences, and fresh perspectives — developing concepts that capture attention, elevate brands, and create meaningful engagement.
Welcome Event
Creative Hire partnered with DisplayWise to create a show-stopper Selfie-Tunnel activation that hosted the Phototainment and FT Events Glambot experience. With its customisable RGB LEDs and ombre graphic backdrop, the red carpet invited guests to step in, strike a pose and create a fun, memorable and bold moment.
Themed as “Aimagination”, the AIME 2026 Welcome Function theme was a celebration of experience and emotion. Hosted in the exclusive Evoqé Events venue, spanning three levels, AIME Event Director Silke Calder, said the Welcome Event plays a central role in shaping the spirit of the show when speaking with Mice Talk;
“The Welcome Event is an important opportunity to bring the AIME community together in a meaningful and fun way. Aimagination is about stepping outside the expected and opening the door to new ideas, new conversations and new possibilities. It is bold, immersive and unmistakably AIME, and we cannot wait to welcome our industry friends from around the world to experience it for themselves.”
Hosted Buyer Lounge
For the Hosted Buyer Lounge, Creative Hire supplied our next-gen LED panels to create an engaging Entry Arch that welcomed visitors to the exclusive space. The large-scale installation was designed to stop traffic and create anticipation, demonstrating how powerful environments begin at the point of entry.
Themed as an “Airport Gate Lounge”, the LED panels formed an illuminated and visually dynamic archway that welcomed guests into a quiet and calm space off the show floor. Collaborating with AIME designers to ensure the final display performed exactly as envisioned, the Hosted Buyer lounge was a powerful extension of event storytelling.
Looking Ahead
AIME 2026 reinforced an important shift in the exhibition landscape — success is no longer defined by presence alone, but by experience, connection, and measurable impact. The partnership between Creative Hire and DisplayWise reflected a shared vision to help clients reimagine what’s possible together through bold ideas, scalable builds, and integrated delivery.
Big builds. Bold ideas. Real results. That’s how Creative Hire showed up this year, and we can’t wait to show you what’s next. Get in touch with our team today to talk about your next event build.
