The energy on display at the 2016 AIM/R Conference at The Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida, was as persistent as the Miami sunshine. After an all-day AIM/R Board of Directors meeting on Oct. 18, the organization held a one-hour reception for first-time attendees before the full cast of veterans arrived. AIM/R President Stew Chaffee of Aston, Pennsylvania-based rep firm Rich-Tomkins Co. told PM that attendance was 400, including 66 manufacturer companies. That comes up just short of the 2015 AIM/R Conference totals, and Chaffee notes that Zika virus scares might have played a factor in the slight dip in attendance.
“This is the second-highest turnout in 44 years, so that’s nothing to be ashamed about,” Chaffee noted.