Biggest ever IMEX America demonstrates the returning power of face to face

The 12th edition of IMEX America came to a close in Las Vegas, 19 October, marking the biggest show ever. Organisers say there were almost 15,000 confirmed participants on the show floor at Mandalay Bay, of which over 5,000 were buyers (including 4,000+ hosted buyers). The show confirmed the fast, robust comeback for the industry, with both short and long-lead business being booked at the show. Exhibitors also reported the return of incentive trips and citywide, multi-venue events. Buyers, of which one fifth represented the corporate sector, took part in 80,000 pre-scheduled meetings in three days, of which 73,000 were 1-2-1s with exhibitors. Beth Olson, director of sales at Visit Santa Barbara, said: “The walk-up meetings have been as beneficial as our scheduled meetings – that was a hidden surprise for us. Our booth partners already have several RFPs in hand and in four days here I’ve covered more business than in four months.” “We invested in our own booth for the first time as we wanted a stronger presence at the show,” explained Daniel Palomo, director of global sales for Houston First Corporation. “We’ve had more meetings than ever before and a great quality of buyers.” The show’s biggest ever Inspiration Hub, sponsored by WebEx, saw over 2,000 people attend education sessions in a variety of formats across six tracks. Topics ranged from the personal – how to manage individual and team members’ mental health – to future trends and forecasts for different territories, sectors and worldwide. The high level of interest in some of the data and research sessions spoke volumes about how event planners now using data to design events that achieve greater marketing leverage. Event technology was a big talking point among exhibitors and buyers. Interest in AI appeared strong, although anecdotal reports suggested that so far only a few companies are using it at an enterprise level. With lead-scanning free and built into the show app, IMEX said the data showed that 124,000 contacts were scanned during the week. The majority were supplier to buyer, but a proportion is also buyers connecting with buyers and exhibitors with exhibitors, confirming the collaborative nature of the industry and the multiple ways in which value and human connections are created face to face at the show. In addition, 3,000 meetings were booked via the app during the show – a new feature that served its purpose of ‘convenience on the go’. IMEX Group CEO, Carina Bauer, said: “I’m delighted the industry turned out in such strong numbers from across the globe this week and that IMEX America once again provided a carefully-designed platform for everyone to come together for business, building better human connections around the world, growing and learning from each other. This was our biggest show ever, which was clear from the fact you can’t see the edges anymore!”