The opening of IMEX America 2023, 17 October, marked a welcome return to form for the global events industry today.
Organisers said a 20% increase in space taken by exhibitors and a 9% increase in the number of stands – 360 in total – made this year’s show officially the largest in its 12-year history.
Nearly half of all exhibiting companies have increased their booth sizes, organisers added.
US and Canadian exhibitors have expanded 19% on 2022 and the hotel sector is also making a big business statement with a 23% expansion, according to initial figures.
IMEX Group CEO Carina Bauer said these increases point to an underlying robustness in a market that many thought would take three years or more to return to form post-pandemic: “The global business events industry never fails to surprise in its ability to recover quickly from a set-back. These figures are good news for the market and bode well for short-term business and, importantly, long-term positive economic impact.”
Focus on innovation and experimentation
This year’s show has a clear focus on innovation, experimentation and high-quality learning. The Inspiration Hub, sponsored by WebEx, features a range of theatres, a Wellbeing Wheel, the Google Xi CoLaboratory and a dedicated IMEX|EIC People and Planet Theatre. Encore are also offering fireside chats and their ‘Break Free’ Immersive Theatre.
The Inspiration Hub has been redesigned with sustainability and easier traffic flow in mind. It now features a bare floor with different coloured carpet ‘dots’ to delineate learning zones and activations. New design features make it more accessible for people in wheelchairs.
Other developments at this week’s show include more restaurants and snack bars, free water refill stations, seating and rest areas plus a dedicated Quiet Space Lounge and a Resilience Room presented in partnership with The Neu Project and Marriott International.
Organisers say 70,000 meetings are planned between 4,000+ buyers and 3,400 exhibiting companies on more than 360 booths.
London’s ExCeL’s Andrew Farrelly-Swanston said he had received a walk-up inquiry for a sales kick off meeting for 2025 before he’d even finished his first cup of coffee on Day 1. “I also bumped into a contact at the hotel check-in and we’ve arranged to meet on the show floor to sign a contract for a medical association event in 2026 – talk about serendipity!”
“Within the first 30 minutes of the show opening, we’d already had multiple unscheduled visitors representing some very high-volume meetings, who all gave us verbal commitments and solid next steps,” said Silke Koehnecke, managing director, specialty sales for Southwest Airlines.
Learning programme
A 150-session strong learning programme has been designed to enhance the thousands of meetings taking place. MPI previewed their latest Meetings Outlook survey, sharing the sheer scale of the sector: out of the 336,000 jobs created in the US last month, 96,000 were in leisure and hospitality, they say. The survey revealed the current challenges faced by meeting professionals, which include budgeting, staffing and talent, and client expectations, with cost management topping the list.
Managing costs was a hot topic at many of the show’s learning sessions, including Savouring savings: how to navigate rising event F&B costs. Jaclyn Bernstein, Empire Force Events; Stephanie Krzywanski, JR Global Events; John McKinnon, ConferenceDirect, and Eating at A Meeting’s Tracy Stuckrath delved into the complexities of managing annual cost increases and how to approach negotiations with hotels from a value-added point of view. The panel emphasised the value of collaborating with chefs and Conference Service Managers (CSMs) for dining options that are cost effective and creative, particularly by utilising local and seasonal foods.
“Design thinking is one of the most powerful ways for event professionals to approach their events,” said Anthony Vade, Encore event experience strategy director. “It allows them to navigate the complexities that exist in stakeholder relationships and find the most elegant solution to create the change that events need to create.”
IMEX CEO Carina Bauer has been inducted into the Events Industry Council’s (EIC) Hall of Leaders. The 2023 EI Global Awards Celebration took place Monday October 16 – at Bellagio Resort & Casino ahead of the show opening. The ceremony also saw Dale Hudson, formerly IMEX’s director of knowledge and events, honoured with the Pacesetter Award.
Photo: The new Ideas Theatre at the Inspiration Hub education area
