News

This Week’s IMEX America the Biggest Ever

October 19, 2023

The show floor stats coming from IMEX America, which just wrapped up three days at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, illustrate a meetings industry back on a healthy growth trajectory.

IMEX America’s organizers, IMEX Group, reported that nearly half of exhibitors increased their booth sizes, resulting in a 20 percent increase in exhibit space sold and a 9 percent increase in the number of stands (360), making this the largest in the show’s 12-year history. In total, there were 15,000 participants, 5,000 of which were buyers (4,000 hosted).

“The global business events industry never fails to surprise in its ability to recover quickly from a set-back,” said Carina Bauer, IMEX Group CEO.

Prevue was in the house, raffling off upscale prizes including Tumi luggage and a Citizen watch. Innovations on the show floor included The Inspiration Hub, with a Wellbeing Wheel, the Google Xi CoLaboratory, and the IMEX|EIC People and Planet Theatre. Responding to the industry’s call for more wellbeing opportunities at events, a new feature was the Resilience Room, a calming retreat from sensory overwhelm, created in partnership with the Neu Project and Marriott Bonvoy Events.

The show’s two annual fundraisers were a smash hit, with SITE NITE on Monday night featuring a private performance by Skip Martin, lead singer of Kool and the Gang, who also mingled with crowd afterwards. MPI Rendezvous, held on Wednesday night, was a sellout, with MPI announcing it had raised $410,000 for its Foundation from that event and three other IMEX fundraising initiatives.

Prevue kicked off the week with its annual Editorial Advisers Meeting at Delano, where the group discussed their current challenges, shared common solutions, and helped to plan content and research projects for the coming year.