IMEX America figures suggest rising confidence in the sector

From 2021 rebound to 2022 rebound

08-10-22

With more than 3,000 global buyers and over 3,000 exhibiting companies already confirmed, IMEX America 2022 is set to be one of its biggest editions since its launch in 2011, suggesting a recovery in confidence for the global meetings, incentive travel and business events industry.

With thousands of event professionals gathering from 10-13 October at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, the show will soon prove its indicator credentials, giving everyone in the industry an accurate picture of business volumes and projects in 2023 and beyond.

Business always takes pride of place at the show: tens of thousands of appointments have already been booked by buyers keen to meet with suppliers from around the world.

Increased participation from previous and new North American exhibitors means that this year's US section of the show will also be the largest ever. Boston, Detroit, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia and San Diego will be among the exhibitors. For its part, MGM will provide an update on the redevelopment of its convention centre.

International destinations from Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East return to the show, as many were unable to attend in 2021. These include Abu Dhabi, Australia, Bahamas, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Dubai, Greece, Hawaii, Ireland, Switzerland, Turkey and New Zealand. Ras Al Khaimah is among the destinations exhibiting for the first time.

North and South America are strongly represented with Brazil, Buenos Aires, Canada, Costa Rica and Ecuador, among others. Panama will use IMEX America to announce details of its new convention centre, hotel openings and upcoming cruise terminal.

All the major hotel groups will be present, including Accor, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG Hotels & Resorts and Marriott International.

As the event technology industry has changed rapidly in recent years, attendees will be able to discover a wide range of vendors offering event platforms, chatbots, analytics, apps and other solutions. Bizzabo, Cvent, EventMobi, ExpoPlatform, Grip, MeetingPlay + Aventri + eventcore, Eventsforce, Swapcard and Vfairs are among the companies exhibiting. The show's Tech Hub is the focal point for start-ups in the industry.

The show's award-winning learning programme has also been streamlined and redesigned to complement and enhance in-room meetings. Under the banner "Pathways to Clarity", four streamlined themes - Respect for People and Planet; Future Me; Innovation and Creativity; Event Planner's Toolkit - offer sessions with practical ideas and techniques to enhance professional relationships and ultimately drive business recovery. The programme of more than 100 sessions is completely free of charge as part of IMEX's ongoing commitment to advancing the industry.

Carina Bauer, IMEX Group CEO, says: "Our return to the show in 2021 was overlaid with an air of pure celebration and excitement as the global industry came together. This year, it is the fundamentals of the business that stand out. If our figures are anything to go by, despite strong macro pressures, including inflation and talent shortages, the rebound could be even stronger and more robust than forecast."

IMEX America 2022 takes place at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, and opens with Smart Monday, powered by MPI on Monday 10 October, followed by the three-day show from 11-13 October.