and suppliers from all corners of the world . Hundreds of students , our future leaders , have been here , learning and experiencing the industry first-hand and seeing it in full colour . And IMEX together with IAEE invite faculty here , too , delivering a programme tailored specifically for them .”

Some of the big themes percolating through from corridor conversations and speakers included : service levels , contracts , wellbeing and mental health ; the pros and cons of distributed workforces ; Diversity , Equity , Inclusion and Belonging ( DEI + B ) and sustainability , both personal and environmental .

Carina Bauer , IMEX Group CEO , said : “ Two concepts I take from this week are belonging and freedom of choice . The first is about making sure everyone feels welcomed – that they genuinely belong at our events and that our designs include them . The second is a call for planners to let go . To break free of over-scheduling and a ‘ more is more ’ approach . We need to put people first , give them more choice and pay more attention to what makes us all human . At its most basic , this means

prioritising healthy nutritious food , clean water , time for rest , space for unscheduled connection and plenty of daylight . Google ’ s Megan Henshall put it best : ‘ Not only does the data show that belonging is good for business , but as designers we also need to do a better job of not asking people to leave their lived experience at the doors when they come to our events ’.” Bauer concluded .

The press conference also heard updates from MPI ’ s chief brand officer , Drew Holmgreen , who spoke about the success of Smart Monday , funds raised at MPI Foundation ’ s Rendezvous and the association ’ s 50th anniversary celebrations . Steve Hill , CEO and president of the LVCVA ( Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority ) together with Stephanie Glanzer , chief sales officer and senior vice-president at MGM Resorts International , both spoke about the ongoing importance of IMEX America to the city .

Exhibitor feedback was mostly positive . James Rees from ExCeL London , said : “ We ’ ve met clients who we ’ ve previously hosted , such as VidCon , who are returning to us to discuss bringing their

“ Buyers are being more discerning , preparing RFPs in more detail and being more rigorous in their selection criteria ...”

event back to our venue in 2024 and 2025 . There ’ s been a huge shift of staff in the industry , so the show is a chance for us to meet our old contacts in their new roles and build relationships with new people .” Visit Scotland ’ s Richard Knight , noted : “ It ’ s all about filling that pipeline for 2023 / 2024 and planners are scouting many new venues and hotels . We are definitely taking inquiries and normally we convert a good proportion of these into business .”

This year ’ s show was also marked by a particularly strong turnout from North American exhibitors .

Amy Brown from Fort Worth Convention Bureau said they had invested in the show to have their own booth for the first time . “ It ’ s been worth it and our partners are pleased . One of our hotel partners closed a deal at the show for a medical event .”

Sustainability is continuing its rise as a key driver of business conversations and Vancouver ’ s impressive track record played a part in securing new leads . Lacy Garvey from Destination Vancouver said they had received a number of city-wide leads at IMEX , “ which for us is groups larger than 1,000 using the convention centre and at least three large hotels . One of the leads is a very large tech company which is very impressed with our sustainability practices – in fact , our focus on sustainability was one of the key deciding factors . They gave us feedback that we did a really good job of showing them that we don ’ t just say it – we actually live it .”

“ Sustainability and wellbeing is now leading many of our conversations with planners ”, added Suzanne Watson from Liverpool Convention Bureau . “ We ’ re having detailed conversations about food waste , carbon footprint and wellness breaks .”

The show also fuelled fresh ideas as attendee , Li Hayes of Go Leeward said : “ What I love about this event is that it ’ s fresh . There are things here that I ’ ve never seen before . Things I ’ ve done that I ’ ve never done before .”