Industry homecoming on the road to Mandalay Bay
IMEX AMERICA IS SET TO RETURN TO LAS VEGAS , 9 – 11 NOVEMBER , AND SIGNIFIES A ‘ HOMECOMING ’ FOR THE GLOBAL BUSINESS EVENTS COMMUNITY , ACCORDING TO CEO CARINA BAUER AND CHAIRMAN RAY BLOOM
he IMEX America trade show will celebrate its 10th edition at a new venue , Mandalay Bay , in November , and organisers report a strong start to the registration process and hosted buyer demand higher than at the same point in 2019 . Buyer registrations are around 3,000 , IMEX reports , with over 20 % of them corporate planners .
Success is all about partnerships and relationships , the IMEX team says , and reports working closely to understand the USA ’ s CDC guidelines as well as local and national Covid regulations . “ We can therefore plan confidently in Covid-safe ways ,” says Bauer .
Exhibitor participation is also expected to be strong , despite current travel restrictions for many outside the US , and IMEX chairman Ray Bloom addressed the elephant in the room , saying : “ We are hoping international travel to the US will open up soon .”
Carina Bauer tells CMW her team has remained in touch with show partners throughout the pandemic . “ This has helped us to gauge the climate in the US and beyond and take this into consideration when planning the show . We ’ re working closely with our host city – LVCVA , our new venue – Mandalay Bay and US Travel to ensure the show meets the latest health and safety requirements . That said , we ’ ve ensured we remain flexible in order to adapt to the current guidelines .”
North American exhibitors , in particular , are returning to the show in force , with destinations including Canada , Argentina , Atlanta , Boston , Santa Barbara , Indianapolis , Los Cabos , Memphis , Santa Fe , Puerto Rico and Vancouver all confirmed .
Bauer also highlights innovations for 2021 , which include new venues and a new show flow . “ We ’ ve put in a lot of effort to make the show very safe and very comfortable for all participants , as well as fun and enjoyable ,” she says , adding it was a “ no brainer to attend the show . If you are serious about this industry , this is the time to come to see your clients , to see your future ”.
Bloom adds that the market is strong and attendees are not coming speculatively . “ Corporations are showing they are keen to get back to doing business in person .”
Learning opportunities There are learning opportunities throughout , beginning with Smart Monday , powered by MPI – a free day of learning taking place on 8 November .
Smart Monday headliners include
Below : IMEX ’ s Carina Bauer and Ray Bloom
Janet Sperstad , faculty director at Madison College and Guy Bigwood , managing director of the Global Destination Sustainability Movement , who will discuss the regenerative revolution . Daniel Fox , a wilderness explorer will share his off the grid experiences ; Ruud Janssen and Roel Frissen , founders of the Event Design Collective , will examine future-focused thinking and David Allison , founder of Valuegraphics , will explain why it ’ s values – not demographics – that influence behaviour and will prove the most powerful driver in the event industry ’ s regeneration .
Corporate and association planners can connect at the Executive Meeting Forum and Association Leadership Forum and there will be sessions from IAEE , EIC and MPI , plus the She Means Business event .
Each day begins with an MPI keynote and the Inspiration Hub will be home again to show floor education .
New : People & Planet Village Attendees can expect some unusual new elements , including a People & Planet Village - a focal point championing not only sustainability but also diversity , social impact and giving back .
Attendees can participate in expert-led wellbeing sessions at the new Be Well Lounge . This year ’ s venue is a little different - Mandalay Bay ’ s Shark Reef which houses 2,000 creatures including giant rays and green sea turtles .
Bauer says IMEX is now firmly on the road to Mandalay Bay and can ’ t wait to welcome back the business event community . “ We ’ re aware that the business case for attending an event needs to be more robust than ever , so we ’ ve created a show that directly meets the current and future needs of the sector as well as ensuring that opportunities to do business remains front and centre of the whole experience . The hosted buyer programme remains at the heart of the show and delivers ROI to our buyers and exhibitors .”
22 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / ISSUE 114