Stateside with Stephanie
Autumn exhibitions that surprised and delighted
utumn in Las Vegas
A is an active time for exhibitions , so I made the rounds in October and November . These expos successfully celebrated their industry , gathered their community and facilitated commerce between stakeholders , sponsors , exhibitors and visitors . The hard-working professionals producing those shows share a sense of commitment to their respective industries , know their audiences and provided ‘ surprise and delight ’ moments throughout their events . Using data , they also invested serious money and resources in event design . They were brave and took chances . The shows visited were ( in chronological order ): IMEX America , ITC Vegas , HLTH and SEMA .
IMEX America : The gathering place of the event planners ’ industry was in full swing during record ( hot ) temperatures in Las Vegas . There were many countries , US states and cities , hotel chains , DMCs and more . The buzz on the show floor was palpable . Thousands rushed from appointment to appointment and there was a ton of free education . Takeaway : Those exhibitors who provided relevant education in their stands and publicised it had people in seats . The SmartSource stand featured Julius Solaris , BoldPush , who shared new trends for 2025 daily . The Maritz booth also had good crowds for their sessions throughout the show . My only suggestion is IMEX America shake up their exhibit hall layout , placing education in the middle of the show floor . Educational sessions were about a kilometre away ( or at least , that ’ s how it felt on my feet !) from the ( too small ) tech pavilion , making it difficult to get to sessions on time .
ITC Vegas : Wow . Nicole Peck , president , ITC and EVP , Clarion Events North America , took over the reins of the show and had a strong vision of what a service industry show ( insurance technology ) could and should be . It was one of the more impressive shows I ’ ve seen in a long time , with over 9,000 visitors and 500 + exhibitors / sponsors .
Above : Stephanie Selesnick
Below left : HLTH big stage
Below right : IMEX
With the theme of Universe of Possibilities , there wasn ’ t a single touchpoint missed . Everyone was immersed in the galaxy of insurance innovation – from dimmed lights and eye-catching , spacey sponsored graphics welcoming all into the exhibit hall , to segmented exhibitor areas ( called neighbourhoods ), to a large central meeting area that had over 160 tables and chairs ( each high-top table covered with the space theme preset meetings ). Every part of the exhibit hall was designed to delight and surprise . Delicious food and drinks were plentiful – and free . Sponsors of ‘ neighbourhoods ’ had stands located adjacent to those areas , enabling them to easily interact with visitors . The neighbourhoods had activations including a football ( soccer ) penalty challenge in the LATAM pavilion , a mini-golf course with sponsored holes , two puppy petting areas ( always a hit !), art projects later donated to charities and arcade / pinball games . ‘ Instagrammable Moments ’ were found everywhere . Each pavilion had both established companies and kiosks for start-ups . A few companies used the event theme for their décor . Private rooms for meetings were also available for sponsors and exhibitors . HLTH : The sale to Hyve was announced just after the show ended . For me , it felt like ITC ’ s
30 Issue 6 2024 www . exhibitionworld . co . uk