Philadelphia Showcases Unified Sales Strategy and Striking New Booth at IMEX America

Philadelphia turned heads at IMEX America this year — not only with a striking, 50-foot booth featuring a glowing Liberty Bell and sweeping skyline visuals, but also with the announcement of a new approach to selling the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

The Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB) and Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority unveiled their Alliance Sales Model, a new structure that consolidates all sales activity for the Pennsylvania Convention Center under the PHLCVB. The unified approach aims to simplify the booking process, accelerate response times and create a more seamless experience for meeting and event organizers.

“Everything we do in Philadelphia is focused on the customer,” said Gregg Caren, president and CEO of the PHLCVB. “This [alliance]  is a way to bring everybody together under one strategy and one team to look at all these separate sectors the way we did, but under one discussion in one department.”

Caren emphasized that this approach will help enhance service consistency and provide a one-stop option for event planners, providing a single, seamless point of contact from proposal to post-event wrap-up.

The announcement came at an opportune time, as Philadelphia prepares for a historic lineup of high-profile industry and sports events. Between PCMA Convening Leaders, NCAA® Division I Men’s Basketball 1st/2nd Rounds, FIFA World Cup 2026™, 2026 PGA® Championship and 2026 MLB All-Star Game™ — not to mention America’s 250th anniversary — 2026 will be a big year for Philadelphia.

"You layer all that into about an eight-month window, and we really need to be at the top of our game, on so many levels for how we market this amazing destination for conventions, for competitive events, and for the benefit of the people of Philadelphia that work and earn a living in our business," said Caren.

It also comes at a time of significant investment in the destination, with new hotels and $78.8 million in upgrades to the Pennsylvania Convention Center — enhancing its energy efficiency, upgrading WiFi infrastructure and elevating health and sanitation measures.

" For the convention center, the new sales alliance allows them to focus on the operation and delivering on first-class service, delivering on a LEED-certified green building, delivering for the multitude of big events that we've got a lot of them coming up next year," said Caren.

That forward momentum was captured in the PHLCVB’s new booth design: a dynamic installation created with partner Conex that aimed to underscore the destination’s creativity and confidence.

“ We took a bigger footprint this year because we have an increasing number of meetings, an increasing number of partners that are interested in working with us,” said Joe Heller, chief marketing officer for PHLCVB.

The booth featured 16 private appointment spaces and hosted more than 200 meetings over IMEX’s three days, drawing steady crowds thanks to immersive video walls, a glowing 3D Liberty Bell centerpiece and a welcome center with treats from Philadelphia’s famous Reading Terminal Market. 

“We wanted to show what 2026 is going to be like,” said Heller. “Huge celebration. Major sporting events, big conventions.”

With a new unified sales strategy and a refreshed presence on the global stage, Philadelphia aimed to show visitors that it’s not just preparing for 2026, it’s setting the tone for the city’s next era as a premier destination for meetings and events.

Learn more about Philadelphia's meetings offerings here and begin planning your next event today! 

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