IMEX America Aims for a Triumphant Return

IMEX America Resource Hub

Northstar Meetings Group’s IMEX America Resource Hub, sponsored by Visit Orlando, provides event professionals with all they need to know about the premier gathering for the meetings and events industry. Find essential information about the show, including safety requirements, the latest news, exhibitor and agenda details here.

As the world gets back to meeting again, interest in IMEX America has surged like never before, according to the event's organizers. Buyer registration accelerated quickly in the weeks leading up to the event and, in fact, just one month after registration went live for IMEX America, hosted buyer demand was even higher than at the same point in 2019.

IMEX America's renewed appeal is logical, according to Ray Bloom, chairman of the IMEX Group. "It's true what they say: you don't know what you've got until it's gone," he says. "With many events cancelled or rescheduled due to the pandemic, many businesses recognized — and missed — the crucial contribution made by face-to-face events in bringing people together to collaborate and do business as well as the resulting economic impact."

This year's event, November 9-11 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, promises to improve on what was already a winning formula, Bloom adds.

"The hiatus has given us time to think, rethink and make fresh plans," he says. "It has both forced us and allowed us to review and rethink each aspect of the show, keeping what works and not being a slave to what doesn't. The pandemic has also allowed us to rethink how we manage elements such as flow around the show, aiming for a better, more comfortable experience for all that I'm sure will remain into the future."

These improvements are a logical evolution for North America's premier meetings industry event, according to Bloom.

"IMEX America has evolved to be more than just a tradeshow," he says. "It has become the homecoming event for the global industry in North America. It's a community gathering, bringing together every part of our industry from all corners of the world, and that's what makes it so special. The electric atmosphere generated by people meeting and greeting each other on the show floor says it all."

Buyers and exhibitors are, indeed, showing great enthusiasm for this year's event. Companies like Maritz, for example, are planning on bringing their largest-ever hosted buyer group.

"IMEX America is the cornerstone event for our industry, and its return in the fall marks a significant milestone in our collective recovery," says David Peckinpaugh, president of Maritz Global Events. "We see IMEX America as the place to get business done with our supplier partners and valued clients, along with excellent developmental opportunities for our own people. We are looking forward to once again heavily participating in IMEX America, just as we've done since its inception."  

Bloom predicts an especially successful event this year, thanks in part to his organization's ability to listen to the needs of attendees. "IMEX America exists to bring buyers and suppliers together, and it's important that we listen and learn from them," he says. "The fact that we care and are responsive and sensitive to market needs is just one of the reasons the show has been a sustained success."