More than 150 education sessions will be offered during IMEX America, the meetings
industry trade show that will take place Oct. 8-10 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
The education will be presented in seven
tracks: technology and innovation; business practices; impact; trends/research; well-being; experience design;
and event marketing.
All professional education offered
during IMEX America, including the show’s specialist events for association,
corporate and agency planners, will take place on Smart Monday, powered by
Meeting Professionals International, on Oct. 7, is free to IMEX registrants.
Featured Speakers Announced
Tahira Endean, IMEX's head of programing,
explained what influenced this year's education design. “We’re
out and about talking to our community all the time — we want to put ourselves
in our attendees’ shoes to figure out what will resonate and enhance their show
experience,” she said. “What I love to do when crafting our learning program is
to bring together unexpected combinations of people, all with a range of
perspectives. The resulting debate and discovery is where the magic happens.”
Among the featured speakers for
IMEX America 2024 are:
- Justin Wren, a mixed-martial artist who founded
Fight for the Forgotten, a nonprofit that provides clean water, education and
empowerment to Pygmy communities in Africa;
- Sucheta Rawal, an award-winning food and travel
writer, and founder of Go Eat Give, an organization that raises awareness of
different cultures through food and travel; and
- Virginie de Visscher, executive director of business events for Destination Canada, and
Leonie Ashford, international bids manager for Tourism New Zealand, who are founding
members of the new Global Indigenous Tourism Association.
More Education Highlights
New to Smart Monday is the
USBI Global World Series Speaker Showcase, which will give attendees a quick overview
of 15 presenters from the Unique Speakers Bureau International.
Also, a series of toolkit sessions will cover all
the essentials of meeting planning, including contracts, security, managing
risk and preparing for Real ID, which is scheduled to go into effect for U.S. travelers
in 2025.
IMEX continues to work with
Snapsight, an AI tool that gives attendees quick and easy
access to takeaways from the education sessions, via its website or app.
Wellness topics, including life-hacks,
learning, coaching, fitness, nutritional and mental-health guidance, also will be included in this year's education.