Optimism and enthusiasm were in abundance at the 11th IMEX America, which drew some 12,000 participants to the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas over the course of four days this week. The 2022 show was 45 percent bigger than last year’s, IMEX Group chairman Ray Bloom told the media in a closing press conference yesterday. More than 4,000 meeting and incentive buyers participated, 3,300 of whom were hosted.
The jump in attendance was due in part to eased travel restrictions and abating concerns over Covid. In addition, 40 percent of returning exhibitors booked more booth space, making for an expansive exhibition hall. “We’ve certainly all got our steps in this week,” Bloom joked.
“The size of this year’s show is obviously a function of many in the industry being able to travel and plan meetings again, and to do so with certainty,” he added. “It’s been a long time coming and, although we produced a great show last year, this week felt like the big comeback we’ve all been waiting for.”
Key topics of conversation and education centered on service levels and staffing concerns; contracts, well-being and mental health; the pros and cons of distributed workforces; diversity, equity and inclusion; and sustainability, both personal and environmental.
Internal Meetings Are More Prevalent and Critical
The 2023 Global Meetings and Events Forecast by American Express revealed positive trends, including growth in internal meetings; product launches; and small, simple meetings.
A notable theme was the importance and prevalence of internal team meetings as essential to building synergies in an increasingly dispersed workforce, noted Linda McNairy, vice president of the Americas for American Express Meetings & Events. The report’s findings are based on a survey of nearly 600 meeting professionals in 23 countries, along with one-on-one interviews with industry leaders.
“Face-to-face team meetings are the key to unlocking collaboration and employee well-being,” said McNairy. “The workforce has changed during the last two years. People are working together on a daily basis who have never met one another, never sat together over dinner and learned about our children, our hobbies, all the crazy things that we talk about when we're at events like this. They build the bonds that are so important to driving corporate culture and sustaining the health of an organization and accomplishing its mission.”
It’s Time to Prioritize People and Patience
“Two concepts I take from this week are belonging and freedom of choice,” said Carina Bauer, IMEX Group CEO. “The first is about making sure everyone feels welcomed — that they genuinely belong at our events and that our designs include them. The second is a call for planners to let go. To break free of overscheduling and a ‘more is more’ approach. We need to put people first, give them more choice and pay more attention to what makes us all human. At its most basic, this means prioritizing healthy, nutritious food; clean water; time for rest; space for unscheduled connection; and plenty of daylight.”
Amex’s report echoed those sentiments, said McNairy. “I heard it across the board from the interviewees included in the forecast — including meeting professionals, our customers, our hotel and airline partners — that the stress levels are high. Let's all be honest. There's a shortage of labor as we went from little to no activity to business being full-on, and the stress levels are high. One of the things that was so apparent in all these conversations is the importance of having realistic expectations supported by the present realities of our world.”
IMEX America 2023 will take place Oct. 17-19 in Las Vegas.
