IMEX America 2024
Robust growth
IMEX America 2024 offers many activities designed to inspire and delight participants. These include a large-scale paint-by-numbers activity where visitors create a mural together. Photo: IMEX Group
IMEX America 2024 offers a range of activations designed to inspire and delight attendees. These include: a large-scale paint-by-numbers activity where visitors can pick up a paintbrush and contribute to a giant mural. Photo: IMEX Group
IMEX America 2024 outdoes itself and defies Hurricane Milton in Florida. 15,800 participants have travelled to Las Vegas. The general theme combines the Smart Monday programme, She Means Business and education during the trade fair. 50 sessions are dedicated to well-being.
It is 8 October 2024 and the IMEX America trade fair is opening in Las Vegas. The state of Florida is preparing for Hurricane Milton and the incumbent US President Joe Biden cancels his visit to Germany. In the corridors of Mandalay Bay, the discussions revolve around natural disasters and climate change, the upcoming US elections and the rapidly changing geopolitical situation, as well as rising costs and limited resources. "We had no stand cancellations as a result of the hurricane, but in some cases staff were unable to attend the show or had to leave early," reports Carina Bauer, CEO of IMEX Group. 70 hosted buyers from the affected regions cancelled their participation, others had to arrive earlier or leave later - depending on the traffic situation.
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But the international event industry is proving its resilience. 15,800 participants attended the 13th IMEX America from 8 to 10 October 2024. "The number of visitors and appointments at IMEX America is further proof that our sector continues to thrive and move forward," comments Carina Bauer on the development. The show thus surpassed its record from the previous year (15,029 attendees). The increase can be seen in the 5,758 buyers (2023: 5,364), including 4,350 hosted buyers (2023: 4,000).
In addition, the American edition of IMEX continues to outpace its older sister show in Europe: IMEX 2024 in Frankfurt attracted 12,000 attendees in May. "The main reasons why IMEX America is now bigger than IMEX Frankfurt are the very strong growth and investment in the industry in the US market since 2021," explains Bauer. The show director adds: "Let's not forget that America came through the pandemic a year earlier than Europe and almost two years earlier than Asia - and the difference in the speed with which they have recovered is remarkable."
Growth driver North America
The exhibition space in the South Convention Center increases by seven per cent to a good 19,000 sqm. Every third returning exhibitor is expanding their presence. The 400 stands will feature 3,500 suppliers from over 150 countries (2023: 3,400 exhibitors at 360 stands). Among the 70 new exhibitors are Guatemala, Exhibition World Bahrain and DMCs such as Dragonfly Africa and Greenroute Africa. Growth is coming primarily from the USA, Canada and the Caribbean. "Las Vegas, New York and Orlando are among the US exhibitors with the largest stand areas. The US destinations that are increasing their investment in the trade fair and expanding their stand space include Savannah, Detroit, Atlantic City, Napa Valley and Milwaukee," says Carina Bauer.
Events are big business for Las Vegas as a host city. "The impact of business events is huge for Las Vegas: 16 to 17 per cent of our 40 million visitors, or six million, come to Las Vegas for conventions or trade shows," says Rebecca DeLuca, Vice President Destination Sales for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. She adds: "That equates to nine billion dollars in direct spending and 15.1 billion dollars in economic impact."
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Growth is also being fuelled by hotel groups and technology providers. A third of the 46 stands in the new tech zone are new. Market leader Cvent is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Cvent's latest survey confirms that the use of technology in event management is becoming increasingly important. According to the Meetings Industry Pulse Survey, 42 per cent of planners have increased their spending on technology and technical support. The hospitality industry, which includes America's three largest international hotel chains - Marriott Hotels, Hilton and IHG Hotels and Resorts - occupies 25 per cent of the show floor. Hilton has 103 sub-exhibitors and offers 7,600 properties and almost 1.2 million rooms in 126 countries.
Human connections
Google Xi CoLaboratory sees its stand as a "love letter to human connection and a rebellion against the normative exhibition stand". Experimental workshops and activities are designed to encourage play, exploration and networking. The sessions on Smart Monday on the day before the trade fair and the education programme with 150 education slots on the three days of the trade fair in the tracks Business Practices, Trends/Research, Experience Design, Event Marketing, Well-being and Impact, the general theme of IMEX for 2024 and 2025, are also based on encounters.
2,200 participants attend the sessions on Smart Monday and on the three days of the trade fair from Tuesday to Thursday. Photo: IMEX Group
"We know that people invest time and resources to attend our events, so every year we take a fresh look at the show experience to ensure it continues to offer maximum value," assures show director Carina Bauer. For her, this means designing the show to prioritise connections - from business appointments and education to activations and casual conversations. Bauer: "We know that face-to-face events are where some of the most important and valuable business conversations take place, so we've designed IMEX America to facilitate just that."
She Means Business
Smart Monday is all about personal dialogue and joint learning. An integral part of the programme is the international conference She Means Business America on diversity, gender equality and female empowerment by tw tagungswirtschaft, IMEX Group and MPI - Meeting Professionals with the support of Visit Seattle, Hilton Hotels & Resorts and the Oak View Group. "The storyline of the day builds on inclusive leadership and how women are leading in these areas," said Tim Luepke, Director MPI Academy, describing the programme he and his colleague Lexi Quilty, Learning Operations Specialist, are curating. "Leadership fits with this year's IMEX theme of impact, because impact can be both inward and outward focussed. This is an important topic for women - and men - in our industry, because leadership means how you are led, how you want to lead and what impact your leadership has on other people," summarises Tim Luepke.
„We are proud to say that the She Means Business was another success this year with strong content, great attendance and wonderful engagement from attendees.”
Tim Luepke, Director der MPI Academy, und Lexi Quilty, Learning Operations Specialist bei MPI – Meeting Professionals International
The content was based on the values of She Means Business. Hilton executives such as Gerilyn Horan, Vice President Group Sales & Strategic Accounts, are organising the panel "Mastering conscious leadership: Achieving results with kindness and compassion". The session "Beyond bias: Who will lead the change for inclusive leadership?" will kick things off. "Stereotypes can be an unnecessary obstacle that can lead to social division, unprecedented prejudice and the restriction of opportunities," say Tim Luepke and Lexi Quilty, explaining their choice for the opening keynote.
The speaker is Karin Krogh. The International Senior Sales Manager Congress & Events at the Bella Centre Copenhagen knows: "Bias is in all of us, usually unconsciously." She shows how perspectives and preconceived ideas can be changed in order to listen better and calls on managers to make inclusion a non-negotiable principle. "Reports show that there is potential to realise more opportunities for women and that there are common prejudices that hold us back. So we need support to change this."
She takes the need for action from the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2024: it will take 131 years to close the gap between the sexes. "And when I look at gender equality in the events industry, I see that there are predominantly men in management positions." That is why the discussion about this is important in the global events industry, as it is in other sectors. Krogh is impressed by the lively discussion on She Means Business. "I think that the comments and insights we have made could be wrapped up and sent to world leaders to be implemented immediately."
"Europe in a nutshell": The Swiss present themselves at IMEX America. Photo: Switzerland Tourism
Europa am Start
The Danes and the Copenhageners are among the 400 exhibiting companies from Europe, which is more than last year. Vanessa Reis has travelled from Switzerland. For the team leader Convention Bureau at Zürich Tourism, the quality and quantity of the appointments are a very good fit. "The event planners are prepared and have specific questions and requests. While many planners used to only know Zurich as a hub for travelling to the mountains, this time Zurich was also very popular for incentives to experience the city and region around Lake Zurich for one or two nights and then travel on," says Vanessa Reis. She takes specific RFPs home with her. "The planners appreciate the diversity of Switzerland - in terms of the different experiences in the cities and mountains, but also in terms of the culture," says Reis. "Europe in a nutshell", in other words. It is noticeable that many people talk about individual and unique experiences. They want to offer their groups something special. Switzerland with its "hidden spots" is still interesting in this respect. Even if flight prices are a big issue. Reis summarises: "Despite all the uncertainties, all the discussions were very positive and everyone is planning Europe for 2025."
31 exhibitors are exhibiting at the German Pavilion at IMEX America. Photo: GCB
Among the European exhibitors are 31 from Germany, for example from Munich, Düsseldorf, Cologne and Berlin. The German Pavilion with 186 square metres is part of the Exhibition Abroad Programme (AMP) of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection for the 13th time. The event is organised by a trade fair implementation company that works with the GCB - German Convention Bureau on topics such as exhibitor acquisition.
"The exhibitors at the German Pavilion - whether first-timers or returning exhibitors - were extremely positive about IMEX America 2024," summarised Ursula Winterbauer, Director Marketing & Strategy at the GCB and part of the team on site in Las Vegas. "Many partners explicitly emphasised the high quality of customer contacts in their feedback. It was also pleasing to see that some customers were looking for insider tips and new destinations, meaning that German destinations that are somewhat less well-known in overseas markets were also able to score points."
Katja Sukale, for her part, draws a positive conclusion. The Senior Marketing Manager Conventions USA, Canada, Medical Congresses at visitBerlin - Berlin Convention experienced a productive and successful IMEX America. "The demand for Berlin is high: we have a very full diary and also some great walk-ins." For the Berliners, IMEX America is an important platform for maintaining existing customer contacts and making new ones. Sukale also describes the quantity and quality of the hosted buyers as very good and is flying back to the German capital with several enquiries for 2025 and subsequent years. Joe Biden will be coming to Berlin a week later.