IMEX America announces business growth and celebrates first US industry award wins
Almasalla Travel News – Hot on the heels of their final preparations for the next IMEX in Frankfurt this May, organizers of IMEX America (Las Vegas, October 13-15) have announced that the third edition of the US trade show for the international meetings, events and incentive travel industry is set to deliver even further growth come the fall.
Numbers of hosted buyers, exhibiting companies and also new exhibitors are all on target to exceed those set in 2012.
Recognized for its year-on-year growth, IMEX America was also pleased to be honored at the Trade Show Executive Fastest 50 Awards&Summit in Chicago last Thursday, May 9. Having previously been declared one of the honorees in the “Fastest 50 Class of 2012” list, the show was pronounced a Grand Award winner for ‘Highest Growth in Exhibitor Numbers’ on the night.
The trade show was also recognized with a handful of other awards. Out of the top 50 honorees list, IMEX America came eighth by sheer number of exhibitors, tenth by net square feet and 38th by attendance numbers.
Kimberly Meyer, IMEX America Strategic Initiatives Consultant and CEO of Meetings Analytics, accepted the Grand Award on behalf of the IMEX Group. Meyer works with Terri Briening to jointly facilitate the IMEX America Executive Meetings Forum which takes place annually as part of the 3-day Las Vegas trade show.
Business growth
True to its industry recognition as a show on the rise, to date 33% of all contracts received by IMEX America for 2013 have included increased booth space as more exhibitors show their desire for a stronger presence at the show’s third edition.
They include: Canada, Dominican Republic, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Hawaii, Hyatt Hotels, Orlando/ Orange County, New Orleans, Panama, San Francisco, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, and Texas. Of these more than a third have increased the size of their booths by 50% or more compared to last year.
New booths already confirmed for the show include: Atlanta CVB, Cirque du Soleil, Long Beach Area CVB, Louisville CVB, Le Reve, The Host Group, Mohonk Mountain House, Worldhotels, Viceroy Hotel Group, and Visit Milwaukee.
IMEX Group Chairman, Ray Bloom, also predicts that further growth from within the hotel sector, technology companies and US destinations in particular will be noticeable this year.
At the close of the 2012 show, Bloom announced that IMEX America would move to new halls at the Sands Expo for 2013. The multi-million dollar Sands Renovation program is now complete, giving the show’s exhibitors and visitors outstanding new facilities.
Explains Bloom: “The renovations at the Sands are truly fantastic. We saw the architect images last year and were impressed with the plans; but the reality is even better. It feels like a totally new venue and is now truly state-of-the-art.
It has also opened up a number of new meeting spaces that we can utilize, plus a new business center and café areas. Importantly the larger halls give us the space we need to expand and allow more exhibiting companies from all over the globe to take part and to do the business they need to do.”
2013 will be the third year for IMEX America, which has quickly established itself as an attractive new model of exhibition in the US. Its combination of a three-day appointment-focused trade show with a pre-show educational day – Smart Monday – in partnership with strategic partners and premier education providers, Meeting Professionals International (MPI), plus partnerships and co-located events in cooperation with all the major industry associations, has proved a strong market proposition.
Supportive local partners – the LVCVA (the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority) – and host hotels, The Venetian® and The Palazzo® together with the Sands Expo and Convention Center® – have all made a significant contribution to its award-winning success.
