by: Brian Edmiston, 5AM Global
The 11th edition of IMEX America kicked off with crowds of global business professionals gathering at the entrance in the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 11th, 2022. Having reported to have grown by 38% in exhibitor size since 2021, IMEX America was considered a success that garnered the attention of international giants from the hotel sector and from tourist destinations.
A global range of more than 3,500 exhibitors representing roughly more than 180 countries promoted creative and eye-popping booths that centered around multiple key industries, including tourism, hospitality, and travel. Household names like the Hilton, Conrad, Hershey Resorts, Sonesta, and Traveline were just some of the ones present on the showfloor.
Representatives from Europe, including France, Italy, Germany, England, and Scotland, arrived in stark contrast to last year’s participation, which saw travel restrictions prevent many from attending.
Other representatives from Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Costa Rica, Taiwan, Malaysia, Abu Dhabi, Egypt, and other hotspots in the tourism, travel, and hospitality sectors were present, displaying inviting and ambitious booths that were visible from across the show floor.
More than 200 speaking engagements took place with some sit down areas promoting the use of the latest translation technology with direct translation headphones, where audience members were free to pick up a pair to listen in on the live speaker. Workshops, one-on-one pods, and networking areas were also present to maximize the business productivity and education among attendees.
Topics for speaking engagements as well as panels included sustainability, retooling the way we connect through distributed workforces on meetings and events, and women in business development.
IMEX America’s main focus was in part to help its global community rebuild and provide leadership through innovation, education and inspirational moments.
IMEX America is set to return to Las Vegas in October 17-19, 2023, with plans of scaling up to accommodate the harkening to pre-COVID levels of attendance.
