A strong debut from IMEX America last year has resulted in significant interest from exhibitors and buyers for the tradeshow this coming Oct. 9-11 at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas.
According to show management, 20 percent of exhibitors at the first show are returning with even bigger booths. Of these, 50 percent of exhibitors have more than doubled the space they will be taking at the show.
Another sign that IMEX America has captured the business appetite of the international meetings, incentive travel and events market, is that almost 40 new booths are set to join the line-up, with more expected in the next two months. Many of those 40 are new U.S. suppliers and destinations. Hotel groups have also responded strongly, with that section of the show floor being noticeably larger and more varied this fall.
New U.S. destinations represented on the show floor will include Charlotte, Indianapolis, Jackson Hole, Myrtle Beach, Nashville, Seattle and the US Virgin Islands. IMEX America will also feature a dedicated California section which will showcase San Diego, San Francisco and new exhibitors Long Beach, Santa Monica and Beverley Hills.
Global destinations new to the show include Abu Dhabi, El Salvador, Honduras, Peru and Madrid. The technology section of IMEX America is also set to expand with new exhibitors including etouches, Showcare Event Management and SignUp4.
In announcing these figures, IMEX Group Chairman, Ray Bloom, declared that the show’s hosted-buyer program will also be larger this year with well over 2,000 buyers expected.
Much of this growth has been achieved through IMEX America partners and intermediaries who want to bring larger hosted buyer groups following positive feedback from their clients after last year’s event. Dozens of new hosted buyer groups have now been confirmed.
“We were delighted with the positive response we received after last year’s debut; it was clear the show produced the business results both exhibitors and buyers were looking for,” said Bloom. “It is gratifying to see that feedback now being converted into increased participation on both sides, which bodes well for an even stronger IMEX America this October.”
