IMEX America – Another Amazing Show!
That’s a wrap on IMEX America! 2024 marked a record-setting year with the largest IMEX America to date. The three-day trade show welcomed over 15500 attendees, of which 5500 were buyers. With 400 exhibitor booths and over 86,000 total appointments, IMEX America had quite an impressive turnaround. It was also an amazing show for our global team. 33 exhibiting Ovation destinations between our global booth and local tourism boards, over 900 individual appointments, and millions of connections on and off the show floor. The teams demonstrated what it takes to make it happen!
Las Vegas exceeded expectations! It was a bustling week with full agendas and both our Ovation teams and incredible Strategic Partners worked tirelessly to deliver.
What are the 6 key takeaways from the show? What did we see, and what learnings do we bring to our destinations?
- IMEX is Important! For another year, IMEX America has proven itself to be one of the most important trade shows for networking and building new partnerships that might not have formed.
- Trust is vital for business – Planners indicated time and time again that in-person meetings are essential for establishing trust and strong business connections.
- Partners are key – Having partners on the show floor leads to success. From our in-booth collaboration with 360 Destination Group to the hotel partners and tech partners. Establishing these connections is essential for the growth of the business and the industry as a whole.
- Sustainability is more than a buzzword – More and more destinations are focusing on their green efforts and sustainable programme offerings to attract environmentally conscious groups.
- Incentives are gaining strength – The show saw an overall increase in demand for incentives. It complements SITE’s recent study indicating that incentives are expected to rise over 45% in the next two years.
- Appetite for Personal & Professional Development – IMEX saw a record attendance at the on-site education program with over 1,600 attending learning sessions at the Inspiration Hub.
Ovation Global DMC cannot wait to be back at IMEX next year!