PREVIEW / IMEX AMERICA
What will be the key highlights of IMEX America? There are so many. Meetme readers can glean a good sense of what’s on and why they should attend by log- ging onto
www.imexamerica.com and checking out our ‘Schedule at a Glance’ page, which is an excellent planning tool. That said, without a doubt our Associa- tion Day & Evening will be extremely important for the US association market. The US Travel Association will be holding an advocacy and political lobbying forum, which is well-timed and obviously has great authority behind it. We will also be holding an exclusive Executive
Forum especially for corporate meeting planners and this will address the particular issues they face via a private discussion and workshops. Finally there’s the LearningCurve Zone, our short-
fire campfire education sessions (drop-ins on the show floor) and our Sustainability Centre where visi- tors will be able to pick up environmental planning and purchasing tips.
What is the general mood of the meetings indus- try in North America right now? I would say it is cautiously optimistic. Recent market research suggests a slow but steady upturn in the number of meetings and events taking place plus a small but significant rise in budgets. Our own IMEX America Index of Optimism polled
more than 190 North American meetings industry buyers and suppliers in the first quarter of the year and found that optimism – and business levels – were higher than they had been for at least six months. Don’t forget, the US meetings and events mar-
ket is the biggest in the world with the CIC’s Eco- nomic Impact Study estimating its contribution to US GDP at US$106billion, and a total economic output of US$907billion so, even when you’re talking about securing small percentages of business from US buy- ers, this translates into huge dollar sums.
US$106
billion contribution of events & meetings market to US GDP
Our absolute aim is to provide outstanding business opportunities to our exhibitors and buyers
How does this compare to the past few years? It’s markedly better but cautious at the same time. I think everyone is eager for the market to return to full strength again but that has to be put in the context of the major economic challenges that many countries have come through and that some are still going through.
How are you employing social media for network- ing and audience engagement at the show? As with many international events, we’re keenly aware of the opportunity and value of social media and, as a result, we’ve been upping our efforts since the start of the year. We’re currently working hard to extend our networks and to make sure that people use social media channels to ask questions and share suc- cess. Obviously tools such as video have been much more important and influential over the past few years too – hence the launch of IMEX America TV.
Is the show relevant to Middle East meetings industry professionals? Yes it is. In fact when hosted buyer registration went live online on June 8, the first group to register was from Dubai. Middle Eastern buyers should come to IMEX America to meet with a wide array of North American exhibitors — from across the US, Canada and the Caribbean. While there are North American exhibitors at IMEX in Frankfurt, there will also be a far greater number at IMEX America, including the top suppliers from the destinations, hotel groups, DMCs and other service providers. In addition, they will be able to gain unique per-
spective into the North American market by taking part in the educational programmes, as well as having the opportunity to meet thousands of peers from this market.
Where do you see opportunities geographically to roll out other IMEX shows and is such a move on the cards? We are very clear that we need to establish IMEX America and concentrate on making this new show a success while also continuing to improve and deliver with IMEX in Frankfurt. We currently have no plans to go into any other markets.
USEFUL LINKS To register:
www.imexamerica.com/register
Schedule At a Glance:
www.imexamerica.com/ eventsandseminars.html
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