LAS VEGAS — The global events industry made a statement this week about its current strength and hope for the future with record-breaking attendance at IMEX America. Held Oct. 7-9 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, the annual show welcomed more than 17,000 participants and boasted the biggest exhibition floor to date.
The number of buyers increased from 2024, with 6,000 global buyers of which 4,700 were hosted buyers. Buyers took part in over 90,000 scheduled meetings with exhibitors across the three days of the show — more than 77,000 of which were pre-scheduled one-to-ones.
But it wasn’t just the numbers. The show floor was energized with interactive demos, cultural presentations and booths buzzing with activity. At the back of the show floor, the education sessions were divided into tracks: Community Builders, Event Logistics, Experiential Event Design, Impact, Leadership and Culture, Marketing and Engagement, Tech Innovation and AI, Trends and Research, and Well-being.
“We had two new tracks this year, one about community builders, so really looking at how event planners and events create communities and how you can do that. And the other one was around leadership and culture,” Carina Bauer, CEO of IMEX Group, said. “We also had more sessions around event marketing, because we see a growing number of event marketers coming to the shows.”
She said there was also a focus on incorporating speakers who are aligned with the industry, but not necessarily in the industry. Duncan Fisher, Chief Show Operations Officer for Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, for example, spoke about how to run your global business like a circus.
The record numbers created their own challenges for IMEX show organizers.
“One of the things that we’re looking at, not just for this year, but going forward, is how we grow within this space — looking at some of the feature areas and where we put them, and the wayfinding of the show. We’ve had to look at the education area. We’ve still got all the same theaters, but it’s a smaller area that will probably move next year,” Bauer explained.
Bauer said IMEX is also utilizing more technology on the show floor to benefit the exhibitors. This year there were 500 beacons throughout the show floor helping track attendee movement and habits, as well facial analysis technology to capture the sentiment of attendees and engagement levels.
IMEX can also use the data to help set up the show floor, such as placing the hotels section of exhibitors at the rear of the floor.
“That’s deliberate,” Bauer said. “About 50-60% of the hosted buyers are clients of the hotels, and so that draws the buyers through the show into the hotel stands. Using the beacon technology, and being able to look at that data, we can see that works very well.”
She added that IMEX is looking at how to utilize AI more or build AI into its systems for the benefit of the client, noting, “We’re at the beginning of that journey.”
Strong Priorities and Looking Ahead
Wellness and sustainability are both still at the forefront of priorities for IMEX. Both last year and this year they invested in more back of house staff to help with waste sorting. “That enabled us to have a 93% diversion from landfill for our waste, and that qualifies as a zero-waste show if it’s over 90 percent.”
Also, like last year, the stands were being audited against the Better Stands initiative to encourage stand constructors and exhibitors to be more sustainable and have more reusable stands.
On the wellness front, alongside Nook Pods and Zen Pods, IMEX introduced a Resilience Room powered by Hello! Destination Management this year as a quiet space for those overwhelmed by the show. The show was awarded Level III Comprehensive Neurodivergent Accommodation, the highest level of endorsement as part of a new standardized framework launched in conjunction with the American Psychological Association and the Australian Psychological Society. There was also a wellness area in partnership with Circadian Cove with wellness activities.
Bauer announced at the show that IMEX America has committed to Mandalay Bay as its host through 2030 and also signed its service contractors GES through 2030. She also revealed the IMEX Talking Point 2026/27 will be Design Matters, which will be a celebration of the craft and science of good design in all aspects of business life, not just visual identity or experiential design.
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