By Tyler Davidson and Lori Tenny
LAS VEGAS
IMEX America, held Oct. 15-17 at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas, is enjoying a successful 2013 edition, registering a 12 percent increase in exhibitor numbers compared to 2012.
The number of exhibitors increased from 2,413 last year to 2,694 in 2013. Although the final number of hosted buyers had not been released at press time, organizers said it is on target for an increase as well.
"I'm delighted with the excellent growth we've achieved this year across all areas of the show," said IMEX Group Chairman Ray Bloom in a prepared statement. "After three years of IMEX America we're now at the stage where the U.S. market, especially hosted buyers and buyer attendees, know how to get the very best return from the show. We've put a lot of time and effort into communicating with buyers to make sure they understand the full value and convenience of our online appointment system. The ability to pre-schedule your own meetings with your own choice of exhibitors and take full advantage of a show built around doing business efficiently and face-to-face is fundamental to the IMEX experience."
Bloom added that the show's opening-day Smart Monday educational event, powered my MPI, attracted some 1,200 participants.
In other IMEX news, American Express Meetings & Events released its 2014 Global Meetings Forecast, which predicts flat or slight declines in meetings spend per organization across all regions next year, following two years of modest budget and activity increases.
“We are expecting to see the stabilization of that trend due to a rise in meetings-related policies designed to ensure meetings comply with company guidelines and deliver against strategic objectives,” said Issa Jouaneh, vice president and general manager, American Express Meetings & Events, adding that North America is expected to remain relatively flat, while Europe, Central America and Asia Pacific are expected to see slight declines in overall meetings spending.
With planners striving to achieve more with flat or decreasing budgets, Jouaneh said the trend to hold meetings locally and regionally is likely to continue in 2014. Additionally, the approval process for meetings is expected to become more rigorous.
The Forecast also predicts increasing use of social media and mobile apps within meetings, slight increases in group hotel and air rates for meetings and events, and the use of more non-traditional properties for meetings, such as outdoor venues, universities and aquariums, particularly in North America, where there is increasing interest in “hip and trendy” alternative locations.
The findings of the Forecast are based on a comprehensive survey, extensive meetings and events data, and in-depth interviews of meeting professionals.
Pictured: Bustling Show Floor at IMEX America 2013 in Las Vegas
