Imagination Is the Inspiration for IMEX America 2019

July 16, 2019

IMEX America, IMEX’s worldwide exhibition for incentive travel, meetings and events, will be held Sept. 10–12 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas. Now in its ninth year, IMEX America will bring together 4,000 buyers and 3,500 suppliers from across the events industry and around the world. 

The IMEX Group’s aim is to unite and advance the meetings industry through education, innovation, and fostering connections and at its event, provides multiple opportunities for those interactions to happen.

Each year, IMEX America features an annual talking point that explores a single emerging or important trend. For 2019, that talking point is “Imagination,” celebrating creativity and curiosity. 

The show’s education program will cover transformation and collaboration, diversity and inclusion, and sustainability. Learning opportunities including deep dives, one-to-one sessions and hot topic tables will provide fresh thinking on how to make meetings more engaging, embrace new ways of thinking, consider the big issues and explore innovation and creativity.

“Smart Monday,” powered by Meeting Professionals International, is a free day of more than 180 education sessions and networking that immediately precedes the event, on Sept. 10. The day of professional development will begin with an inspirational keynote address by Phil Hansen, artist and TED Talk speaker.

“We’re working to bring the power of imagination to everything we’re doing at IMEX America,” said Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group. “Absolutely everything – and everyone – is connected or capable of becoming connected and the driving force behind all the positive changes we’re witnessing is the power of the human imagination – a uniquely human quality.”

She added, “So, we’re exploring and celebrating this aspect of being human – one that we frequently take for granted. Think of it as a human superpower; our instinct to ask, without judgment or limitation, ‘What if…’”

IMEX offers an online appointment system, allowing attendees to book meetings with exhibitors. Buyers can select who they want to meet with and then pick from available time slots. The system also allows messages to be exchanged.

In addition to the official event activities, there will be an extensive number of by-invitation-only parties and special events. If you’re attending as a hosted buyer or simply as a qualified planner, your dance card will no doubt fill up quickly. These events can be another great way to expand your professional network while having a great time.  

IMEX America is free to attend and open to all who work in the meetings, events and incentive travel industry. If you regularly plan or manage large events domestically or globally, there is also an option to apply to attend as a hosted buyer. All expenses are paid, and in return, planners commit to a minimum number of scheduled meetings with the suppliers of their choice.

View the full event agenda here.

 

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Partner Voices
Dallas already boasts 35,000 hotel rooms, award-winning global cuisine, and a walkable downtown. But we are just getting started. Visit Dallas is thrilled to announce that the city of Dallas is doubling down with a massive new convention center and entertainment district. Featuring 800,000 square feet of exhibit area, 260,000 square feet of meeting rooms, and 170,000 square feet of ballroom. The center will connect business travelers with dining and shopping options in the popular Cedars District means more places to get down to business, and even more ways to unwind. “Dallas is already a great meetings and conventions destination, with the accessibility of two major airports, affordable labor, and an outstanding hotel product,” said D. Bradley Kent, Visit Dallas senior vice president and chief sales officer. “The new center and Convention Center District will enhance Dallas’ competitive position and are exactly what our customers’ need and have been asking for." What’s New – AT&T Discovery District Located in the heart of Downtown Dallas, this new district on the AT&T corporate campus is tailor-made for groups of all sizes. It boasts a multi-sensory experience, including outdoor event space, the AT&T Theater, and multiple dining outlets including JAXON Beer Garden and The Exchange, a bustling food hall. Hotels Coming Soon Names like the JW Marriott (Downtown), lnterContinental Dallas (Uptown), and Hotel Swexan (Uptown) are adding luxury amenities and bountiful event spaces. The projects will debut in 2023 and beyond. JW Marriott This new, 15-story, 283-room hotel will open in the heart of the city’s downtown Arts District this year. The property features a 25,000-square-foot grand ballroom, as well as a spa, restaurant, lobby bar, fitness center, and a rooftop pool deck and bar. InterContinental Dallas  Located in Cityplace Tower in Uptown, InterContinental Dallas will feature sweeping panoramic views of the Dallas skyline. Guests will enjoy spacious, high-end rooms and amenities, including more than 21,000 square feet of event space.   Hotel Swexan Hotel Swexan, a new, 22-story luxury property, is rising in Uptown’s Harwood District and will make its mark on the Dallas skyline. Opening this year, it is a sculptural building with cantilevered upper floors, as well as a 75-foot rooftop infinity-edge swimming pool and a hidden underground lounge.