Filed in: News Tag: MCE Trendspotting
IMEX America, the annual event for decision-makers in the meetings & event industry, took place in Las Vegas in November 2021 after canceling their annual event in 2020 due to COVID-19. IMEX is a venue to find all the suppliers you need for your events, from new venues to the latest event tech providers. To stay on the forefront of the evolving event industry, two of IEEE Meetings, Conferences & Events representatives were in attendance. Here are three takeaways from the event from Lukrecija Lelong and Michelle Measel, MCE’s Senior Managers of Event Management Services.
Takeaway #1: Virtual & hybrid technologies had a presence across the Exhibit Floor. While IMEX was in person, the investment of event technology providers at the event reinforces that virtual components are here to stay. Noted exhibitors include Hopin, an all-in-one event management platform for virtual, hybrid, and in-person events; Swapcard, a networking and community platform powered by Artificial Intelligence; and CloudTouch, a single source solution for touch screen kiosks and interactive content creation.
Takeaway #2: Venues, cities, and suppliers are looking for future business. Due to the many rebookings that have taken place during the COVID-19 pandemic, short-term business deals are not a priority for conference venues and providers. While admittedly a challenging task, their hope is for conference organizers to begin planning and reaching out for future years.
Takeaway #3: While attendance was strong, international representation was limited. IMEX 2021 had more than 8,600 participants in attendance, showcasing the desire from event professionals to return to in-person. However, due to government travel restrictions still in place at the time the event began, buyer attendees from the United States represented 87% of all attendees. Travel restrictions remain unpredictable at this time, emphasizing the shift in event models to be more regional or by implementing ways for global attendees to participate.
Thank you to Michelle and Lukrecija for attending this event and sharing their experiences! If you want to learn more or have any questions about planning your event, reach out to IEEE MCE.
To hear from more IMEX America attendees across the event industry, watch this video:
This article was written by:
Lea Provost
Sr. Program Manager, Audience Development Strategy Services
IEEE Meetings, Conferences & Events