IMEX America concluded its 2024 show at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. Attendance reached a record 15,500 people, including 5,500 buyers, with 86,000 meetings held over three days.
The National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) shares space with IMEX. It was estimated that more than 25,000 convenience store professionals were in attendance.
The Global Gambling Expo is also taking place in town from October 6 to 9. The Venetian Expo attracts more than 25,000 attendees and 350 exhibitors.
The city got even more excited early Wednesday morning when two towers of the iconic Tropicana imploded in an event dubbed “Drop the Trop.” The sixty-seven-year-old Tropicana is being demolished to make way for the Athletics’ proposed Las Vegas ballpark and resort complex. The building collapsed in just 22 seconds, with fireworks and a drone display leading up to the explosion.
Getting around the city proved difficult. Not only are there six major meetings taking place in the town, but preparations are also well underway for the 2024 F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix from November 21 to 23. Some streets are closed due to the installation of the track, grandstands, hospitality suites, lighting and more.
Group business is important to Vegas
During the closing press conference, MGM Resorts chief sales officer and senior vice president Stephanie Glanzer emphasized the importance of the group’s business to the destination, especially during the midweek period.
Additionally, Rebecca DeLuca, vice president of destination sales for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Bureau, also spoke at the press conference, reinforcing the message with statistics.
“The impact of conventions on Las Vegas is huge. Of our 40 million visitors, 16 to 17 percent come to Las Vegas for a convention or trade show, or 6 million,” she said. “This represents $9 billion in direct spending and $15.1 billion in economic impact.
IMEX kicked off Smart Monday in partnership with MPI, attracting 1,600 spectators. Skift Meetings has revived its Innovation Lab, which features peer-to-peer discussions on issues impacting the industry.
In addition, IMEX education covers seven directions. These include technology and innovation, business practice, impact, trends/research, wellbeing, experience design and event marketing. More than 150 sessions were held at various meeting places in the Inspiration Centre.
These sessions include AI captions from Wordly, AI session summaries from Snapsight, and closing rap songs from Event Rap.
Sustainability is the focus of this year’s gathering. Recyclable paper badge holders, compostable drink cups and cutlery are also featured. IMEX CEO Carina Bauer said: “Our auditors met with Green and we expect the waste diversion rate to be over 90%.”
IMEX is scheduled to be held at Mandalay Bay in 2027.
