With approximately 14000 attendees, 3500+ exhibitors representing more than 150 countries, being a first-timer at IMEX America is quite an experience! I jokingly referred to it on a few occasions as the Comic-con for Event Planners, because the level of artistry and the wow factor that goes into the vendor booths is second to none! From minute one on the floor, I was immersed in cultures, technology, futurism, exotic locations, sustainability, and education.
One of the biggest themes of the year was the focus on sustainability. IMEX was high on sustainability this year with the amazing implementation of the same scene at the event. IMEX adhered to promoting sustainability throughout the conference – providing free drinking water fountains for your refillable bottles, using reusable lanyards and recyclable badges- reducing event waste and lowering its footprint substantially. The Sands Expo provided 100% compostable service-ware during IMEX and all leftover or unserved food items will be donated or composted. And the conference provided countless greener options for event planners and sustainability education sessions to soak up knowledge on sustainability from the experts.
Needless to say, I was left with an amazing impression of what this conference is doing for not only the event planning industry but for our world as a whole.