IMEX has expanded its welcome events for first timers at IMEX America, taking place next week (October 7-9) at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Having trialed a series of “meet and greets” and facilitated show tours for first timers at both IMEX Frankfurt and IMEX America recently, the IMEX team has  increased options for newcomers, creating a varied program across several days of the show.

“Although we’ve had first timer tours for a short while, we really ramped up our program a couple of years ago. We’ve expanded it each year since then in response to demand and valuable feedback from attendees,” said Maria Gaillez, senior hosted relationship manager, IMEX and a member of the team who helped design the expanded first timers program.

“As IMEX-ers we know the show intimately, but we also remember our first time on site here, and at other events around the world. Our IMEX America welcome sessions are therefore everything we wanted when we were new. They’re designed to help people get great value from their time, meet others from the newbie community and—most importantly—enjoy their IMEXperience. If they make friends—or ‘frolleagues’—for life, even better! One of our three company values is ‘People First’; this program is just one way in which we live that ethos,” she explained.

The schedule of sessions for those new to the show has now increased from one to four, with the IMEX team curating each session to bring different speakers and formats to the welcome experience.

The meetups have been designed for all types of first timers, from young people entering the industry, to career-changers or seasoned professionals returning to the show after a hiatus. Recent research from Freeman shows that event attendees value curated networking formats with more than a third preferring purposeful, personalized experiences.

First timer welcome sessions

• First timers: Learn how to navigate IMEX with confidence, Monday Oct 6: The IMEX team will share their inside tips on how best to navigate and experience the show. Some of the top speakers from the education program will also help people bond and connect with each other. Expect a friendly, warm welcome.

• IMEX tour: Navigate Mandalay Bay with confidence, Monday Oct 6: A guided tour of the show’s venue with key locations and useful “hacks” designed to help newbies hit the ground running once the show opens but, importantly, not exhaust themselves. Gone are the days of IMEXhausted being a badge of honor—the aim is for all our attendees to leave feeling energized and uplifted.

• First timers welcome, networking and orientation, Tuesday Oct 7: Event production experts Encore co-host this first day welcome from the show floor. The IMEX team will also provide a comprehensive orientation, sharing not-to-be-missed features and a strong community vibe.

• Hosted buyer welcome networking, Wednesday Oct 8: This will be a relaxed, unstructured session where small groups of hosted buyers are grouped by geographical region. The IMEX Hosted Buyer team will be joined by seasoned hosted buyers who’ll be on hand to help curate personalized, market-specific conversations.