The 2022 editon of IMEX America was the “business-fuelled ‘bounce back’ we’ve all been waiting for,” says Carina Bauer, CEO, IMEX Group.

IMEX reports that post-show statistics for the show, which ran October 10-13 at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, reveal that business is now firmly on an international level with more than 4,000 buyers from 69 countries attending. Numbers of both agency and corporate planner – 56 percent and 20 percent of hosted buyers respectively – were on par with the 2021 edition of the show.

These buyers brought substantial budgets. Three-quarters had annual budgets of more than $1 million and 39 percent had spending power of $5 million and more. Many had long-term plans, with requests for proposals and business being placed as far out as 2028.

In terms of business meetings, the show saw 62,000 appointments between buyers and suppliers over three days. These comprised individual, group appointments and open-to-all booth presentations.

More than 3,300 exhibiting companies from 180+ countries from around the world. Many had been unable to attend in 2021. Countries that made a welcome return to the show include Abu Dhabi, Australia, The Bahamas, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Dubai, Greece, Hawaii, Ireland, Switzerland, Turkey and New Zealand.

“From our conversations with buyers and suppliers on-site, we know that this year’s show was characterized by the return of global business and strong business pipelines running as far ahead as 2028,” explains Bauer. “We’ve even had one commentator refer to it as an ‘ironman event’ due to the energy and commitment required to leverage all the opportunities on offer! Our buyers and suppliers have since shared their news and wins from the show. We always love to hear feedback and incorporate it into planning for next year’s show.”

The next edition of IMEX America will take place October 16-19, 2023, at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada. IMEX in Frankfurt will take place May 23-25, 2023, at Messe Frankfurt in Frankfurt, Germany.