“Collisions of thought,” connecting with community and delivering a new era of experiences are all topics that will be discussed at IMEX America, which runs September 10 – 12 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The show has a wide program of more than 180 complimentary learning sessions taking place at the expanded Inspiration Hub, sponsored by Maritz Global Events. Ninety-seven per cent of eligible education sessions are assigned with continuous education units for CMP certification, while 114 are approved by ILEA. This is the show’s highest accreditation achievement to date.

Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group, explains: “Our extensive education program, developed carefully with our industry partners, recognises that regardless of experience and career level, there is always something new to learn and discover. The business events sector continues to develop at a rapid rate and we, in turn, keep evolving our learning programs. In that way we stay true to our mission of leading by example.”

Sessions at the show include:

Innovating faster – why collaboration changes everything: Tim Sanders, CEO of research and consultancy firm Deeper Media, says “the biggest leaps and turnarounds come from collisions of thought.” His session focuses on creating a culture of collaboration in order to problem-solve and drive innovation.

Celebrating the positive impact of business events: Jane Cunningham from BestCities Global Alliance explores collaboration, one of the tenets of IMEX’s Talking Point, “imagination.” She will discuss the wider societal impact of events and connecting with community. She will also detail case studies from associations and explore the range of measurement tools available.

How research and data analysis identify the ideal meeting destination: David Watt, CEO of marketing agency CI Group, will reveal how data analytics can streamline the event planning process and how destination profiling and heat maps also have a part to play.

Five trends shaping the future of business events: PCMA and Marriott International uncovered key trends in their research and will explain how these can be brought to life by planners, ushering in a new era of experiences for any audience.

Five easy ways to align event tech with your event goals: EventMobi’s event marketing manager, Kate Gray shares best practices for integrating tech in an event to streamline the planning process and align to event goals.

Technology remains a firm focus of many of the education sessions with The Meeting Pool team, part of the expanded tech area on the show floor, sharing their expertise. In Smart project management tools for smart planners Tara Thomas promises to delve into new platforms, show how to customize them, and transform how planners execute tasks and reach milestones.

The IMEX America education program is now live. IMEX America takes place September 10 – 12, 2019, with Smart Monday, powered by MPI on September 9. Registration for the show is free of charge and open to all who work in the meetings, events and incentive travel industry.