A STRONG debut from Imex America last year has resulted in significant increases from exhibitors and buyers for the award-winning trade show taking place on October 9 to 12 this year at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas, US.
Of contracts so far received, 20 per cent of those who exhibited at the first show are returning with even bigger booths. Of these, 50 per cent of exhibitors have more than doubled the space they will be taking at the show.
In addition, almost 40 new booths are set to join the line-up so far at Imex America, with more expected in the next two months.
Hotel groups have also responded strongly meaning that the hotel section of the trade show floor will also be noticeably bigger and more varied this fall.
Among the hotel and resort groups doubling their booth sizes will be Auberge Resorts, Destination Hotels & Resorts, Iberostar, Loews, Mandarin Oriental, Peabody, Rosen and Wynn Las Vegas.
Other hotel groups including Fairmont Raffles Swissotel, Four Seasons, Hyatt, IHG, Leading Hotels of the World, Melia, Morgans, NH Hoteles, Preferred, Sofitel, Starwood and Wyndham have also increased their booth space. New hotel exhibitors will include Trump Hotels, KSL Resorts and Peninsula.
From the Middle East, destinations represented on the show floor will be UAE, Israel, Oman, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia as well as hotel and resorts from leading hotel companies including Millennium Hotels And Resorts, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts and Ritz-Carlton who will showcase the Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal, set to make its debut later this year.
Imex group chairman Ray Bloom also announced that the show’s hallmark hosted buyer programme will also be larger this year with well over 2,000 buyers expected. Much of this growth has been achieved through Imex America partners and intermediaries who want to bring larger hosted buyer groups following positive feedback from their clients after last year’s event.
Bloom commented: “We were delighted with the positive response we received after last year’s debut Imex America; it was clear the show produced the business results both exhibitors and buyers were looking for. It is gratifying to see that feedback now being converted into increased participation on both sides, which bodes well for an even stronger Imex America this October... and we’ve still got three months to go.”