IMEX America 2018 comes back expanded, exciting & experiential

The day before – SmartMonday, powered by Meeting Professionals International (MPI), is a full day of free education and networking taking place on October 15 before the show opens. This includes sessions covering hot topics such as augmented reality, contract litigation, crisis management and women in leadership. A full day workshop will introduce attendees to the Event Canvas Model, a strategic event management model for customer-centric events. The Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE), Incentive Research Foundation (IRF) and Financial and Insurance Conference Professionals (FICP) will also join together to present their first pan-industry survey into incentive travel.

The Inspiration Hub – Situated on the show floor, this area will be the central point of focus for education during the three days of the show covering 10 tracks including Business Skills, Creative Learning, Personal Development, Technology and Trends & Research.

C2 International will deliver the show’s Thursday morning collaborative session – Emotions and Technology: An exploration of audience connection. Harvard University instructor, Susan Robertson from Sharpen Innovation, will show attendees how to develop and foster a Culture of Curiosity. James Morgan from Event Tech Labs and the University of Westminster presents the findings of a two year research project into creativity in events in Managing a creative environment. ‘Learn how to turn imagination into results’ is the aim of Blendz Events’ session, Fostering a creative culture in the workplace.

In addition, attendees will also discover what’s on the horizon next year when American Express Meetings & Events reveal their 2019 global meetings and events trends.

Technology: a cornerstone – Virtual reality, artificial intelligence, apps, blockchain and cryptocurrency are all explored, showing how these can be applied to events. The Meeting Pool will deliver a session on Apps to boost personal and professional productivity, showcasing the ‘latest and greatest’, to help planners get connected, stay organized and be collaborative.

Recognizing personal impact and legacy – Various aspects of legacy will be covered throughout the program – political, personal, environmental, CSR and social impact/knowledge legacy – all designed to help planners produce more engaging, topical events with longer-lasting positive outcomes.

Following great feedback, a ‘Legacy Wall’ launched at IMEX in Frankfurt will also premiere at IMEX America, showcasing heart-warming and inspiring stories and case studies from exhibitors, partners and IMEX staff.

Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group, sums up: “We’re committed to putting on a great show – one that ignites fresh thinking, explores new trends and encourages people to connect and do business easily. In a fast-changing world, we believe that coming together in the same place to see, hear and talk commerce – and to understand the wider forces shaping our industry – is fundamental to business success.”

“The goal is for people to walk away with new ideas and inspiration that they can explore, discuss and pursue both at the show and long afterwards.”