As IMEX America each year brings together the whole meetings and incentive travel industry and media, it is the perfect place and time to spot meetings PR and industry trends.

Here are three observations made by the Clareville team who, for the ninth year, developed and implemented the #PR campaign for the recent IMEX America and ran the on-site Press Center in Las Vegas.

1. More major news announcements and more press conferences – meetings PR

Meetings PR professionals are increasingly capitalising on the fact that IMEX attracts around 200 leading meetings and incentive travel writers from the USA and the rest of the world.  There were 16 major press conferences – more than ever before – plus many more PR arranged press briefings on stands. For the second consecutive year the Event Industry Council chose to make a major news announcement at IMEX America – the launch of the Center for Sustainable Events.

2. Sustainability .

From Smart Monday when the 33 sustainability-themed IMEX educational sessions and activities began, attracting keen audiences, there was more news, more attention to this important theme throughout the show. The IMEX Sustainability Village provided a focal point while Hilton’s huge digital waterfall highlighting the company’s water stewardship goals was a spectacular contribution to this. 

The prolific output of meetings PR and media writers on this topic simply reflects the vast range of activity and interest in it.

3. The new – creative, the experiential and the unusual

The industry continues to look for and welcome new creative and unusual ideas, especially experiential ones, that can contribute a ‘wow’ element to events. With Imagination as the IMEX theme this year, there were plenty to see and to try again this year at the show’s Discovery Zone

Digital portrait painting, a string art wall, flower-arranging stations, a “mystery tattoo” booth interactive photo booths were among the multi-sensory experiences at the show. Creativity was also at the heart of some MPI keynotes including Phil Hansen’s innovative approach to art and Four Day Weekend’s insights into improv.

IMEX America always offers so many opportunities for exhibitors, delegates and meetings PR professionals to share and learn about the latest trends; it never disappoints