Imagination Is the Inspiration for IMEX America 2019
July 16, 2019
IMEX America, IMEX’s worldwide exhibition for incentive travel, meetings and events, will be held Sept. 10–12 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas. Now in its ninth year, IMEX America will bring together 4,000 buyers and 3,500 suppliers from across the events industry and around the world.
The IMEX Group’s aim is to unite and advance the meetings industry through education, innovation, and fostering connections and at its event, provides multiple opportunities for those interactions to happen.
Each year, IMEX America features an annual talking point that explores a single emerging or important trend. For 2019, that talking point is “Imagination,” celebrating creativity and curiosity.
The show’s education program will cover transformation and collaboration, diversity and inclusion, and sustainability. Learning opportunities including deep dives, one-to-one sessions and hot topic tables will provide fresh thinking on how to make meetings more engaging, embrace new ways of thinking, consider the big issues and explore innovation and creativity.
“Smart Monday,” powered by Meeting Professionals International, is a free day of more than 180 education sessions and networking that immediately precedes the event, on Sept. 10. The day of professional development will begin with an inspirational keynote address by Phil Hansen, artist and TED Talk speaker.
“We’re working to bring the power of imagination to everything we’re doing at IMEX America,” said Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group. “Absolutely everything – and everyone – is connected or capable of becoming connected and the driving force behind all the positive changes we’re witnessing is the power of the human imagination – a uniquely human quality.”
She added, “So, we’re exploring and celebrating this aspect of being human – one that we frequently take for granted. Think of it as a human superpower; our instinct to ask, without judgment or limitation, ‘What if…’”
IMEX offers an online appointment system, allowing attendees to book meetings with exhibitors. Buyers can select who they want to meet with and then pick from available time slots. The system also allows messages to be exchanged.
In addition to the official event activities, there will be an extensive number of by-invitation-only parties and special events. If you’re attending as a hosted buyer or simply as a qualified planner, your dance card will no doubt fill up quickly. These events can be another great way to expand your professional network while having a great time.
IMEX America is free to attend and open to all who work in the meetings, events and incentive travel industry. If you regularly plan or manage large events domestically or globally, there is also an option to apply to attend as a hosted buyer. All expenses are paid, and in return, planners commit to a minimum number of scheduled meetings with the suppliers of their choice.
View the full event agenda here.
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Partner Voices
HERE, hosting responsible meetings and caring for our communities are top priorities. Through its 'Focused on What Matters: Embracing Humanity and Protecting the Planet' philosophy, MGM Resorts commits to creating a more sustainable future, while striving to make an impact in the lives of employees, guests, and the communities in which it operates.
Water Stewardship Efforts
MGM Resorts understands the importance of using water efficiently, especially in the desert destination of Las Vegas. Conserving water has always been part of the mission, but MGM Resorts has expanded its ambition into water stewardship.
In 2022, MGM Resorts President and CEO Bill Hornbuckle signed the CEO Water Mandate—a UN Global Compact initiative mobilizing business leaders to advance water stewardship. MGM Resorts International was the first gaming company to take this important step.
MGM Resorts replaced 200,000 square feet of real grass with drought-tolerant landscaping in Las Vegas.
MGM Resorts pledges to reduce water withdrawal intensity by 33% by 2025 and by 35% by 2030.
From 2007-2021, use of more than 5.6 billion gallons of water was avoided because of conservation efforts.
Caring for One Another
MGM Resorts’ Food Donations Program collects and preserves unserved food from conventions held at MGM Resorts properties, then safely donates to food insecure people in the community. Since the program’s launch in 2016, more than 3.7 million meals toward a 2025 goal of 5 million meals have been donated into the community. Donations include:
Unserved perishable prepared foods from events
Perishable unprepared food from MGM Resorts’ kitchens
Nonperishable food items from minibars and warehouses
The collaboration with Southern Nevada’s primary food bank, Three Square, has developed the infrastructure needed to safely collect, transport, and store food from MGM Resorts properties in Las Vegas, reducing food waste while serving the community.
Fostering Diversity and Inclusion
To MGM Resorts, a diverse and talented workforce is essential to success. By cultivating innovative strategies that consider multiple perspectives and viewpoints, the company creates an inclusive workplace culture that benefits its employees and community. MGM Resorts takes pride in being a welcoming home for veterans, individuals with disabilities, people from diverse backgrounds, LGBTQ+ community members, and more. This commitment to inclusion is reflected in the company's recruitment and hiring practices and its social responsibility initiatives. From the workplace to the community, MGM Resorts' commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion remains unwavering, and its efforts continue to create a more equitable and sustainable world for all.
MGM Resorts understands its responsibility to contribute to the social and economic progress of the communities in which it operates. HERE, we embrace humanity.
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