I returned to IMEX this year feeling more knowledgeable, more prepared and more excited. As it was my second year at the conference, I was confident that I would walk away with more information this year, and I was correct. You see, the trick for attending IMEX is this: the more you put into the conference, the more you get out of the conference. In my expert opinion, here are the three secrets to getting the most out of IMEX.
1. The Scheduling
Our first year at IMEX, my coworkers and I went in with no set schedule and no meetings set up. A little overwhelmed by the sheer scope of the tradeshow floor, we wandered somewhat aimlessly for the first day trying to get our bearings and use our time the most efficiently. This year, however, we were armed with a plan.
Anyone who has attended IMEX before is used to being bombarded with pre-show emails asking to set up interviews, appointments, etc. Instead of ignoring all of these invitations, my team and I decided to set up some one-on-one meetings with different venues and companies and we really got a lot of great information out of these sit downs.
Having some get-togethers planned in our schedules helped give our days more purpose and allowed us to stay focused and get more done. Also, having the interviews preplanned allowed us to show up with more prepared questions and more effectively use the time we had with our interviewees.
2. The Socializing
The annual party hosted by Visit Scotland and Visit London has become somewhat of a tradition with the M+E team. We’ve now attended the gathering, hosted at Tryst Nightclub in Wynn Las Vegas, for the past two years and always have a good time. Seeing familiar faces after the tradeshow day has ended is a great way to maintain those acquaintances from year to year.
This year, we mixed things up and added some extra socializing with Disney Meetings. The company invited us to a fantastic dinner at AquaKnox in the Venetian, where we learned all about their different properties, exciting upcoming celebrations and a charity they partner with, The Foundation for Hospital Art. We even became honorary ‘Voluntears’ ourselves by helping complete a Peter Pan painting that will be hung in a children’s hospital.
Additionally, Disney shared a little more hospitality and treated me and a few others from the conference to an Elton John concert. Held at The Colosseum At Caesars Palace, the concert was incredibly entertaining and a memorable way to meet other industry professionals while also solidifying the connections I had made at dinner the first night.
With so many activities happening each night of IMEX, there is never a shortage of ways to meet people after the tradeshow hours have ended. The socializing side of the conference is extremely important to getting the most out of the experience, and also a great way to make the trip more memorable – especially with the always-exciting backdrop of Las Vegas to socialize in.
3. The Sessions
With the focus of IMEX being directed to the tradeshow floor, I sometimes think the general sessions tend to get brushed to the side. Because I scheduled my time a little more wisely this year, I freed up some time to attend a few general sessions and was happy I did. IMEX offers a ton of general sessions, so picking just one or two to attend a day was not always the easiest task, but I narrowed it down to three sessions I was very passionate about. Now some of these general session were definitely more beneficial than others, but overall I left the conference with great takeaways. I assumed, with such a large conference, that the attendance for each session would be large, but it was actually the opposite. The groups that attended the general sessions were quite intimate so everyone’s questions were answered and everyone’s input was heard, which was a very pleasant surprise. After sampling just a small fraction of the sessions IMEX offers, I will absolutely incorporate more of them into my visit next year.
So for everyone attending IMEX 2016, just remember to socialize, schedule ahead, and make time for the general sessions. Follow these three secrets and you’ll have your best IMEX yet.
