Here’s a way to take a round-the-world trip without the jetlag: Register as a hosted buyer at a global trade shows, such as the inaugural IMEX America, October 11–13 in Las Vegas. With more than 1,500 exhibitors from nearly 100 countries expected to turn up, you can save loads of time and energy by getting your RFPs together and meeting with suppliers on the exhibit floor. A hosted buyer commits to four 30-minute appointments per day of attendance. But you choose the vendors with whom you meet.

At IMEX America, software simplifies the process of meeting suppliers. Hosted buyers use a Web site that has been continually revised based on user feedback. Its strength is its ease of use. When you create an appointment with an exhibitor, that appointment is set—no waiting for a confirmation. At IMEX Frankfurt 2010, the software successfully booked and managed 57,000 appointments.

Ray Bloom, chairman, of the IMEX Group, says momentum continues to build for this fall’s Las Vegas show, partly due to the fact that organizations are again considering meeting destinations outside the U.S. “The international market is very keen to once again access the important U.S. outbound market. Clearly activity in recent years has been reduced, but there is an anticipation that the market is once again opening up,” Bloom says. “Such anticipation is confirmed by anecdotal evidence, our own research, and industry reports such as the Meeting Professionals International Business Barometer, which all point to increased optimism among buyers and an appetite for taking meetings and events outside the USA once more.

“Such anticipation is also seen by the demand that we are experiencing from international destinations and meeting venues to exhibit at IMEX America. Most of the international destinations that were present at our show in Frankfurt in May will also be at the inaugural IMEX America this October. It is clear that the international market is very keen to promote themselves to U.S. buyers and win a share of their business.”

Find out how to become a hosted buyer at the IMEX America Web site.