IMEX America, the new meeting and incentive industry exhibition launching in Las Vegas in October, has another high-profile partner. The U.S. Travel Association has agreed to promote the show to its members and attendees at its International Pow Wow exhibition May 21–25 in San Francisco.
In return, IMEX America will promote Pow Wow to its audience. U.S. Travel will also host a seminar at IMEX America on policy issues affecting incentive travel, meetings, and events.
According to Bruce Bommarito, U.S. Travel’s chief operating officer and general manager of International Pow Wow, this is the first time U.S. Travel has promoted a meetings industry conference. However, while Pow Wow will attract some meeting buyers, he does not consider the IMEX event to be competition. “Pow Wow is 100 percent U.S. inbound and covers a lot of destinations, not just the big guys, and IMEX is a worldwide inbound and outbound show,” he said. “IMEX reached out to us to support them and we wanted their support too. We’ve formalized our meeting buyers’ portion of Pow Wow a little, so we’re glad to have their support, and we just think we’re good complements for each other. Anything that brings business to the U.S., we’re happy about.”