Increasingly, events are becoming vital change agents within organizations. A recent Incentive Research Foundation study revealed that 27 percent of incentive-travel planners now report to marketing, while 24 percent report directly to the CEO.
This shift aligns with IMEX America’s 2024 theme, “Impact,” which from October 7 to 10 provided business-event professionals with plenty of opportunities to expand their knowledge, resources, and contacts.
On the 400-booth show floor, the emphasis on using conversation spaces, gifting strategies, and tech tools to make an impact was clear. And the exhibition’s expanded tech-firm footprint reflected the market’s growing focus on efficient ways to connect people, create new experiences, and extend messaging.
Here are some of the on-trend exhibitors that caught my eye:
• Snapsight enhances event impact by distilling vast amounts of live-generated content—such as keynote presentations, panel discussions, and attendee surveys—into an A.I.-driven summary of key takeaways. An interesting feature is its ability to recommend content you might have missed, helping users to easily review critical insights from an event's overwhelming volume of information.
• August Robotics was on the show floor to introduce its “chief marking officer,” an autonomous robot named Lionel that creates floor markings for exhibitions in both conventional and non-conventional spaces. Lionel replaces the manual and often stressful task of marking show floors with tape, allowing show teams to focus on other tasks.
• As events increasingly integrate with marketing, driving attendance has become a priority for planners. Building on the idea that peer-to-peer influence is three times more effective than traditional advertising campaigns, Snöball was at IMEX to showcase a tool that helps attendees, speakers, and exhibitors share event messaging through their own social networks.
• This year, several exhibitors featured sustainable gifting experiences. JoyCoast offers eco-friendly wooden sunglasses and accessories, and plants 10 trees for each pair purchased. Aloha Bags custom-brands the entire range of its environmentally conscious products using a durable heat-transfer process, enabling unique designs in corporate colors and logos. Additionally, the company contributes five percent of its annual profits to conservation efforts in Hawaii.
• Finally, it was encouraging to see more venue options built for impact from the ground up. For example, Kona Village, a luxury Rosewood property in Hawaii, was rebuilt with sustainability at its core. It uses solar power, efficient water systems, and locally sourced ingredients to support the community. The resort also emphasizes waste reduction through recycling programs and avoids single-use
plastics, ensuring a greener footprint.
Similarly, Happy Goat, a non-profit farm and event venue in Mariposa, Calif., near Yosemite National Park, focuses on addressing food insecurity in the region by donating proceeds to local initiatives. The ranch offers a range of experiences, including farm-to-table dining, “goat snuggling,” and adventure activities, all set against the stunning backdrop of the Sierra Nevada foothills.
Melissa Van Dyke is senior vice president of integrated marketing & innovation at Creative Group.
