As more than 17,800 participants gathered for IMEX America, held October 13-15 at Mandalay Bay Convention Center, located at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino Las Vegas, it was easy to get lost in the sea of people and appointments. The 2026 edition of IMEX America was the trade show’s largest event in its 15-year history. According to IMEX America reports, the 2026 event involved 96,000 scheduled meetings—or 48,000 hours, equivalent to buyers and exhibitors spending more than five years doing business together—including 82,000 one-to-one meetings and 14,000 group and booth presentations. Such staggering numbers demonstrate an unwavering interest in meetings and events across all industry segments and also underscore IMEX America’s tangible ROI.
For ConventionSouth and its sister publication, Convention Southwest, IMEX America was an opportunity to meet face-to-face with many of the incredible industry partners we’ve established over the years, build new relationships, and explore exciting new openings, enhancements, and opportunities awaiting planners who are considering the U.S. South and Southwest markets for their upcoming meetings and events. IMEX America gave our team a front-row seat to the latest industry announcements and trends, along with exclusive previews of curated activations and immersive experiences designed to leave a lasting impression on attendees.
Here are just some of the highlights:
Caesars Means Business
During IMEX America, Caesars Entertainment hosted a group of media professionals at its newest Las Vegas property, The Vanderpump Hotel.
Launched in partnership with TV personality, restaurateur, and entrepreneur Lisa Vanderpump, the hotel features Vanderpump’s “industrial romantic” style. The property is even more alluring in person. In the lobby and reception area, dark walls, plush velvet seating in deep violet and wine hues, and elegant chandeliers are combined with mixed metal and stone finishes. Guest rooms feature softer shades of green, gray, and lilac, while custom furnishings and curated amenities add a luxurious feel. While the design and décor are a break from the stark color schemes and straight lines of many new properties, The Vanderpump Hotel’s blend of femininity and sophistication strikes a nice balance.
Fans of Vanderpump will enjoy her personal touches throughout the hotel, including framed clothing pieces and family photographs. One of the standout features is the mosaic-tiled shower, which is patterned with the following message in English and French: “Enjoy the good life. To win without risk is to triumph without glory. Bless the ones who curse you. That’s life.” The simple message brings renewed inspiration to each day.
Another special touch, compliments of Vanderpump herself, is the hotel’s valet service. The free car service will take guests anywhere within a 10-mile radius. Available on a first-come, first-served basis, the complimentary valet service is an in-demand guest amenity.
No Caesars experience is complete without dining and entertainment. The team kicked off IMEX America early on October 12, hosting an evening welcome reception at Soleia, the rooftop pool at The Vanderpump Hotel. As a preview of Caesars’ Elevated Events with Wellness program, hosted media were invited to participate in a relaxing, restorative guided sound bath session during the reception at Soleia.
To cap IMEX America’s opening day on October 13, hosted guests enjoyed a four-course dinner at Amalfi by Bobby Flay, located at Caesars Palace. The Food Network star’s restaurant features elevated Italian dishes inspired by the culinary traditions of Italy’s Amalfi Coast, including Mediterranean seafood and handmade pastas, along with wine selections from Italy’s Campania region. A large fish and seafood display serves as the restaurant’s focal point, with a fishmonger on hand to answer questions. Created around Flay’s elevated yet approachable style and world-class service, Amalfi is ideal for executive dinners, VIP entertaining, and exclusive group events. While some fine-dining and celebrity-helmed restaurants skimp on portions, all three of Amalfi’s entrée selections (filet mignon, chicken parmigiano, and lobster radiatore) featured generous servings.
Other highlights included evening cocktails, light bites, and karaoke at Caspian’s Rock & Roe, located in Caesars Palace, on October 14, and breakfast on October 15 at GIADA, located at The Vanderpump Hotel. GIADA, by Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis, serves refined Italian cuisine with California influences and offers incredible views of the Strip.
Caesars Entertainment also sponsored MPI Rendezvous at The Vanderpump Hotel’s Soleia rooftop venue. Billed as the “industry party of the year,” MPI Rendezvous is a ticketed event that supports MPI Foundation scholarships, grants, and workforce development. The party kicked off October 14 at 9:30 p.m., with a live DJ and networking fun that continued after midnight. Soleia’s nightclub atmosphere and rooftop, poolside venue—with two main pools, six private pool areas, and 24 bungalows and cabanas—provided a high-energy, indoor/outdoor setting perfect for MPI Rendezvous’ large crowd. With a capacity of 4,500 guests, turnkey production capabilities (including LED walls, cutting-edge lighting, and immersive audiovisuals), a full-service kitchen, customizable branding opportunities, and panoramic views of the Strip, Soleia is built for high-end corporate events, large-scale brand activations, nightlife buyouts, private concerts, and other events.
Viva Las Vegas
No destination does entertainment like Las Vegas. Our team had the chance to experience some of the top entertainment attractions and venues on the Strip, including: Swingers Las Vegas, which is located at Mandalay Bay and features four crazy mini-golf courses, carnival games, and other entertainment, along with dining and drinks; Vinyl Room, located on the top floor of Mandalay Bay, which includes three music-themed lounges featuring framed albums and other music memorabilia, a live DJ, and incredible skyline views; and Michael Jackson ONE, a Cirque du Soleil production celebrating the iconic singer’s legacy through acrobatics and ariel stunts, dramatic set designs, and dynamic choreography—enhanced with state-of-the-art technology that provides a multi-sensory experience. Each attraction offers group options.
Breaking News & Behind-the-Scenes Previews
SITE and the Incentive Research Foundation shared key findings from the 2026 Incentive Travel Index. According to the report, 62% of survey respondents expect their incentive travel activity to be the same in 2027 as in 2026, while almost 26% predict an increase. Average spend per person has increased by almost 8%. In North America, the average spend per person is $6,100—the highest of any market. Disruption is now the norm, with 60% of respondents stating that geo-political instability is disrupting the destinations they use.
SITE also introduced Rebecca Wright as the organization’s interim CEO, following the recent resignation of former CEO Annette Gregg. Wright has a long history with SITE. She previously served as interim CEO from October 2020 through November 2022; prior to that, she was on the SITE staff as head of chapter engagement, served as president of SITE Chicago, and was a former chapter leader. “It feels good to be back with family,” Wright said. “My goal is to provide stability to the association. It’s a great time to step back, take a look at where we are, and reflect on what’s working and what we want to do differently to ensure that we’re relevant now and in the future. That will help inform what the next chapter of SITE will look like.”
Destination DC president and CEO Elliott L. Ferguson II and Melissa Riley, senior vice president of convention sales and services, introduced the organization’s new Meetings Capitalized initiative. The program emphasizes the many “only in D.C.” attractions, enhancing meetings with meaningful attendee experiences. They also shared projects focused on sports development in the nation’s capital, including renovations to Capital One Arena, a new RFK Stadium at the RFK Campus coming in 2030, and possible expansion of Audi Field.
Millenium Hotels & Resorts previewed the new M Social Sunnyvale Silicon Valley, set to open in December as the brand’s first California property. Millenium’s Alex Decarvalho described the hotel as a “tech-forward, fun place where you would want to hang out.” The 263-room hotel will feature the Low-Res Lounge with retro arcade games, Beast & Butterflies restaurant, Ctrl+B(ar), a gym, and 28,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space. A rooftop garden will provide fresh vegetables and honey. Group options will include tours of the Computer History Museum, also located in Silicon Valley.
Key leaders from Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin welcomed guests to a private reception celebrating the property’s recent expansion. The reception was held at the close of IMEX America’s opening day, on October 13, at Bourbon Steak, located in the Four Seasons, and featured champagne and hors d’oeuvres. The $300 million, multi-phase expansion and renovation included the addition of The Peninsula, which features 100,000 square feet of new meeting space. With the expansion, Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin now offers 600,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space across the Swan, Dolphin, and Swan Reserve resorts—establishing it as the largest convention hotel on the Eastern Seaboard.
Also on October 13, MGM Resorts Event Productions, the creative force behind Signature Events by MGM Resorts, hosted a private evening reception and behind-the-scenes tour of its 98,000-square-foot event production studio, showcasing how the team brings more than 1,200 premier events and activations to life each year. Key leaders from each department explained how they work together to ensure seamless, unique events, from creative design and custom fabrication to floral artistry. In a special nod to ConventionSouth and Convention Southwest, an endcap design featuring the magazines’ logos illustrated how corporate brands can be integrated into creative designs.
To highlight its growing portfolio of independent hotels in the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean, Pyramid Global Hospitality/Benchmark Resorts & Hotels hosted two events on October 13—“Experience Benchmark” and the late-night “Purple Lounge” gathering, featuring light bites and cocktails, a live DJ, and a purple robot—at The Cove, located in Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. One of the group’s featured properties was Saddlebrook Resort, which is located in Tampa, Fla., and recently completed a $92 million transformation that included renovations to all 451 guest rooms and suites, a reimagined pool area, newly redesigned ballrooms and flexible space, four new restaurants, and a redesign of the resort’s golf course by renowned golf architect Rees Jones—creating three interchangeable nine-hole layouts, with rebuilt tees, tournament-grade greens, and a 13-acre driving range.
On October 14, Disney Meetings & Events held a private reception at the 1928 Prohibition Bar, located in The Shoppes at Mandalay Bay. The fully immersive experience featured a pirate theme to illustrate the many themes that can be incorporated into and customized for group events—including Tell No Tales cocktails, a skull-and-crossbones leather keychain activation station, and appearances by Jack Sparrow and Mickey Mouse. Team members updated guests on the renovations to the convention center and El Centro Corridor spaces at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, which began in August and are expected to be completed in late September 2027. The convention center remains open and is fully operational throughout the project; work is being completed in phases around existing event schedules.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority’s VIP “Dinner on the Grid” event, held October 14 at the Grand Prix Plaza, provided an incredible trackside experience of the 39-acre Formula 1 entertainment complex, home of the Formula 1 Heineken Las Vegas Grand Prix race. Featuring racecars, racing simulators, live entertainment, and special activations, the event illustrated how groups can design their own motorsports-themed events. In addition to the trackside experience, groups can choose from indoor and rooftop event spaces at the Pit Building. F1 Drive, the official F1 karting experience, is a fun teambuilding option that allows guests to experience the thrill of racing; the electric karting track covers sections of the actual racetrack and features 22 turns. Grand Prix Plaza has closed for the season as it prepares for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, November 19-21, but will reopen in January.
Looking Ahead
IMEX America will return to Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas on September 28-30, 2027, and September 26-28, 2028. Pre-registration is already open on the IMEX America website.
