Attendees can enjoy myriad of new offerings at Sands Expo, The Venetian and The Palazzo
The host properties for IMEX America 2017—Sands Expo, The Venetian Las Vegas and The Palazzo Las Vegas—have been an integral part of the event from the very beginning.
“They have been truly amazing,” says Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group. “As we’ve needed and wanted to grow, they’ve helped us do that. As we’ve wanted to become a greener show, they’ve been a key player in helping us set and meet best practices at the Sands Expo and their hotels.
“As we’ve wanted to give back through CSR with local nonprofits like The Shade Tree, they have rolled up their sleeves with us. Really, they have been ‘in the trench’ friends who are as vested in the show’s success as we are.”
Together, the interconnected venues provide 7,000 guest rooms and 2.3 million sq. ft. of meeting space. The Venetian and The Palazzo also include dozens of restaurants and bars, more than 1 million sq. ft. of shops, a fully equipped spa and several entertainment options.
Exciting New Venues
This year, IMEX America participants will be able to enjoy several new features at The Venetian and The Palazzo. An 1,170-square-foot, co-working space, or pop-up lounge, in the heart of the Congress Center offers guests space to recharge, collaborate and meet. The space, which is powered by Zappos, is enclosed for noise management, but is transparent to invite guests to come inside. Amenities include Wi-Fi, charging stations, a private conference room that seats six people and four private phone rooms.
The Venetian and The Palazzo have been busy adding other venues and attractions, as well. Two of them, The Atrium at The Venetian and The Atrium at The Palazzo, are luxury retails areas that offer spirits from premier brands, accessories, fine jewelry and watches, beauty and fragrance products, and electronic items.
The Aquatic Club, which debuted in April at The Palazzo, was inspired by the intimate yet energetic social and athletic clubs of decades ago. It features an upbeat atmosphere on the pool deck, with evolving experiences every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Art-adorned cabanas, boozy artisan ice pops, throwback cocktails and retro-inspired music are among the highlights. Activities change to reflect each day’s personality.
Wolfgang Puck supplies the poolside fare, which includes retro gin drinks, contemporary cocktails that include fresh fruit, spiked ice cream bars and boozy ice pops.
Fabulous F&B and Entertainment
The Venetian also has added The Dorsey, a cocktail bar offering innovative craft cocktails in a comfortable and upbeat atmosphere. Featuring a cozy atmosphere, the 4,500-square-foot space includes ample seating to encourage social interactions, including a separate library area. The Dorsey also displays digital art from Marilyn Minter, Jason Salavon, Laurie Simmons and Poyen Wang on eight screens.
Joining sister restaurant Yardbird Southern Table & Bar in The Venetian’s Restaurant Row, the new Chica restaurant features the robust flavors of Latin cuisine and an eclectic wine and mixology program. The diverse menu, which draws inspiration from classic Latin traditions, enables guests to experience the flavors of Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela and many other countries.
Leading entertainment options include Baz—Star Crossed Love, a new-generation cabaret show featuring a high-energy movie mash-up of the world’s most iconic love stories as imagined by film visionary Baz Luhrmann. It runs Monday through Saturday at The Palazzo Theatre.
In the Sands Showroom, Australia’s highly acclaimed Human Nature continues to thrill audiences. The group’s show, Jukebox, mixes doo-wop, pop classics, soul standards and other genres into its nonstop show, which is offered Tuesday through Saturday nights at 7 p.m.
Ray Bloom, chairman and founder of IMEX Group, says the host properties have been vital to IMEX America’s success.
“Really, at the end of the day it comes down to the people—the people in our industry in North America and around the world, the IMEX team that pulls it all together and the terrific partners we work with, like Sands Expo, The Venetian/The Palazzo, MPI, PCMA and so many others that together make the show experience an evergreen and compelling one,” he says.
