That lengthy line that once led to IMEX’s dining section in 2023 found its way to another area of the convention this year, namely, Two Dudes Photo. At several points of the day a long line could be seen stretched across the aisle with meeting professionals eager to have their headshot taken. I guess this means goodbye to those 10-year-old headshots!
In addition to this observation here at Smart Meetings, there were a host of other observations—as well as celebrations—we made on the second day of IMEX America 2024.
Meetings and Events Trade Press Honored at Inaugural Event Hosted by Caesars and MPI
On Oct. 9, Caesars Entertainment and MPI produced the first “Media & Momentum: A Morning of Recognition and Impact” as a celebration of the contribution of the meetings and events industry media and announced the UNLV Hospitality College Scholarship.
Meeting industry journalists and publishers received certificates of appreciation. Honors were given to Laurel Herman, president and CEO of Worth International Media; Solomon J. Herbert, founder, publisher and editor-in-chief of Black Meetings and Tourism; Harvey Grotsky, president, CEO, publisher and editor-in-chief of Coastal Communications; and the late Marin June Bright, CEO of Bright Business Media, publisher of Smart Meetings. Luc Troussieux, president and co-Founder at Smart Meetings, accepted the accolades on her behalf.
“Today, we are here to celebrate you and thank all of you for your contributions and commitment to our industry,” said Kelly Gleeson Smith, vice president of sales of meetings and events for Caesars Entertainment. “Each one of you makes such an impact every day when you share the stories you write about the happenings in our industry, about our people, the trends, and where we have been and where we are heading.
“Early on in my career and still today, I read the trade news to stay current. You provide us all a greater perspective. Besides recognizing each one of you, we have made arrangements for a scholarship donation to the hospitality college at UNLV.”
SITE NITE North America Welcomed 1,700
The Annual Society for Incentive Travel Excellence SITE NITE North America fundraiser at Topgolf Las Vegas on Smart Monday attracted 1,700 meeting professionals. Highlights included the opportunity to play golf across the Las Vegas skyline, competitions, charity challenges and a drone show by Skyworx to conclude the evening.
Annette Gregg, SITE CEO, emphasised the significance of the event, saying: “SITE NITE North America is more than just a networking event—it’s a catalyst for business success. This year, we’ve seen hundreds of professionals come together to exchange ideas and foster connections that will undoubtedly translate into meaningful partnerships. The energy and collaboration last night prove that the incentive travel industry is thriving, and we are proud to facilitate an event that inspires growth and innovation.”
Swingers Las Vegas Will Bring a Whole New Adventure for Groups
Swingers Las Vegas is slated to open this November 2024, in Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. And tonight, those borders covering up the construction site will officially come down—so, get excited!
This venue will be Swinger’s fifth—and first on the West Coast. Oh, and the biggest, with a 1,500-person capacity. There are currently two Swingers venues in London, one in Washington, D.C., and one in New York City.
Swingers Las Vegas will feature four, nine-hole courses across two levels where players are immersed in a countryside English garden with colorful florals, vines and ambient lighting, and each floor has its own full bar serving custom craft cocktails. On the second floor is the carnival, with old school classics like skee-ball and whack-a-mole. Plus, there’s a prize desk! And, if you opt for a buyout for a private event, that prize desk can be transformed for gifting your lucky attendees, and that ambient lighting throughout the golf course can be customized to your branding, too!
Read More: This Las Vegas Bar Wants You to Horse Around
Also within the venue is a food market serving up gourmet street food, like pizzas, burgers and wings, along with sandwiches and salads. For a fun memento, attendees can visit the “winner’s podium,” where 10 high-tech cameras will capture a gif-like photo that they can have sent straight to their email.
Jessica Hernandez, head of sales at Swingers, said, “We are high touch, versus high tech.” Ashley Cavalli, business development manager at Swingers, added, “It’s really about that engaging experience. We’re engaging with guests to help them get the perfect hole-in-one, or how to nail the carnival game.” It’ll stand apart as an activation for meetings and events in Las Vegas, with a down-to-earth vibe that remains actively engaging and provides an opportunity for real connection over some friendly competition—and cheering each other on! “It’s nostalgic, it’s classic, it’s pencils and paper, and engaging with your group of four,” says Cavalli.
New Activities in Victoria, BC, Canada
Victoria Conference Center in British Columbia, a biosphere-certified and carbon-neutral venue, offers sustainable event options with tools and guides for planners.
Read More: Canada Calls: Event Planning Paradise
Miranda Ji, vice president of sales with Destination Greater Victoria, shared that the city celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Crystal Gardens next year and remains a popular cultural and meetings hub for light-filled distinctive gatherings. New activities include the Songhees Wellness Centre, a 55,000 sq. ft. venue offering indigenous culinary experiences. Victoria’s Impact Program partners with local charities for group activities, such as supporting women re-entering the workforce and urban farming initiatives.
Highlighting the Appeal of Ireland
Several CVBs from the island of Ireland, Visit Cork’s Seamus Heaney, Visit Belfast’s Jackie Geddis and Dublin Convention Bureau’s Matthew Smith, gathered to talk about the latest on the island, moderated by Tourism Ireland’s Chris Lynn.
Geddis used a key word when talking about the trajectory in which Ireland has been going: investment. With a recently opened Voco Hotel, and Bedford and Moxie hotels opening up soon, the island is investing heavily in its tourism focus. “It’s bringing more visitors to the city and the surrounding area,” she says. “With our local experiences, like our food and businesses, it is year-on-year, bringing much more people to Belfast that may never have visited the city before or possibly held a conference [here].”
Where’s the Plastic?
“I don’t think you’ll find in any hotel in Ireland plastic bottles anymore. Their thing in the past, they’re just not there,” Heaney said, talking about the county’s sustainability efforts. “You don’t find individual shampoo bottles inside many rooms of hotels, that day is gone. We’re as far as down to the minutia of helping the industry to label their bins correctly and making sure people recycle the proper and meaningful way. If we all do that, sustainability does transpire, and it does make the world a better place to live in, but there’s so many aspects to it.”
More Access to Ireland
“Access is a key selling point for the island,” Lynn said. “It is an island, naturally, it isn’t like the island next door that has maybe a train line to Europe.” With that, several major U.S. cities now have or will soon have a direct route into Dublin, Ireland, via Aer Lingus, such as Las Vegas, Nashville, Detroit and Minneapolis, which also has a direct flight thought Delta Air Lines.
New and Renovated: Meetings in International Cities
Hilton is Making Waves
Hilton held a panel discussion at Virgin Hotels, a Curio Collection by Hilton, highlighting its latest developments, such as its recent acquisition of Graduate Hotels, partnerships with AutoCamp and SLH, and the trends the team is seeing coming from its customers.
Harald Han, director of lifestyle brands for Hilton; Shawn Parker, executive director of strategic accounts and corporate group sales at Hilton; and Cliff Atkinson, president of Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, were in attendance, moderated by Gerilyn Horan, vice president, group sales strategic account for Hilton Worldwide. In addition to Hilton’s acquisitions, they also discussed Hilton’s 2025 Trends Report, in which the team surveyed 13,000 people, including 4,100 Hilton team members.
Hilton Trends Report
Parker began the panel with a statistic that isn’t too surprising to hear: 78% of travelers are looking to book completely online and looking for personalized experiences. But on the meeting planner side, the Hilton team are using that behavior to benefit meeting planners.
“We looked to see how we can incorporate that into our offerings for meetings and events,” he said. “The first thing we came up with was Hilton Meeting Packages. The thought is, just as we want to do it for individual travelers, planners, especially for small and medium events, they want frictionless meeting planning experiences as well.”
Hilton Acquisitions and Partnerships
Hilton is reaching out toward other corners of the hospitality world, with the recent acquisition of Graduate Hotels earlier this year, and Hilton partnerships with AutoCamp and Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) more recently.
AutoCamp is a collection of luxury campsites. “As some might call it, glamping,” Parker said. He and several of his colleagues at Hilton went on to AutoCamp Catskills recently, and Parker mentioned some of his favorites, like the communal firepit, where the team listened to their favorite songs around a campfire and a cookout kit, where attendees can bond via cooking experience. “For planners who are looking for something new and different to introduce to their stakeholders, AutoCamp should be top of the list.”
With SLH, Parker mentions that attendees will be able to earn and spend their Hilton Honors points in fanciful locations like castle in Scotland or treehouses in the forest. For those who’ve done plenty of events the traditional way, he said, “If they’re not starting with AutoCamp and SLH, they’re doing the wrong thing.”
The Belonging Playbook
Naomi Clare Crellin, founder and CEO of Curiosity Lab, and David Allison, founder of The Valuegraphics Project and keynote speaker, introduced brand new resource guide, The Belonging Playbook, a go-to resource for planners looking to create meetings where each and every attendee feels a sense of true belonging; and the ways people feel a sense of true belonging varies, person to person.
Based on extensive research conducted by The Valuegraphics Project and Storycraft Lab, the creators of The Belonging Playbook were able to identify numerous pillars of belonging, and based on statements from professionals across the industry, created a comprehensive and meticulously organized guidebook for each pillar. “We found, as we talked to people about belonging, there are 912 different definitions for belonging, and we’ve tracked every one of them with a code in the Valuegraphics database,” said Allison. “It’s this amazing, qualitative and quantitative mashup.”
Listeners broke up into groups based on the pillar that resonated with them and discussed that section of the book in detail, then shared with the group. “When we experience belonging and…begin to find those correlations, we can start to see those things that are bubbling up, and that gives us a north star as designers to know where to focus our intention in how we design for belonging,” said Crellin.
Beyond the Bar at Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club
After the final attendees filed out of the trade show, a select few headed over to Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club at The LINQ for an evening of networking over a bountiful charcuterie board and Las-Vegas-perfect bites, before sitting down for a panel moderated by David T. Stevens, PMED, co-founder of Olympian Meeting, host of “Return on Wellness” podcast and award-winning keynote speaker. The audience sipped on Loverboy, a sparkling drink offered as both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, while Stevens introduced them to Carl Radke, co-founder of Loverboy; Madelyn Olavarria, affinity group president at Amazon Web Services; Alyssa May Hart, global sales manager at OTHR Agency; and Tracy Stuckrath, host of the “Eating at a Meeting” podcast.
Together, the panel dug into sober inclusion at events, as Stevens retold his experience of walking around the IMEX floor searching for a true mocktail; between booths with juice and aqua fresca, he was hard-pressed to find what he was looking for until he wandered over to the Caesar’s booth, where he found a signature beverage called the “Honest BS Mocktail,” with spirit-free bourbon, ashwagandha and lime juice served in a martini glass.
“Here’s the best part,” Stevens shared. “It was sitting right next to their alcoholic cocktails served in martini glasses. So, tonight isn’t just about trying to make a case for one or the other. It’s about inclusion.”
The panel discussed the level of comfort attendees feel simply by having a drink in hand, whether it has alcohol or not. It’s about fitting into the environment and being able to meld into the group. As consciousness around sobriety and semi-sobriety continues to become an ever more present discussion topic, attendees who choose not to drink deserve to have options for beverages just as gastronomically beautiful as those who do choose to drink alcohol.
“Just because you’re not drinking alcohol doesn’t mean you deserve a lesser experience,” said Radke.
Wellness at IMEX from David T. Stevens
Day two of IMEX started off quite unexpectedly. Despite my usual emphasis on prioritizing sleep for wellness, when a rare opportunity presents itself, such as the demolition of the iconic Tropicana hotel at 2:37 a.m., I couldn’t resist. Day 2, therefore, began at 1:00 a.m.
I had gone to bed early on Tuesday night, setting my alarm for 1:00 a.m. to attend the Club Ichi viewing party for the demolition of the historic Tropicana. The event featured a drone show, fireworks, and a countdown to the grand finale as both towers came down. The mood was surreal, and while many attendees seemed emotional, I suspect the early hour played a significant role. I was back in bed by 3:30 a.m., squeezing in a bit more rest before another busy day.
At 6:00 a.m., my alarm went off again for the sunrise and the IMEX 5K run. Despite the short night of sleep, a great turnout greeted the event, with plenty of people showing up to get in some early morning movement. It’s always amazing to see how committed attendees are to balancing movement with work, reinforcing the importance of physical activity in such high-energy environments.
Read More: The Convergence of the Events and Wellness Industries: Why Event Planners Should Care
At 8:00 a.m., I participated in the Push-Up Challenge at The Neu Project Resilience Space, powered by Google Xi and Hello! Destination Management. Inspired by IMEX Group’s 2024-2025 talking point, “Impact,” this was a collaborative space designed to help attendees recharge and reconnect. The challenge, which took place in Bayside B, just off the show floor, was exhilarating. We had almost a dozen people, including two doctors, and over the course of 20 minutes, we managed to complete a total of 210 push-ups! It was a great example of how wellness can be seamlessly integrated into the event’s program.
The day continued with the Wellbeing Challenge Prize Pick-Up at 9:00 a.m. Having accumulated 10,000 points, I was one of the first 10 participants to stop by the Wellbeing Challenge booth, winning two tickets to the LINQ High Roller. The booth itself was buzzing with excitement as attendees celebrated their accomplishments in health and wellness.
The 10:00 a.m. session on women’s health by Anca Platon Trifan was a highlight, offering insightful biohacking strategies tailored specifically for event professionals on the go. Anca’s strategies provided practical tips on optimizing health, especially in high-pressure environments like IMEX.
Afterward, I stopped by NovoBeing for a 10-minute VR relaxation session. Located near the Event Tech Education Stage in the Tech Zone, this was the perfect midday reset, offering a moment of calm amid the bustling show floor.
To wrap up the day, at 6:30 p.m., I joined industry leaders Carl Radke, Alyssa May Hart, Tracy Stuckrath, and Madelyn Olavarria for a sober-inclusive happy hour at Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club. The beats by Martin Smith set a perfect tone for the evening, and it was a fantastic opportunity to network in a relaxed, sober inclusive environment free of judgment but full of inclusion with a tasty calorically conscious beverage for everyone. Presented by Caesars in partnership with CEMA, this exclusive event was a refreshing way to wind down after a long, eventful day.
Day two at IMEX was a true mix of movement, mindfulness, and meaning, demonstrating how wellness can be woven into even the busiest schedules. From the early-morning hotel implosion to the mindful happy hour, the day was a reminder that wellness is all about finding balance, even amidst the chaos.
Notes from an IMEX First Timer
All cheer for IMEX day two! Or three. Do we consider Smart Monday day one? If you know, let me know.
Learning the meetings and events industry has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. Today, I had a conversation with Mike Lyons, host of Smart Meetings TV, about networking. We are always building, and every time we meet someone new, it’s an opportunity not only to advance in our careers, but to have a connection on the human level.
So, we do our best to remember names and faces, and even though we only run into these folks at a few conferences throughout the year, walking past them on the trade show floor and saying, “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I found you! How are you?” generates a feeling of excitement, inspiration and honestly a lot of love that isn’t really matched anywhere else.
And just as thrilling is meeting those we’ve only so far met digitally (I’m talking to you, Jaclyn Bernstein. This lady and I have been emailing back and forth for months, since we first did a podcast episode together and later when I asked her to submit a journal response for Notes to Self, a self-reflection activity in the back of each magazine. I have never met her in person until today, and it was one of the highlights of my first IMEX experience).
We’re actually not just here to do our jobs. We’re here to connect with people, and feel happy! It really is all about the friends we make along the way. Call me cliché! I have had a beautiful experience.
And, oh my gosh, I am IMEXhausted!
In case you missed it—or want to relive it all over again—check out our IMEX day one recap!
