Any event professional who’s attended IMEX America in Las Vegas will tell you: “There’s nothing quite like the marathon of endurance required to complete this conference until you have experienced it yourself.”
Before the exhilaration of completion, though, comes the preparation, and while there’s no undisputed “right” way to train for an IMEX marathon, there are some universal principles that have been tried and tested enough that they’ve found their way into our culture and can positively impact the finish line.
Know Your Limits
Early mornings and late nights can be grueling if you don’t keep pace with your own body clock. Remember that the obstacles you overcome each day are part of the training for this marathon of meetings, events, networking and business you will discover at this show.
Establish your own agenda based on your personal and business needs. Use the IMEX agenda at a glance found here: imexamerica.com/schedule-at-a-glance
“Early mornings and late nights can be grueling if you don’t keep pace with your own body clock.”
You are going to run into people you know who may have gained some miles, but you don’t have to experience FOMO. The finish line is not far for anyone if you download the IMEX mobile app and use the new integrated application called Snapsight which has been embedded into the app. This peace of mind provides users with real-time insights, key-takeaways and summaries. QR codes in every session room give you summaries effortlessly and on your agenda.
Read More: Building Healthy Habits: Resiliency Training for Events
Coffee Tip: Have or bring coffee with you as lines are long at Starbucks first thing in the morning. Bring a healthy snack like a piece of fruit or energy bar. Mandalay Bay Convention Center offers an array of spots just outside the show floor for lunch.
Don’t forget your water bottle as H2O stations are available and you can only manage if you have hydration to fuel your energy and endurance.
Shuttles are available for hosted buyers and run to and from all hotels on the strip. Find more info here: imexamerica.com/travel-transfers-accommodations-and-visas.
Look into Uber Business for Mobility offerings: Organizations can provide access to comfortable rides with ease but take time to find the shared ride pick up spot as it is not the same as the taxi area.
- Business travel: Request rides to and from airports
- Subsidized employee commutes:
- Courtesy rides: Organize rides for workers, clients and customers
- Events: Offer rides to and from events
Dress comfortably and casually and don’t forget your most supportive shoes. A day in heels is killer especially during this marathon. Bring a backpack with change essentials for later.
Tuck these items into your crossbody lightweight bag before you leave your hotel for the day: pen, band aids, polysporin, wet wipes, mini-Kleenex, Advil, mints, safety pin, mini-sewing kit and a nail file. Instead of carrying business cards, go green and set up ‘QR Me’ which is free in the app store and works like any QR code. It’s your contribution to sustainability. Don’t forget your badge before you head to the convention center.
Get enough sleep and fuel your appetite with healthy choices. The parties and bars will be full of people networking, laughing and sharing alcohol while very little food is offered. Know your limits because the next day comes fast and furious.
Lay Out Your Path
Floor maps throughout the show and IMEX volunteers can help guide you. This year, IMEX is introducing blue dot navigation built into their app so you can plan your routes and follow them when you set up meetings. This addition will make it easier to plan an efficient calendar without sprinting from one side of the convention center to the other.
IMEX kicks off with a day of free education on Smart Monday powered by MPI on October 7. If you are in town and want to indulge in listening to great speakers, you have from 9:30 to 5:30 at the convention center to navigate through who you want to listen to.
Although some arrive with little-to-no plans made, it is recommended that you create your own marathon itinerary in keeping with your mission and goals during this conference.
IMEX offers a program for first time attendees. A mid-September webinar allows debut participants an opportunity to meet other first timers with in-person greetings Tuesday morning at IMEX. Full details are available at this link.: imexamerica.com/visiting-imex-for-the-first-time.
- New to IMEX this year is the community called Club Ichi, which will be hosting the Corporate Focus content on Monday from 10:00 until 12:30. You don’t want to miss that and it’s likely to be jam packed. Find Club Ichi here weareichi.com for more information.
- New to IMEX is the “Experience Crawl” with tours and explorations of fun things to see and do at IMEX.
- If you love to network, then this is your link to discover both free and ticketed events during your time at IMEX. Sign up for the free run, if your body clock allows you to.
- It is recommended to set up your appointments before you arrive. Exhibitors were fully booked last year, so don’t take chances that they will all be available when you arrive.
- Set your alarm to remind you when you have those appointments. Track your active life in one place on Strava. This fitness logging platform is a great way to challenge yourself and your colleagues. It’s available for free at the app store.
Break It Up
Last but not least, give yourself permission to take some downtime each day. It might only be 15 or 20 minutes but there are quiet places where you can enjoy some peace of mind and take that footwear off and rest your feet.
- Look for the return of the Resilience Room sponsored by Google Xi and Hello DMC. It is specifically designed for the neurodivergent mind to find quiet, but open to all to rest their minds and feet.
- New this year, mindful breathwork sessions available each day on the Wellbeing Wheel with Sepideh “Sepi” Eivazi, founder of Dawn of the Earth.
- New this year, stress-buster mini-moves with Suzie Izzo of Corporate Vitality Network.
- Work Zones. IMEX knows sometimes you need to get back to clients.
With your newfound knowledge, a bit of research and a little luck, you’ll be calling yourself an IMEX marathoner before you know it.
Safe travels from all of us at Smart Meetings.
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Janice Cardinale is Canadian and the founder of Event Minds Matter. She is a Smart Woman Entrepreneur, and a Hall of Fame inductee. She is the board chair of the event management and creative design program at Seneca Polytechnic. Janice continues to advocate for the mental distress and wellness of the industry.
This article appears in the IMEX Supplement in the September 2024 issue. You can subscribe to the magazine here.
