Overview
IMEX America – North America’s largest global exhibition for meetings, incentive travel and events continued to offer outstanding business opportunities to exhibitors and buyers alike. The three-day annual event increased in size and scope in its fourth edition in 2015, with participation from thousands of buyers and exhibitors from the U.S. and all over the world.
At the Singapore Pavilion, the Singapore Exhibition and Convention Bureau (SECB) and industry partners welcomed more than 200 individuals and groups. Participation at the exhibition yielded quality business opportunities, with several industry partners confirming that they had more than 20 leads from the appointments and networking receptions.
One of the key highlights at the Pavilion was a joint lunch reception hosted by the SECB and the Society of Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE). The menu, curated by New York-based Singaporean Chef Larry Reutens, featured scrumptious local delights such as kueh pie tee, kong bak bao, fish curry and sago gula melaka, but the biggest hit among the guests was beef rendang .
Another interesting feature of the Singapore Pavilion was an exhibition, entitled “Fifty Years of Singapore Design”. The mini showcase traced the nation’s growth through the design landscape over the last five decades (1965 – 2015) and was a fitting tribute to mark Singapore’s 50th year of independence. It was curated by the DesignSingapore Council and was a highlight of Singapore Design Week 2015.
In addition to the exciting activities at the booth, Singapore was also part of the launch of the Global Association Hubs partnership. A media conference was held to announce the joint initiative between four cities: Brussels, Dubai, Singapore and Washington DC. The partnership will assist international associations in their growth and better serve their overseas members with the partner cities acting as regional conduits. The development cements Singapore’s position as one of the leading global hubs for international associations and creates synergistic relationships which could be a key advantage for international associations.
To find out more about the Global Association Hubs Partnership or participation at the upcoming IMEX Frankfurt (April 2016), please email secb@stb.gov.sg.
IMEX America at a glance:
- 10,935 total show visitors over 3 days
- 3,030 hosted buyers from 54 countries (4% growth over 2014)
- 2,053 Trade attendees (7% growth over 2014)
- 3,100 exhibitors from 150 countries with 80 new booths in 2015 (6% growth over 2014)
- 9,700 buyers in group appointments
