IMEX America has announced that ‘Legacy’ will be the IMEX Talking Point for its 2018 exhibition, taking place in Las Vegas from 16-18 October.
The theme will come to life through a series of activities including a major research report, a keynote presentation, education sessions and a wall of inspiring legacy stories.
The show will begin with the opening Meeting Professionals International keynote ‘Legacy – the power of events’ on Smart Monday. Following this, Julius Solaris, editor of eventmanagerblog.com (EventMB), will be sharing findings from a major new industry research report developed in association with ProColombia.
ProColombia Vice President, Julián Guerrero, explains: “In the 21st century the meetings industry is not only asking questions about what a destination has to offer an event but also how an event can contribute to a destination. This is the idea of legacy.
EventMB will also be presenting a case study they produced for IMEX, titled “How Events Turned a City Around: The Legacy of Hull.” It tells the story of how UK city Hull strategically used events to both reinvent and regenerate itself after successive years of being voted ‘the worst place to live in Britain’.
On the show floor, IMEX America will be building a simple, rustic wall designed to display a gallery of legacy stories. These stories and case studies will be provided by exhibitors, individuals and IMEX staff as a way to inspire attendees with even more legacy ideas. Stories will be grouped into five categories: political legacy, knowledge economy, CSR, environmental and personal.
Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group commented; “We’ve seen and experienced interest in legacy building throughout the year as more people truly grasp its importance to our industry, society and among individuals.
“Our Talking Point has given the topic of legacy due recognition in the meetings, events and incentive travel sectors and this program of activities at IMEX America will add even more energy and momentum.
