2 min readThe Manchester Convention Bureau team has just returned from another successful trip to IMEX America, helping to promote Manchester as a leading global conference and events destination.
IMEX America is the largest trade show in the US for the global meetings, events and incentive travel industry which comes together annually in Las Vegas. IMEX also runs a sister event which takes place in Frankfurt, Germany every May.
The show brings together suppliers (such as destinations and venues) and buyers (the likes of event planners and associations) together from every sector of the meetings industry. It provides an opportunity for these businesses the opportunity to network and grow on an international level and build powerful working relationships.
This year’s event took place between Tuesday 17 – Thursday 19 October, which saw a record attendance of over 15,000 participants and 300+ booths. Exhibitors ranged from venues and hotels to CVBs and suppliers to the industry.
The Manchester Convention Bureau exhibited on the MeetEngland booth, showcasing everything Britain has to offer. The team gave presentations on the stand, discussing the strength of Greater Manchester’s conference offer, highlighting the region’s key sectors and showing why Manchester is a great destination to visit and host events.
The team also had 25 one-to-one meetings with buyers to discuss future business opportunities and how Manchester is an excellent place to visit, invest, meet and study.
The Manchester Convention Bureau partnered with some of the city’s leading hotels – The Midland Hotel, Treehouse Hotels and the Leonardo Hotels Group, to develop a strong presence at the event, promoting the destination as a leading global destination for conferences and events.
In addition to the stand appointments, the Manchester Convention Bureau attended two invitation-only breakfast events. The first breakfast was for meeting and incentive planners based in North America and the second was for US association clients. The team explained the importance of international association meetings, their potential to drive change and to leave lasting legacies. It introduced some of Manchester’s key industry sectors and the way it harnesses the power of Manchester’s Mbassador Programme to attract international meetings to the city.
Returning to IMEX 2023 gave the team the opportunity to discuss existing and new conferences as well as make valuable new contacts that could bring new events to the region over the next decade.
The Manchester Convention Bureau team will be on hand to offer support and guidance to these event planners from the bidding process through to organising accommodation and creating bespoke delegate welcomes.
To find out more about how the Manchester Convention Bureau can help support your conference or event, please contact Anthony.Cassidy@marketingmanchester.com
