Friction free and with flair – attendee-first experiential event design at IMEX America

At IMEX, our aim is to bring the global meetings and events community together to power profitable connections, foster innovation, spark inspiration, and propel purposeful progress.  

Our goal is to do this in a way that’s as joyful and frictionless as possible – and that’s where experiential design comes in. 

At the heart of experiential design is knowing the people you design for – we want to understand how people feel when they move through our show. It’s only by walking in the shoes of our attendees that we notice opportunities to remove friction and difficulty. Whether it’s navigating across the show floor, needing a space to catch up on emails or finding somewhere quiet for a five-minute time out, we want to smooth out these pain points and – where possible – even add a touch of flair so that we’re elevating the experience.  

That’s the essence of purposeful design. 

As our show develops, we’re increasingly prioritizing places for people to have some downtime. Think about it this way - if you were a city planner building a new housing development, you’d also consider the wider infrastructure needed: leisure parks, schools, doctors, car parks etc. We can't expect to command the attention of our attendees 100% of the time and we're mindful of this. We’re also mindful that our purposeful design efforts mean attendees can achieve their goals. 

We see ourselves in a supportive role to our attendees – it's their show, after all. 

The heart of the story 

According to research from British bank Barclays, six in 10 people say they would rather spend money on making memories than buying material possessions. Coming out of the pandemic, we've certainly seen a renewed appreciation among the business events community of in-person experiences and face-to-face meetings and we’ve also been intentional about adding in some joy when designing the show.  

At this year’s IMEX America the focus is very much on making experiences interactive so that the attendee becomes part of the story, an active player if you like – that’s really powerful.  

Working closely with our partners, sponsors and exhibitors, the team is also experimenting on behalf of the industry. Two of our company values are ‘lead the way’ and ‘achieve together’ which means we’re always happy to give it a go and then gain feedback and refine.  

Being brave is important and can lead to exciting things. Think of musicians – the first album is often the most compelling because they don’t yet know the rules and so come out with something original. I think it's important in experiential design to take a leap of faith – that way, you're always changing the narrative, keeping it fresh and unpredictable. 

Experiences to discover at IMEX America 

At IMEX America there’s a wide range of fun and thought-provoking activations this year. They're designed to help attendees get the most from their time at the show and also spark some ideas of what to include in their own events.  

Here are some highlights: 

Photo ops 

• Toronto Mirror Box – step into a glitzy mirror box for a next level photo op and immersive experience 

• Two Dudes Photography – strike a pose! These pro photographers will be capturing all the action across the show floor 

• Welcome to the Fabulous IMEX Sign – the iconic Vegas sign with an IMEX twist, a photo op must-do. 

A spot of sport 

• Pickleball by Seattle – a fun and friendly sport. Expect a pickleball court open for all to playEncore – they’re returning with their renowned Break Free Experience, expect ground-breaking immersive education 

• IMEX Run – start the day with a spot of ‘sweat-working’ in this fun 5km run. Sponsored by The Netherlands Board of Tourism & Convention (NBTC) and Amsterdam Convention Bureau and powered by PRA 

• Major League Baseball Activation – step into a virtual ballpark at this VR Based baseball challenge. 

Rest and recharge 

• The Neu Project Resilience Space powered by Google Xi and Hello! Destination Management - a calming and restorative retreat for all attendees. It’s designed to soothe the senses and provide physical and mental space to decompress   

• Massage Lounge sponsored by Omaha - relax with chair massages provided by Bodyworks and brought to IMEX America by Visit Omaha 

• Quiet Lounge, sponsored by Lux Lounge – a space off the show floor for anyone to use. This includes two Zen Pods for private conversations 

• Zen Work Lounge - a dedicated workspace open to all, featuring soundproof booths from Zen Space.  

Something a little different 

• Paintillio – your chance to join others at a collaborative paint by numbers wall. Pick up a paint brush and get stuck in, without splashes! 

• Ryan the Poet – keep a lookout for our wordsmith who’ll create bespoke poetry written in the moment, just for you. Great content for your Insta feed!  

• Shared Studios – strike up conversations with diverse groups of people from all over the world virtually via an interactive link. These curated conversations will be based on the IMEX Impact Talking Point.  

Want to find out more? Check out our schedule at a glance here. IMEX America 2024 takes place at the Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, and opens with Smart Monday, powered by MPI on Monday October 7, followed by the three-day trade show October 8 - 10. 

Register now