Las Vegas. The third edition of IMEX America ended today with IMEX Group Chairman, Ray Bloom, announcing significant increases in all areas of the show. Bloom explained that hosted buyer numbers had increased significantly, rising from 2400 last year to just under 2700. In addition, attendee numbers were expected to be comfortably in line with last year, totaling around 1700. He confirmed that appointment numbers between buyers and exhibitors had also grown by 27% compared to 2012, with 50,000 individual appointments in addition to 9500 buyers taking part in group appointments over the three day trade show at the Las Vegas Sands Expo®. “We have also seen growth in this year’s exhibitor numbers. In 2012 we welcomed 2413 exhibiting companies to IMEX America and this year we had 2694 exhibitors on the show floor,” he declared.
Bloom recapped on some of the highlights from the past few days, which included the first ever IMEX and US Travel Association Policymakers Forum on Wednesday. He said: “At a challenging time for the US government we were delighted that the Mayor of Washington DC, Mayor Vincent Gray, could join us by live satellite link from the US capital. He spoke to around 60 industry and political leaders including Mayor David Coss of Santa Fe and Former Mayor of Las Vegas, Oscar Goodman. The Lieutenant Governor of Nevada, Brian K. Krolicki also attended the Forum lunch.”
Bloom closed by looking ahead to 2014: “This has clearly been another year of significant growth. The new facilities and the new halls we now occupy here at the Sands Expo® have proved a huge asset in supporting the show’s expansion, and allowing us to deliver strong business, networking and educational events here this week. We look forward to returning here for many years to come. There can be no better home for IMEX America,” he declared.
