IMEX America 2022, VisitScotland stand, Scottish partners group photo
Article Published 27/10/2022
This month's IMEX America saw 12,000 event professionals coming together from across the globe to connect, network, learn and do business. The VisitScotland Business Events team - with a full accompaniment of 13 Scottish partners - used IMEX America as a platform not only for doing business on a global stage, but also for sharing insights on how business events can have a positive impact.
During the event approximately 170 one-to-one business appointments were hosted on the stand, with every confidence that some great business will come to Scotland as a result of attending.
As well as hosting business meetings together with our partners, we delivered eight on-stand destination presentations to over 70 buyers and welcomed over 200 visitors from across the globe. Showcasing the breadth of high-quality facilities, incredible experiences and exceptional sector expertise available in Scotland, the presentations also served as an opportunity to talk about the positive impact business events can, and should, have.
While securing new business leads is of course a central reason for our attendance at trade shows, for our team it is also crucial to help visitors discover how Scotland has sustainable development as a core priority, and how business events can help create a better tomorrow by supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals and tackle some of the world's biggest challenges, including climate change, eradicating poverty and access to renewable energy sources in remote areas.
We took the opportunity to showcase our Journey to Change campaign and explained how we can add value to the event planning process, making sure events are responsible, sustainable and aiming to make sure everyone benefits from business events through a year-long, rather than seasonal, circular economy in Scotland.
On the second day of IMEX America, VisitScotland Business Events also hosted a special Reception for the Incentive Research Foundation (IRF), following the success of the Board of Trustees Meeting in Edinburgh the prior week. The event was attended by a range of Incentive buyers and board members, with remarks and speeches from our Head of Business Events, Neil Brownlee, and President of the IRF, Stephanie Harris. Stephanie commented on the fact that today, incentives are more important than ever, and buyers point to retaining talent, the need to bring together a dispersed workforce, and channel partners as key drivers of value. They also note that offering travel incentives are a competitive advantage in the hiring process.
Neil Brownlee, Head of Business Events at VisitScotland, took the opportunity to instil the message that there is no reason why incentive events cannot be used as a vehicle for change. Just like corporate and association events, incentive events generate inward investment and create jobs. Neil reiterated Scotland's commitment to Journey to Change and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and how this plays into the relationship with IRF and the incentive audience.
Richard Knight, Senior Corporate & Incentive Manager - the Americas, said: "It was great to be back at IMEX America, with a wide-range of Scottish partners. For me, the show once again proved itself to be the must-attend event of the year in the Americas; providing the perfect platform to have meaningful meetings with new and existing contacts, and I'm positive Scotland's business events community will benefit strongly from these exchanges in the coming months. IMEX America also provided an excellent opportunity to extend the reach and knowledge of our Journey to Change campaign, which has been incredibly well received by the global events sector."
After what was a very successful four days in Las Vegas, next we head to CHS Birmingham which takes place on 1st November at ICC Birmingham. We look forward to another successful event and the opportunity to showcase how delivering an event in Scotland will leave lasting legacies and incredible experiences for delegates.