The U.S. Travel Association (USTA) has entered into a cooperative partnership to help promote attendance at IMEX America in Las Vegas this October and, as a leading advocacy voice for the industry, will host a seminar during the show on key policy issues affecting incentive travel, meetings and events.
IMEX America is the United State’s new worldwide exhibition for the incentive travel, meetings and events business, an industry segment that is responsible for nearly 15 percent of all travel in the United States and creates $101 billion in spending, one million jobs and nearly $16 billion in tax revenue at the federal, state and local level (Source: U.S. Travel Association).
Roger Dow, U.S. Travel’s president and CEO, said timing of the event and its attendees makes IMEX America a natural complement to U.S. Travel’s International Pow Wow, which will be held in May in San Francisco.
“With U.S. Travel’s interest in promoting meetings, events and incentive travel in our country year-round, IMEX America provides an ideal opportunity for us to raise visibility for this market during the second half of the year,” Dow said.
“While International Pow Wow will continue to be the premier showcase for international leisure operators and meeting planners interested in U.S. business during the first half of the year, IMEX America’s focus on incentive travel, meetings and events worldwide provides professionals in those segments another opportunity to develop contacts, network and gain valuable knowledge about this market.”
Ray Bloom, chairman of the IMEX group, said U.S. Travel’s support will be critical in successfully launching IMEX America, which will be held October 11-13, 2011, at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas.
“Given its unique standing in representing the entire industry, U.S. Travel’s support opens new doors to help us introduce IMEX America on the largest scale possible so we can add optimal value to this important and dynamic business community in the States,” Bloom said.
Modeled after its award-winning annual IMEX in Frankfurt, IMEX America is being launched with support from other leading industry associations that will be offering extensive free education to attendees during the event in addition to the U.S. Travel policy seminar.
