IMEX America 2026 Guide: Dates, Hosted Buyers & Attendees
By Ilyas Kerbal,
IMEX America 2026 runs from 13 to 15 October at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, with Smart Monday, powered by MPI, on 12 October. It is the largest show for the meetings, events and incentive travel industry in the Americas, with 3,700 exhibiting companies and more than 6,000 buyers in 2025.
The event is built around appointments: more than 92,000 meetings were booked in 2025. This guide covers how IMEX works, who attends and how event-tech vendors can reach planners.
IMEX America 2026 at a glance
| Next edition | 13-15 October 2026 (Smart Monday by MPI: 12 October) |
| Venue | Mandalay Bay |
| City | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| Typical month | October |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Attendance | 17,633 participants incl. 6,145 buyers (2025) |
| Exhibitors | 3,700 exhibiting companies from 80+ countries |
| Industry | Meetings, events & incentive travel (MICE) |
| Organizer | IMEX Group |
| Official website | america.imexevents.com |
What is IMEX America?
IMEX America connects meeting and event planners (buyers) with destinations, hotels, venues, DMCs and event-tech companies. Its Hosted Buyer program covers travel and hotel for qualified planners, and the event runs on appointments: about 92,000 meetings were booked in 2025.
Free education runs throughout, including Smart Monday with MPI.
Where does IMEX America take place?
Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas.
Does it change location? No. Las Vegas every October (IMEX Frankfurt is the European sister show).
Event room set with chairs and tables. Photo by MUH Clicks on Unsplash.
Who attends IMEX America?
- Corporate, association and agency event planners
- Incentive-travel buyers
- Hotel and destination sales teams
- Event-tech vendors
Expect a focused community where relationships matter more than booth traffic. A short, filtered list of the right organisations and people is worth more than any number of badge scans.
Need the IMEX America attendee list? I extract it from the official event app and website, enrich each profile and hand it over as a clean CSV or Excel file. Start here
Industries and niches covered
- Destinations and convention bureaus
- Hotels and venues
- Destination management companies
- Event technology
- Incentive travel
- Association and corporate events
What IMEX America means for B2B sellers
IMEX connects event planners with destinations, venues and event-tech providers. Its Hosted Buyer programme pays travel and hotel costs for qualified planners, which keeps the buyer audience strong.
For event-tech companies (registration, apps, lead retrieval, data), the most valuable attendees are corporate, association and agency planners who run large programmes. A list of registered buyers lets you plan appointments with the planners who match your product.
Who should attend IMEX America?
Go if your customers are well represented in IMEX America’s audience and you can plan specific meetings around the programme. The event is strong for relationships and market insight.
Think twice if you need volume. The audience is specialised and spread across many roles, so filter the attendee list carefully before investing in a booth.
Passes and pricing
| Option | Price / details |
|---|---|
| Also good to know | Visitor/buyer registration is free; Hosted Buyers get free travel and accommodation |
| Also good to know | Education is free |
| Typical cost | Free for buyers and visitors. |
Prices change between editions and by registration date, so treat these as a guide and check america.imexevents.com before you buy.
The IMEX America app and platform
Yes. The IMEX Events App handles appointments and schedules, and carries the IMEXscoop news feed.
If you plan to prospect through the event app, expect friction: limited search filters, caps on messages and connection requests, and no way to get the data into your CRM. It helps on the day, but it is not a target list.
Pros and cons of IMEX America
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Appointment-based buyer program | Buyers are event planners, relevant mainly for event-industry vendors |
| Hosted buyers have travel paid | Exhibitor-heavy ratio |
| Free education | Las Vegas costs for exhibitors |
| Very structured meetings |
A pre-show prospecting plan for IMEX America
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Early planning | Pull the attendee, exhibitor and speaker lists and score them against your ideal customer profile. |
| Pre-show outreach | Contact your top tier personally and your second tier with a short sequence. Aim to book meetings, not booth visits. |
| On site | Work from a printed or mobile list of priority accounts and use breaks and evening events for warm introductions. |
| Post-show | Follow up fast, share what you promised, and keep the list for next year’s edition. |
Appointment slots at IMEX fill fast. If you exhibit, open your diary early and send personal invitations to target planners as soon as the appointment system opens.
No export button in the event app? I deal with that part. Ask for the IMEX America list with names, titles, companies and LinkedIn profiles in one file.
Frequently asked questions
When is IMEX America 2026?
13-15 October 2026 (Smart Monday by MPI: 12 October). Dates can shift, so confirm on the official website (america.imexevents.com) before booking travel.
Where is IMEX America held?
Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas.
Does it move? No. Las Vegas every October (IMEX Frankfurt is the European sister show).
How much does a IMEX America ticket cost?
Free for buyers and visitors. See the pricing table above for pass types.
Who attends IMEX America?
Mainly corporate, association and agency event planners; incentive-travel buyers; hotel and destination sales teams; event-tech vendors.
Can I get the IMEX America attendee list?
Event organisers rarely sell attendee lists. Prospector builds one for you from the event app and website: attendees, exhibitors and speakers, enriched with job title, company, company size, industry, LinkedIn profile and work email where available, delivered as a CRM-ready file before the event. Ask about IMEX America here.
Get the IMEX America attendee list
Planning for IMEX America? Send me a message on Prospector. Tell me who you sell to, and I’ll come back with what the attendee and exhibitor data looks like for this event.
Related event guides
- IAAPA Expo 2026 Orlando Guide: Dates, Costs & Attendees
- G2E 2027 Guide: Global Gaming Expo Dates & Who Attends
- Shoptalk Spring 2027 Guide: Dates, Meetup & Who Attends
Photo credits
- Cover image: Photo by mana5280 on Unsplash
- In-article image: Photo by MUH Clicks on Unsplash
Sources
Event details were last checked in October 2026. Dates, venues and prices can change, so confirm them on the official event website.