IMEX America 2026 Recap: 17,800+ Participants, 96,000 Meetings and a Move to September
IMEX America 2026 closed at Mandalay Bay on October 15 with 17,800+ participants, 6,000+ buyers and about 96,000 scheduled meetings, according to the organizer. IMEX has not published a final exhibitor count, and the 2027 show moves to September 28-30.
October 13-15, 2026 (Smart Monday, October 12) | Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas | Organizer figures: 17,800+ participants, 6,000+ buyers (about 4,800 hosted), about 96,000 scheduled meetings | Floor space about 5% larger than 2025 | No final 2026 exhibitor count published by IMEX (2025: 3,700+ exhibitors) | Next: IMEX America, September 28-30, 2027, Mandalay Bay
IMEX America 2026, the 15th edition of what Meetings Today calls the largest MICE industry show in the world, closed at Mandalay Bay on Thursday, October 15. In its closing press release, the organizer, IMEX Group, reported more than 17,800 participants, including more than 6,000 buyers, 4,800 of them hosted buyers. It also reported 96,000 scheduled meetings, which it equates to 48,000 hours of business, and called this the biggest edition of IMEX America to date.
Two things are missing from the organizer's release: a final exhibitor total, and a like-for-like growth percentage for attendance. At the opening, IMEX said the floor was about 5% larger than in 2025 and that exhibiting companies and registered buyers were both ahead of last year, but it did not print a number. The last exhibitor count on record is 3,700+ from the 2025 edition, so this recap does not give a 2026 exhibitor total or say by how much the show grew.
What exhibitors can use: the meeting volume, the buyer mix, a program built around design, and a date change. IMEX America moves from October to September for the next two years. If you exhibit or plan to, that is the item to put in the calendar first.
What IMEX Promised, and What It Confirmed
IMEX published figures at three points: before the show, on opening day and at close. Keeping them apart matters, because only the last set is a result.
Before the show. The organizer's October 5 release said the first meeting was booked within two minutes of the appointment system going live, and that meetings were then being scheduled at an average of one every two seconds. It also named exhibitors that had increased their presence, including Egypt, Costa Rica, Mexico and Buenos Aires, and said Salt Lake City and Sacramento had doubled their booths. These were pre-show statements.
On opening day. IMEX's October 13 release called the show its largest yet by floor space, after a 5% expansion on 2025. It said hosted buyer registrations had exceeded 2025 levels, led by the US, Canada, Mexico, the UK and Brazil. It also said almost a quarter of returning booths had taken more space, with booth-space growth of 26% from Latin America, 25% from Africa, 15% from Asia Pacific and 12% from the Middle East.
At close. The closing release gave the result figures: 17,800+ participants, 6,000+ buyers, 4,800 hosted, 96,000 scheduled meetings, made up of 82,000 one-to-one meetings and 14,000 group and booth presentations. Meetings Today, a trade title and a secondary source, reported the same official numbers and added two: 420 education sessions, about 100 of them on Smart Monday, and that 70% of buyers were US-based and 85% North American.
How 2026 Compares With 2025
The 2025 edition, held October 7-9, is the baseline. Meetings Today's 2025 closing report gave these organizer figures, all rounded:
| Measure | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Participants | 17,000+ | 17,800+ |
| Buyers | 6,000+ | 6,000+ |
| Hosted buyers | 4,700 | 4,800 |
| Scheduled meetings | 90,000+ | 96,000 |
| Exhibitors | 3,700+ | Not published |
These are rounded floors from two different reports, so the gaps are not exact percentages. The direction is consistent with IMEX's "biggest-ever" claim, but that claim is the organizer's. If you need an exact growth figure for a budget paper, ask IMEX for the 2026 post-show report.
International attendance is the one comparison the organizer answered in words. IMEX CEO Carina Bauer said international attendance, which she said was down about 2% in 2025 against 2024, would probably be "a couple of percentage points higher" this year, according to Meetings Today. That was a spoken estimate, not a published figure. Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority CEO Steve Hill described the wider backdrop as headwinds for domestic and international travel.
The Program: Design Matters
The 2026 talking point was "Design Matters". Before the show, IMEX said it had added five education tracks, including a Design for Spectacle track drawing on Las Vegas and major international events, with a session on how the FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games are designed. It also added a Tech-Enabled Futures track covering trust, technology adoption and humanizing AI. All professional education at IMEX America is free.
On opening day, the AI theme ran through the sessions. In IMEX's opening-day release, American Express Global Business Travel's 2027 Global Meetings and Events Forecast was cited as finding 93% of meeting professionals optimistic but realistic about the future. Freeman presented its Trends Report on the participant journey, with the advice to release event content in phases and make it readable by attendees' own AI tools. These are findings from the presenters' own research, reported by the organizer.
On the show floor, exhibitors built activations around the design theme, according to the organizer's opening release: a fragrance lab from Visit Arlington, a live art installation from Meet Sarasota, a well-being lounge from Hyatt and a silent disco from Show Gear.
Smart Monday and the Next Generation
Smart Monday, the education day powered by MPI, ran on October 12. MPI's chief revenue officer, Rachel Benedick, reported 2,800 participants, 1,000 at the opening keynote and 24 sessions, per Meetings Today. The Rendezvous closing event raised more than $700,000 for the MPI Foundation, according to the same report.
Two items aimed at newer industry entrants. The Brian D. Stevens Hospitality Education Fund launched on Sunday, October 11, to support student scholarships and industry research; Meetings Today reported about $1 million in donations by the end of the show, according to the same Meetings Today report. IMEX and MPI also redeveloped the Future Leaders Lab, now open to students in fields such as economics and finance as well as events, hospitality and tourism.
Business Reported From the Show
IMEX's closing release included two accounts from exhibitors, both self-reported and not independently verified:
- Tourisme Montreal said it received two association RFPs: a medical congress for 1,500 attendees in July 2030 and a credit management congress and expo for up to 1,700 attendees in May 2030.
- Discover Puerto Rico said a connection first made at IMEX America 2024 led to Bad Bunny's 2025 residency, 31 concerts generating 48,255 room nights.
Neither account says a contract was signed at IMEX America 2026. They show how long the sales cycle runs: a meeting in 2024 became room nights in 2025, and RFPs from 2026 target 2030.
What It Means for Exhibitors
Plan for September. IMEX America 2027 runs September 28-30 with Smart Monday on September 27, and IMEX announced 2028 as September 26-28 in its Hello September release. That is about one to two weeks earlier than 2025 (October 7-9) and 2026 (October 13-15). Check the dates against your fiscal calendar, shipping lead times and any other September shows.
Meeting volume is the benchmark. IMEX reports 96,000 scheduled meetings across the three days for 6,000+ buyers. If you exhibit, ask the sales team how many pre-scheduled appointments an average stand received and how hosted buyer matching works. IMEX has not published a per-exhibitor figure.
Ask for the exhibitor count and your booth zone. Because the organizer has not published a 2026 exhibitor total, request it, along with the hall layout and neighboring regions, before you sign for 2027.
Walk-up meetings count. Bauer said a walk-up meeting can be a valuable prospect because of the seniority of attendees. That is the organizer's view, not a measured conversion rate, so track your own walk-up leads in 2027 to test it.
Use the ROI calculator for the budget. Before committing, run your stand, travel and staffing costs through our exhibiting ROI calculator.
By the Numbers
- 17,800+ participants: IMEX closing release, 2026 (2025: 17,000+)
- 6,000+ buyers, about 4,800 hosted: IMEX closing release (2025: 6,000+ and 4,700)
- 96,000 scheduled meetings, about 48,000 hours: 82,000 one-to-one and 14,000 group and booth presentations (2025: 90,000+ meetings, 77,000 one-to-one)
- 5% larger floor than 2025: IMEX opening-day release
- 3,700+ exhibitors: 2025 figure, the latest published count; no 2026 total
- 420 education sessions, about 100 on Smart Monday: Meetings Today, secondary
- 2,800 Smart Monday participants: MPI, via Meetings Today
- 70% of buyers US-based, 85% North American: Meetings Today, secondary
- September 28-30, 2027: next IMEX America
When Is the Next IMEX America?
The next edition is IMEX America 2027, September 28-30, 2027, at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, with Smart Monday on September 27, according to IMEX America's website. IMEX announced 2028 as September 26-28 in its Hello September release. IMEX signed agreements to host the show at Mandalay Bay through 2030, according to Meetings Today's 2025 coverage.
FAQs
When was IMEX America 2026? IMEX America 2026 ran from October 13 to 15, 2026, at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. Smart Monday, the education day powered by MPI, took place on October 12. It was the 15th edition.
How many people attended IMEX America 2026? IMEX reported more than 17,800 participants, including more than 6,000 buyers, of whom 4,800 were hosted buyers. The organizer's figures are rounded and cover the show as a whole.
How many exhibitors were at IMEX America 2026? IMEX has not published a final 2026 exhibitor count. It said the floor was about 5% larger than in 2025 and that exhibiting companies were ahead of last year at the opening. The 2025 edition reported more than 3,700 exhibitors.
How many meetings took place at IMEX America 2026? About 96,000 scheduled meetings, equal to 48,000 hours, made up of 82,000 one-to-one meetings and 14,000 group and booth presentations, according to IMEX.
Was IMEX America 2026 bigger than 2025? IMEX calls it the biggest edition to date and reported a floor about 5% larger. Participants (17,800+ against 17,000+) and meetings (96,000 against 90,000+) were higher in rounded organizer figures, but IMEX has not published a like-for-like growth rate.
When is IMEX America 2027? September 28-30, 2027, at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, with Smart Monday on September 27. IMEX announced 2028 as September 26-28 in its Hello September release.
Is IMEX America free to attend? IMEX's October 5 pre-show release invited people to register for free, and it said all professional education is free. Check the registration page for eligibility rules before you book travel.