I’ve finally had enough time now to reflect back on IMEX 2023 in Las Vegas. It was our second time attending the event with the Global Evento Airstream.
For those not familiar, IMEX America is the largest trade show dedicated to Incentive Travel, Employee and Customer Events, and Event Solutions. In much of the world it’s known as MICE (Meeting, Incentives, Conferences and Events).
So why was a Luxury Corporate Gifting Agency there? Well, at Global Evento we consider ourselves hospitality and travel experts first. We entered the gifting space over a decade ago because we couldn’t find vendors for gifts that understood what we did in travel or who lived up to our expectations. We wanted the same professionalism, creativity and impact that we delivered on the rest of our programs.
As such, IMEX America in Las Vegas is almost a homecoming for the Global Evento team. It’s amazing to see so many of our colleagues, friends and customers in one place.
Now that we’ve returned home and had time to follow up with all of our clients, there are a few key insights from this year’s conference I’d like to share:
- Operational Excellence is Key: This is as important as ever. Clients are consistently talking about operational failures.
- Doing More with Less Resources: I don’t think we had a single conversation with a meeting planner that said their team was fully staffed up. Every one of them is understaffed and/or under-resourced.
- Everyone is Tired: With fewer resources, everyone is tired. Planners and suppliers alike are tired and need support. Partnerships are more important than ever to try and make everything work.
- Heed Human Nature: People are sick of the same old thing yet guests go back for what they know. Event planners, executives, everyone are always looking for the next great destination or product gift, asking “What’s new and trendy?” However, at the end, the guests and recipients want something they know and understand. The Montage, Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton are brands people know and immediately associate with luxury. The same goes for gifts with brands like Tumi, Ray Ban, Chanel, Bang & Olufsen, etc. We might have the trendiest new headphones but 9 out of 10 times people will opt for the brand they know.
Each of these points leads me to the same conclusion; having the right partner is more important than ever. Nothing of what we do is rocket science but it is operationally complicated.
Doing more with less, being tired, trying to hit the mark, making guests feel appreciated, finding ways to make the recognizable feel special. Without the right help, these challenges are insurmountable. You have to have the right partners.
At Global Evento we take a lot of pride in striving to be that partner for gifting. Also, being in the industry for so long, we’ve become a sounding board and help a lot of our clients find the right partners for other aspects of their programs too. Global Evento understands the key role partnerships play in a company’s success and that knowledge is at the core of what we do.
