Day two of IMEX America 2025 saw incredible news from some of our favorite hospitality brands and tourism destinations, from Cincinnati to Puerto Rico (who knew Bad Bunny would have such an effect on Puerto Rico’s economy?).
Check out what we came across on the second day of IMEX America 2025.
Meeting Venues Consolidated under CHG Brand
Convene Hospitality Group (CHG) is now the official parent company of Convene and etc.venues meeting and event venues in the U.S. and U.K. in anticipation of building a portfolio of hospitality brands.
Focused on creating the places and experiences that bring people together, CHG designs, develops and operates hospitality-driven destinations to host gatherings of all kinds—corporate meetings, immersive brand activations, multiday conferences, private dinners and social events.
Increased Capacity Across the Caribbean
Reps from Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and The Westin Grand Cayman, each defined inbound traveler numbers as exceeding expectations, leading to banner years. While the post-Covid recovery period has come and gone for many destinations, Caribbean nations are enjoying a surge in travel. This is due to increased airlift from American, Canadian and Mexican destinations and, for some islands, hotels coming back online after rebuilds and renovations necessary after property damage caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017.
The USVI has two new direct routes to St. Thomas on Southwest from Baltimore and Orlando. American and Delta have also added new direct flights. In August, St. Thomas also welcomed the grand opening of a 140-room Hampton by Hyatt property situated at the cruise port, which is seeing incentive and meeting travelers stepping off a ship for to experience property.
As of September 2025, combined leisure and MICE travel has seen occupancy rise 3.7%, ADR rise 7.7% and RevPAR 11.7% year-over -year.
The Bad Bunny Halo Effect for Puerto Rico
The global superstar’s residency during San Juan’s shoulder season July-September brought in an additional 450,000 travelers to see the Puerto Rican artist perform.
“We had people visit us from 35 different countries, particularly Spain, Mexico and Colombia,” said Jorge L. Pérez, Discover Puerto Rico‘s new CEO, during a press conference. “This all also opened awareness to international markets. We employed over 10,000 additional employees in Puerto Rico to be ready for the 31 nights. And there was a live broadcast on Amazon prize where 12 million people were exposed to our culture and had a feel of what Boricua was about.”
His final performance live streamed on Amazon Prime for a global viewership of 150 million people. Now that he’s been announced as the Super Bowl 2026 halftime act, Discover Puerto Rico is working overtime to build on the momentum under the leadership of Pérez. He spent the previous 15 years as the regional general manager for Legends/ASM Global, responsible for managing Puerto Rico Convention Center, the Coliseo de Puerto Rico, Coca-Cola Music Hall and Antiguo Casino.
In other news, Four Seasons Resort and Residences Puerto Rico with 29,250 sq. ft. of meeting space in the exclusive Bahia Beach region is now accepting reservations for its grand opening on Nov. 20, 2025.
Universal Destinations’ New Dine and Ride
Meeting planners should rejoice at Universal Orlando’s announcement that it is now offering dine and ride offerings at Universal Epic Universe for meetings and events, followed by access to a choice of individual attractions, such as Dark Universe, which is one of the five worlds at Epic Universe, featuring the classic horror movie monsters.
Attendees will also be able to choose from packages that include events at soundstages for behind-the-scene views and transportation to and from the theme parks, with multiple dining options—including restaurants and private spaces.
JMIC Reveals First Round of Reporting
The Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC) published its first round of reporting at IMEX 2025. The Net Zero Carbon Events initiative recognized that geographical representation is currently limited, with Europe leading the way with 66% coverage while regions like South America, Central America and Africa have minimal participation. To improve engagement, the initiative plans to:
- Focus on expanding signatories in underrepresented regions
- Develop more globally accessible resources like the AI-powered Sustainability Hub
- Provide free, complementary methodologies and tools that can help smaller organizations in different regions develop sustainability strategies
- Continue rolling out the initiative globally and set targets for different parts of the supply chain
- Use the Net Zero Carbon Roadmap as a guide for organizations worldwide to understand how to start their sustainability journey
The goal is to make sustainability resources more accessible and tailored to different regional needs, encouraging broader global participation in the Net Zero Carbon Events initiative.
The Is Hope for the Future of the Industry
Now in its fifth year, the Future Leaders Forum is an invitation-only two-day symposium for 120 college students nearing their graduation dates in meetings, hospitality, communications, public relations journalism.
The international group of students learned about how trip-planning, the roles of DMOs and DMCs, and, critically, the future role of Gen Z as it enters the hospitality workforce.
The symposium provided students with practical knowledge about the hospitality and events industry, networking skills and professional development strategies—plus they met with more than a dozen industry professionals who will serve as mentors.
Update on Anaheim’s OC Vibe
Anaheim age of development, driven by transformative OC Vibe, a 95-acre mixed-use complex adjacent to Honda Center that is unfolding in phases, beginning with newly opened parking structures for local hockey fans and expanding next year to include a food hall and two concert venues before the 2028 Olympics. Later stages will introduce hotels, residences and green space, creating what is being described as the “downtown of Orange County.”
Anaheim is expanding its lifestyle brand through various cultural and culinary programming, such as the inaugural Comedy and Culinary Festival, produced in partnership with Jimmy Kimmel’s team. Anaheim is also in the processing of going through a destination rebrand starting from logo and color palette to the storytelling strategy, which highlights local treasures like Strong Water (a James Beard Award–winning tiki bar), The Ranch’s line-dancing saloon, and Stone Groove Stillhouse, the world’s first “audio distillery,” which infuses spirits with musical sound waves for distinct flavor profiles.
With all these on-going projects Anaheim is redefining itself as a destination that celebrates creativity, community and year-round appeal for meetings, events and leisure travelers.
Los Cabos Update
At IMEX, the Visit Los Cabos team shared how it is continuing to distinguish itself as a meeting destination. The region’s focus is on quality over quantity, with personalized service and boutique properties designed to host mid-sized incentives and corporate groups seeking luxury and privacy. Los Cabos has direct flights from 32 U.S. cities and six new gateways added in 2025, including Kansas City, Nashville, Ontario, Oakland and Austin.
Park Hyatt Los Cabos opens with 168 rooms, a ballroom with six breakout rooms and two ocean-view terraces, while Soho House, Aman and Grand Hyatt will soon follow, each enhancing the area’s high-end meeting offerings.
New experiences highlight the destination’s adventurous side, including the world’s longest bike zipline, which runs nearly a mile, camel excursions and sustainable rural programs that connect groups with local villages in the Sierra La Laguna mountains.
Los Cabos’ new campaign, “Where Land’s End, Your Event Comes Alive,” speaks to its a place where creativity and connection flourish among iconic landscapes.
PCMA Update
At IMEX, PCMA leaders shared new developments designed to elevate event strategy, education, and access to data-driven insights for planners. The new Destinator platform, uses vetted destination and venue data to match organizers with ideal meeting locations based on criteria such as budget, travel time and event goals. Six destinations have already joined the platform, which seamlessly integrates with PCMA’s Spark community of 13,000 subscribers, giving members direct access to sourcing insights.
PCMA President and CEO Sherrif Karamat also announced two major education launches: the Executive Leadership Fellowship, a six- to nine-month “mini-MBA” for senior planners and directors aspiring to C-suite roles, and the Business Events Strategy Certification a new credential that recognizes strategic excellence beyond the CMP and CMM designations. Both programs debut in early 2026. Applications will open at Convening Leaders in January.
PCMA is also releasing the seventh edition of its Professional Meeting Management textbook, updated to reflect new technologies, AI and evolving industry practices. These initiatives support PCMA’s commitment to advancing education, research and global collaboration across the event’s community.
DMOs Repositioning in the Face of Uncertainty
In July, Destinations International (DI) rolled out its Destination Next Futures Study, research found from 357 participants across 36 countries highlighting eight key areas that will define destination organization leadership in the years to come.
The eight strategic themes from the Destination Next Futures Study are as follows:
• Funding is under threat: 42% of DMOs report funding risks, requiring proof of ROI and stronger public support
• Rising complexity: Destinations face volatility, geopolitical instability, and shifting values, demanding agility and proactive risk management
• Beyond marketing: DMOs evolving into community builders, requiring clear mandates, strong governance, and resident engagement
• Placemaking as a core strategy: Shaping inclusive, authentic places by preserving cultures, supporting local businesses, and fostering cross-sector partnerships
• AI with authenticity: Generative AI is transforming content, but community-rooted storytelling and trust remain key differentiators
• Events as catalysts: Intentional event strategies drive true impact, strengthening local economies and showcasing community values
• From sustainability to regeneration: Moving beyond minimizing impact to actively regenerating destinations and building resilience
• Future-ready workforce: Cultivating diverse, adaptable talent and agile organizational models to meet tomorrow’s challenges
Destinations International has introduced several ways to make an impact in the community and with its meeting planning partners. It’s called the social impact framework, and it entails the following:
1. Economic growth and opportunity
2. Community impact and well-being
3. Responsible tourism and stewardship
4. Access and participation
Using this framework, DI has been able to develop and plan for food recovery and distribution, needed in an industry that generates significant food waste, about 40% of food at events is wasted.
Gretchen Hall, chief operating officer for DI, mentioned moving the perception of DMOs from provider to partner, establishing a tighter relationship between organization and meeting professional. “We have to be beyond transactional needs and logistics to transparently talking about destination attributes like public safety, welcoming cultures and social impact,” she said. “Destination reputation is a decisive factor in event planning and attendance, growing the influence and impact of community stakeholders together, and that new resilience on intellectual capital and authentic experiences for participant satisfaction and event success, these are the keys to moving from that provider to partner mentality.”
Cincinnati Reimagines Itself
Cincinnati is investing more than $800 million into the city on four projects that are bound to revitalize the city and make it even more attractive to meeting professionals who bring their groups. “It’s not a renovation, said Julie Calvert, president and CEO of Visit Cincy. “We’ve never talked about it as a renovation. We think renovation, we think of a new carpet, paint and new lighting. This was a complete take the convention center all the way down to the ground and rebuild it all the way back up.”
Cincinnati Convention Center, formerly named Duke Energy Center, is scheduled to open Jan. 12, 2026. Additional projects included in that price tag include Elm Street Place across the street from the convention center; an updated Convention District, which will include the new $30 million Paycor Headquarters project that bring more local food options; and Marriott Headquarters Hotel.
Sofitel Combats First-Night Effect
The French luxury hotel brand Sofitel is rolling-out new in-room sleep rituals, including lighting, scent, sound and temperature adjustments as part of its global ‘Art of Sleep’ protocol. Participants saw a 13.7% improvement in sleep quality and an average of 65 minutes of additional sleep.
The measures build on the company’s 2003 MyBed program and a holistic sleep study conducted last year to help guests avoid the ‘first-night effect.’
An Update from Day 2
