A Smart Meetings guide to standout venues and experiences worth adding to your show-floor route
You have your IMEX registration in hand, your business cards ready and the IMEX app downloaded to your phone. Whether you are an IMEX newbie or a seasoned veteran, navigating the show floor can still feel intimidating and a little overwhelming.
Have no fear. This Smart Meetings guide to some of our favorite booths is here to alleviate some of that stress and help you make a few magical connections along the way.
Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa
Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa, sits along the beaches of Ko Olina on the coast of Oahu, surrounded by 21 oceanfront acres, mountain views and rolling ocean waves. The resort offers more than 76,000 sq. ft. of outdoor event space, along with a 21,000-square-foot conference center.
Groups can explore Oahu by catamaran, horseback or on foot. Those looking for some quiet time on the green can play 18 holes at Ko Olina Golf Club. Bringing the family along? Children can play free after 3 p.m.
Encourage attendees to end the meeting, or the day, at Laniwai – A Disney Spa, which offers a full-service spa, salon and fitness center.
Boise Centre
Boise Centre sits in the heart of Idaho’s City of Trees, where scenic rolling hills frame a downtown crossed by the Boise River. Fifteen hotels offering a combined 1,800 guest rooms are within walking distance of the convention center, along with 120 restaurants. Boise Airport also offers nonstop service to 28 destinations across the United States.
Boise Centre has 86,000 sq. ft. of meeting space across 31 meeting rooms. Its largest venue, the 24,426-square-foot Grand Ballroom, can be divided into three sections.
F1 Arcade
F1 Arcade brings the high-octane energy of racing to team building without requiring attendees to set foot on a racetrack. With locations in Washington, D.C., Boston, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Denver, Atlanta, Chicago, the United Kingdom and Spain, F1 Arcade combines racing simulators, upscale dining and a cocktail bar to create a social, competition-driven experience for corporate groups.
In Las Vegas, groups of six to 18 can reserve the Fast & Fabulous package, which includes bottle service, chef-curated appetizers, a private event area and F1 Arcade swag.
MGM Resorts International
MGM Resorts International offers planners a diverse collection of properties, from the iconic Bellagio in Las Vegas to MGM National Harbor outside Washington, D.C. Across its U.S. footprint, MGM Resorts offers approximately 4.4 million sq. ft. of meeting space.
MGM also has an extensive selection of arenas and theaters for planners seeking venues for general sessions, awards ceremonies and branded experiences. Options include T-Mobile Arena, Dolby Live, MGM Grand Garden Arena and Michelob Ultra Arena.
The Venetian Resort Las Vegas
The Venetian Resort Las Vegas is an integrated resort campus that includes The Venetian and The Palazzo hotel towers, The Venetian Convention Center and The Venetian Expo, along with restaurants, casinos, retail and entertainment venues.
Together, the connected campus offers 2.25 million sq. ft. of meeting, convention and exhibition space. The Venetian pairs large-scale functionality with resort luxury and offers unconventional event settings such as Lusso Lounge, Stella Studio and The Venetian Theatre.
The Vinoy Resort & Golf Club
Set in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, The Vinoy Resort & Golf Club, Autograph Collection brings historic character to the city through its distinctive Mediterranean Revival architecture.
Planners can incorporate the property’s spa, golf course and proximity to St. Petersburg’s year-round schedule of festivals, concerts and sporting events into the attendee experience.
The Vinoy offers 74,897 sq. ft. of event space across 21 event rooms.
Vienna Tourist Board
Thinking about bringing your team overseas? Vienna offers planners a wide range of historic and modern event venues.
Austria Center Vienna, the country’s largest congress and event venue, offers approximately 279,900 sq. ft. of usable event, exhibition and networking space, along with 134 meeting rooms.
The center is located near the United Nations headquarters and is only seven minutes from Vienna’s historic city center by subway.
HOFBURG Vienna sits in the heart of the city and is within walking distance of approximately 8,000 hotel rooms and 40 restaurants. The former imperial palace offers approximately 182,000 sq. ft. of meeting and event space across 35 rooms.
Visit Dallas
Dallas has everything: great food, engaging activities and a broad range of meeting venues.
The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas offers 24,067 sq. ft. of event space and 11 breakout rooms. Located in Uptown Dallas, the hotel also features a spa and rooftop pool for attendees to enjoy after the event. Dallas Love Field is approximately 5 miles away.
Just north of downtown Dallas, Hilton Anatole offers more than 600,000 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor event space. Its inventory includes nine ballrooms, 79 meeting rooms, atriums, dining venues and outdoor gathering areas.
Attendees can also take advantage of the Verandah Spa and Athletic Club and the Topgolf Swing Suite. The property’s JadeWaters pool complex includes a 7,000-square-foot beach-entry pool, two waterslides and a 630-foot lazy river.
Visit Monroe County
Monroe County stretches across the Florida Keys, linking a series of island communities from Key Largo to Key West. Surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, the destination gives planners a choice of waterfront resorts, historic communities and nature-based experiences.
Venues worth exploring include Casa Marina Key West, Curio Collection by Hilton, which offers indoor and outdoor event options, including the 20,000-square-foot Flagler Beach.
Approximately an hour from Miami, Playa Largo Resort & Spa, Autograph Collection, sits on 14.5 acres of private shoreline in Key Largo. Planners have access to 40,000 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor event space, including a ballroom and private courtyard.
Visit New Jersey
Convention Center
Make sure to stop by the Visit New Jersey booth and ask about the state’s conference centers, including Atlantic City Convention Center. The facility offers 500,000 contiguous sq. ft. of exhibit space and is one of the largest convention centers on the East Coast.
Meadowlands Exposition Center offers 61,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space and five meeting rooms. It is located near Newark Liberty International Airport.
The Wildwoods Convention Center is a 260,000-square-foot facility offering exhibit halls, ballrooms, meeting rooms and prefunction areas. The convention center sits along the famous Wildwoods Boardwalk overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
Chauncey Hotel & Conference Center and Laurie House offer 10,500 sq ft. of IACC-certified meeting space, 10 meeting rooms and a helipad.
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