Day two of IMEX America followed a similar path of excitement that began on day one. New development plans for the future at CVBs and hotel groups, unexpected partnerships, wellness tourism stats and educating the next generation of talent.
Orlando Plans for the Future
Construction is beginning on the $650 million Grand Concourse Expansion at Orange County Convention Center scheduled to open by late 2029. The expansion will add 44,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and a 100,000-square-foot ballroom accommodating 5,000 to 10,000 attendees.
Cincy Is Booking Elevated Meetings Now
With a renewed $226 million First Financial Center, 750,000-square-foot event space and construction under way on a new 700-room Marriott Convention Center hotel, the Queen City on the border of Ohio and Kentucky is booking centers for 2028 and beyond.
Los Angeles Convention Center Glow Up Under Way
By the time international visitors arrive for the LA28 Summer Olympics, a $2.62 billion modernization will be well on the way to adding 190,000-square-feet of event space and connecting the two buildings with a SoCal sun-filled atrium Skynode space.
Caesars Pinks Out
IMEX attendees returned to find The Cromwell had transformed into The Vanderpump Hotel. To celebrate, Caesars Entertainment pinked the booth and brought in a “Be You” disco to break up the intensity of the event and advance the wellness initiative that they have been supporting over the last three years.
Hospitality’s Next Generation at UNLV
Multimedia Editor Eming Piansay attended a panel discussion at UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hospitality, where hospitality leaders spoke with students from around the country about career opportunities and the challenges that are currently shaping the industry.
The panel featured Tony Taeubel of Boyd Gaming, Jordan Sanford of Prestige Global Meeting Source, Rudy Garza of Brightspot Incentives & Events, Chris Nemlich of MGM Resorts and Jen Totten of Meet Us and The Express Conferences.
The discussion touches on issues of staffing shortages and rising costs. Panelists described the difficulty of attracting talent while also maintaining service expectations.
Panelists also offered tips for best practices for getting in the field, networking and ways to get noticed in your resume: volunteer work and experience counts!
New Pathways with EIC
At IMEX, Events Industry Council (EIC) launched Pathway, a workforce initiative that connects career awareness, skills development, credentials and mentoring.
The program is intended to create next steps in EIC’s Vision 2030 mission to expand and grow workforce development by folding in programmes, resources and partnerships into one process.
“Building the workforce our industry needs cannot be the responsibility of any one organisation,” said EIC Board Chair and President of the Incentive Research Foundation Stephanie Harris. “It requires a collective effort across employers, educators, associations, partners and individual professionals. Pathways gives us a stronger framework for connecting that work and helping people see a future for themselves in this industry.”
An Update from Australia
Smart Meetings chatted with Tourism Australia for a brief update on what’s new and exciting for meetings and events. Highlights included expanded air access, financial support for eligible events and experiences ranging from First Nations cultural activities to winery visits and outdoor adventures. Australia’s busy sporting calendar also offers opportunities to build meeting and incentive programs around major events.
New Renovations Coming for MGM
Smart Meetings got a special sneak peek at images of the upcoming guest room remodel at MGM Resorts’ Aria Resort & Casino. While we can’t share the images just yet, we can tell you what’s coming: desert-inspired interiors with warm tones, ivory hues and textured wall coverings, plus in-room refrigerators and updated technology. Renovations are scheduled to begin at the end of 2026 and continue through 2027, with work phased by floor to limit disruption.
Wellness Tourism’s Boom and What It Means for Meeting Planners
David T. Stevens, co-founder of Olympian Meeting, and Lisa Starr, owner of Wynne Business and task force chair of Global Wellness Institute’s (GWI) Consulting Initiative, joined up to talk about the $900 billion wellness tourism industry.
Starr says when GWI began no one was identifying the opportunities in wellness or how large of an industry it is. Wellness tourism is one part of the nearly $7 trillion wellness industry that includes, from economically largest, personal care and beauty ($1.35 trillion) healthy eating and nutrition ($1.148 trillion), and physical activity (1.144 trillion); wellness tourism is the fourth largest.
“You’ve seen the use of the word wellness just escalate, and the economy also keeps growing. They are expecting the wellness economy to grow to 9.75 trillion by the end of this decade,” Starr said.
In the research, they found that domestic wellness tourists spend 137% more than typical tourists. “The reason is wellness tourists are more affluent and educated, and they spend more,” she said.
Stevens went on to talk about the changing behavior of attendees. “They’re more interested in their health. They want more restoration, less exhaustion,” he said. “They want good, clean food. They want to eat the way they eat normally. Yes, they want to experience the culture of the destination and the food, but at the same time, put sauces on the side.”
Destination DC: Meetings Capitalized
Elliott Ferguson, CEO of Destination DC, started off the organization’s press conference by talking about its infrastructure, name its airport. “Nobody is coming to the United States and saying, ‘I’m going to show up a little bit earlier because I want to shop at an airport in the United States,’ Whereas they do that in Singapore and other cities.”
Next year, Dulles International Airport (IAD) will begin construction on a decade-long makeover beginning with a new concourse and the largest United Airlines lounge. “In 10 more years we will see the brand new airport, plus the initial terminal which you fly into, but bottom line is we’re actually going to be where we feel we should be as a global destination, and the federal government is making that investment.”
Several venues have opened in the district, including Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream and National Geographic Museum of Exploration. Additionally, D.C. is investing in its sports appeal, with venues such as Capital One Arena opening next year; RFK Stadium, the home of its NFL’s Washington Commanders, in 2030; and Audi Field, which opened in 2017.
Posadas Is on a Path of Growth
Enrique Calderon, chief operating officer for Grupo Posadas, and Jose Lorenzo, chief commercial officer for Grupo Posadas, had positive news about the Mexican hotel group. Calderon said Posadas has a busy 2027 ahead, and with 20% more appointments than last year’s IMEX, the interest in hosting at a Posadas property is there.
He said the star of the show is Grand Fiesta Americana Riviera Cancun, a new build that will add 650 rooms and an 80,000-square-foot convention center to its portfolio. Additionally, it will be connected to Live Aqua Riviera Cancun. “It’s going to be the biggest that we have in our portfolio. It’s very well designed, very focused on incentives, meetings, conventions and congresses,” he said.
Calderon said the size of groups coming to Posadas properties has been growing, with a number of events surpassing 2,000 people. “We want to have the infrastructure to accommodate those groups,” he said. “We haven’t had that chance in previous years because there was not enough meeting space. This is an opportunity to jump in that market and bring back those clients.”
According to Calderon, Posadas has 30 projects that have recently opened or are slated to open in the next three years, including the two just mentioned, as well as Devossion by Live Aqua Playa del Carmen, Devossion by Live Aqua Isla Mujeres and Live Aqua Centro Historico in Mexico City. He said they are also working on conversions in the Dominican Republic, Cancun, Riviera Maya and Puerto Vallarta.
VisitScotland and Meet Boston Host Ceremonial Reception
Representatives at VisitScotland Business Events and Meet Boston hosted a bowl gifting ceremony at the VisitScotland booth, in celebration of its ongoing friendship following Scotland’s Tartan Army visit to Boston during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
