Slovenia made a successful appearance at IMEX America from 8 to 10 October 2024
Slovenia once again made a successful appearance at one of the most important international business tourism trade fairs, IMEX America, held in Las Vegas from 8 to 10 October 2024. The Slovenian Convention Bureau, with the financial support of the Slovenian Tourist Board, in cooperation with its partners, achieved outstanding results, both in the number of pre-arranged meetings and in the general interest in Slovenia as a destination for business events.
More than 50 pre-arranged meetings were held at the Slovenian stand, exceeding the average of previous years. In total, Slovenian representatives gained more than 150 new business contacts, confirming the continued growth of Slovenia’s visibility in the US market.
Slovenia has been systematically promoting professional events in the US market for almost a decade
Slovenia has been active in the US meetings and events market for almost a decade. Through consistent promotion at key events such as IMEX America, Slovenia is consolidating its position as a unique and attractive destination for the organisation of business meetings, congresses and incentive trips (MICE). The participation at IMEX America, where Slovenia has been participating since 2016, represents an important opportunity to increase its presence on the global market.
At this year’s IMEX America 2024, the greatest interest was shown in incentive travel products and conference services, which confirms the growing visibility and reputation of Slovenia as an attractive destination for the organisation of these types of events. Through a series of promotional activities and quality contacts, Slovenian representatives managed to attract the attention of many international buyers, which is an important step forward in consolidating Slovenia’s position in the global MICE industry.
IMEX America 2024: records and confidence for the future
IMEX America 2024 recorded a record number of participants this year. More than 15,500 participants, including 5,500 buyers, took part in more than 86,000 pre-arranged meetings. This was a clear sign of growth and confidence in the business events sector. This year’s Business Exchange central theme was “Connecting and Trust”, which underlines the importance of face-to-face meetings for building long-term business relationships.
It was trust that was the central theme of many of the panels and events, with speakers such as Gina Henrickson from Hyatt Hotels and Cheryl Lacriarde from Virgin Atlantic highlighting that face-to-face meetings are key to building trust between business partners. The training programme, which attracted more than 1,600 participants, also showed a strong interest in personal and professional development.
With its rich offer of events and networking opportunities, IMEX America continues to be one of the most important platforms for business events on a global level, where Slovenia is successfully realising its vision to become a leading destination for professional events and incentive travel, supported by funding from the Slovenian Tourist Board.
The Slovenian Convention Bureau follows a strategic orientation based on networking, cooperation and innovation in the MICE sector, with the aim of becoming a recognised and respected player in the global business tourism market. They actively participate in international events, network with relevant stakeholders and create long-term partnerships, which is key to the growth of the Slovenian MICE sector. The Bureau regularly monitors industry trends and adapts its promotional activities to the needs and preferences of its target groups, which increases interest in Slovenia as a destination for business events and incentive travel. This strategic focus has successfully positioned the Slovenian Convention Bureau alongside global players in the MICE industry, ensuring that Slovenia remains a competitive and attractive choice for the organisation of a wide range of professional events at a global level.
IMEX America as the penultimate stop of the Slovenian Convention Bureau in this year’s season of promotional business events
This year, Slovenia is also presenting itself at a number of promotional events at home and abroad, namely at two specialised workshops on the European market, at the C&IT Festival of Forums in the UK and on selected global business exchanges such as IMEX Frankfurt, IBTM World and IMEX America. Slovenia will conclude its promotional tour of business exchanges next month at the IBTM World in Barcelona. In addition, the Bureau carries out a number of other activities and carefully planned and targeted promotional activities in the digital and offline environment with the support of the Slovenian Tourist Board.
Learn more about the Slovenian Convention Bureau here.
