From October 8 to 10, Puerto Vallarta was present at IMEX America, the largest meetings industry expo in the world, which brings together the main players in this important segment under one roof.
Held at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, the 13th edition of IMEX America offered specialized education and networking on and off the show floor. Suppliers and buyers from all sectors of the meetings industry gathered at this major event to project business for the coming year.
In addition to the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Trust, on this occasion the destination delegation was made up of the hotels Sheraton Buganvilias Resort & Convention Center, Secrets & Dreams Resorts, the Vallarta Adventures tour company and DMC North American Travel.
Puerto Vallarta was presented to more than 3,500 global decision-makers as one of the most important players in the meetings industry in America, as it has all the infrastructure and connectivity to host successful events. More than 40 business meetings were held at the event, generating prospecting for potential incentive groups for the destination.
Prior to the exhibition days, a free online educational event was held on October 7, promoted by Meetings Professionals International (MPI), the largest association of professionals in the events and meetings sector in the world.
With the environmental impact of the meetings industry at its core, this edition of IMEX America set an example by using renewable energy to reduce its carbon footprint and prevent 93% of the waste produced during the event from ending up in a landfill. The goal is to produce net zero events by 2030 and extend these practices to the entire industry.
Laura Suárez, Director of Groups and Conventions for the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Trust, emphasized: “We are betting heavily on a segment of meetings with sustainable practices to boost tourism growth in Puerto Vallarta. At the Convention Center alone, 48 events have been held to date this year, totaling 53,376 attendees and an average of 27 thousand room nights, resulting in an economic impact of more than $1,000 million pesos.”
Additionally, in 2024 - through the support of the Trust - 39 events have been attracted to Puerto Vallarta hotels, generating another 45,384 visitors with an average stay of 3.3 nights, which translates into 22,468 room nights for the destination. For these hotels, the MICE segment represents between 35% to 40% of their business mix (market share).
With its participation in IMEX America 2024, Puerto Vallarta aims to continue multiplying these results and incorporating sustainable practices throughout the value chain of the destination's meetings industry.
Source: Visit Puerto Vallarta.