We’ve picked three hot topics that resonated loud and clear at Corporate Focus, our dedicated day for corporate event planners at IMEX America.
Carina Bauer
CEO, IMEX America
1. Start early and think like a CFO
Setting clear objectives early in the planning cycle is crucial for event success and internal buy-in. These shouldn’t be developed in isolation, but in tandem with the business to set realistic targets that align with wider company goals.
For those event planners who work within a metrics-focused marketing department, identifying the data, experiences, and tactics required upfront will go a long way toward demonstrating success in a language that’s familiar to both marketing communications and events people.
If there’s hesitation or resistance, it’s valid to talk about the risk of not holding the event which might, for example, hand a seasonal advantage to a competitor. Framing success in commercial terms, such as clearly detailing the post-event revenue stream, is another win for any blended events and marketing team. Corporate planners will never go wrong remembering to think like a CFO, both at the start and in the way event success is eventually articulated and measured.
2. The budget balancing act
At Corporate Focus, attendees shared with us the ongoing balancing act between budget issues and management expectations. While inflation has started to cool, prices continue to rise on food and beverage, accommodations, and hospitality labor, creating cost challenges and tension.
This is underscored by the American Express 2025 Global Meetings and Events Forecast which pinpoints cost as one of the top challenges for meeting planners, followed by budget cuts.
What’s clear is that event professionals are rising to this challenge and adapting. 40% said they would change their event destination or lodging in response to inflation and budget pressures, according to the Forecast.
Technology also has a part to play here and can help unlock efficiencies — centralizing data and helping to consolidate the supply chain, for example. The result? Higher productivity and the ability to drive bigger value from negotiations.
3. Creativity to power connections
Corporate planners told us one of the main reasons they attend IMEX America is to gather ideas and inspiration for their own events. Who can blame them? There’s more pressure than ever to do more with less. Freeman’s Q4 trends report suggests elevating the attendee experience is one of the top priorities for their sample of event organizers in the coming year.
We saw the number of activations at IMEX America increase three-fold last year compared to the previous year as brands responded to attendee demand for memorable interactive experiences.
Pickleball tournaments, a virtual ballpark, and a giant paint-by-numbers wall were among the many activations that drew a steady stream of curious participants. All were busy and buzzy, and it’s clear why they worked: They’re designed to heighten the event experience, connect attendees in a collaborative and fun way, and form a lasting memory. It’s no coincidence that most of them were highly visual too, making them easily shareable on social media and always with the promise of extending reach to a far greater audience online.
