IMEX America 2026 Las Vegas — Complete Guide for Exhibitors, Buyers & Trade Show Booth Builders at Mandalay Bay
Every year, a single event determines which suppliers the global meetings, events, and incentive travel industry will be talking about for the next twelve months. Not the company with the biggest marketing budget. Not the one with the most Instagram posts. The one that showed up at IMEX America with the right presence, the right conversations, and a booth that made decision-makers stop, step in, and stay.
IMEX America 2026 takes place October 13–15 at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, with Smart Monday kicking off on October 12. Over three days, more than 6,000 global decision-makers — the meeting planners, incentive travel buyers, association executives, and corporate event professionals who collectively control billions of dollars in event spend — will walk the floor and sit across the table from 3,700-plus global suppliers.
This is the complete guide. Every date, every hour, every deadline, every rule — and the definitive case for why Interior Today LLC is the right exhibit stand builder to take your brand to IMEX America 2026.
IMEX AMERICA 2026 — THE ESSENTIAL FACTS AT A GLANCE
Event: IMEX America 2026
Industry: Meetings, Events, and Incentive Travel (MICE Industry)
Venue: Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
Address: 3950 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, Nevada 89119
Smart Monday (powered by MPI): Monday, October 12, 2026
Trade Show Dates: Tuesday, October 13 – Thursday, October 15, 2026
WHAT IS IMEX AMERICA AND WHY DOES IT MATTER TO YOUR BUSINESS?
IMEX America is the largest trade show for the global business events industry on the North American continent — and it happens in Las Vegas, the world’s most significant meetings destination. That combination of the industry’s most important commercial event and the world’s most recognizable conventions city is not coincidental. It is the formula that produces an event unlike anything else in the MICE industry calendar.
Here is the number that defines the opportunity: more than 65 percent of buyers attending IMEX America have annual buying power exceeding one million dollars. These are not attendees browsing for ideas. They are professionals who arrive in Las Vegas with budgets, program briefs, and active RFPs in hand — and they spend three days making the supplier evaluations that will determine where their business goes for the next year.
The IMEX meetings system — which pre-schedules appointments between buyers and exhibiting suppliers — means that a significant portion of every buyer’s time on the floor is allocated to face-to-face conversations with exhibitors they have already selected as potential partners. For exhibiting companies, this is not a passive visibility play. It is direct access to pre-qualified, high-intent buyers who chose to sit down with you.
The exhibit stand you bring to IMEX America is the environment in which those conversations happen. It is the physical statement your brand makes before a single word is spoken — and in an industry where design has just been declared the central business theme for 2026 and 2027, what your booth looks like has never mattered more.
IMEX AMERICA 2026 TALKING POINT: DESIGN MATTERS
Every year, IMEX America anchors its entire platform around a central Talking Point that shapes education, keynotes, special activations, and industry conversation across both the show and the following year. For 2026 and 2027, that theme is Design Matters.
The message is direct and intentional: good design is not decoration. It is strategy. Design is the factor that separates organizations, brands, and events that are remembered from those that are forgotten. It is what makes an experience feel considered rather than assembled. It is what turns a convention bureau booth into a destination that buyers want to visit — literally and figuratively.
IMEX is calling the global events industry to treat design as a business superpower. And that call lands with particular weight at IMEX America 2026, where every exhibiting company — convention bureaus, hotel groups, event technology platforms, cruise lines, airlines, and event services companies — is simultaneously competing for the attention of the same qualified buyers.
In that environment, the quality of design in your exhibit stand is a direct competitive signal. Buyers who spend their days evaluating suppliers are also, consciously or not, evaluating the care those suppliers take with their own presentation. An exhibit designed with intention communicates that your products and services are delivered with the same level of attention.
Interior Today LLC designs exhibit stands that are built to speak that language. Not generic. Not templated. Custom-designed for the meetings industry audience, for the Mandalay Bay Convention Center environment, and for the specific commercial objectives of each exhibiting brand.
SMART MONDAY POWERED BY MPI — MONDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2026
IMEX America officially begins on Monday, October 12 with Smart Monday, powered by Meeting Professionals International (MPI). It is a full day of free professional education that draws thousands of industry professionals into Las Vegas the day before the trade show floor opens — and it is one of the most substantive pre-show education days in any industry’s annual calendar.
The Smart Monday program covers:
Event design innovation and methodology — directly tied to the Design Matters Talking Point
Leadership and organizational culture for events businesses
Technology and AI in event management and attendee experience
Marketing and engagement strategies for event professionals
Legislation and regulation affecting the events industry globally
Sustainability in event production and supply chain management
Wellbeing and resilience for meeting professionals
All sessions are free to attend. No pre-registration is required for the majority of Smart Monday sessions. Wordly.ai real-time translation is available in the main education areas, covering 25 languages via a QR code scan at each session — making Smart Monday fully accessible to the international audience that IMEX draws from 70-plus countries.
Smart Monday Travel Logistics:
Hosted buyer transfers from Harry Reid Airport to IMEX hotels run from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Monday, October 12.
There are no dedicated shuttle buses from the airport directly to Smart Monday programming. Attendees use the airport shuttle to Mandalay Bay beach level and walk to the convention center.
There are no shuttle buses from Smart Monday back to hotels at the end of the day. Attendees make their own return arrangements.
A free coat and bag check is available at Smart Monday for attendees arriving with luggage.
THE IMEX AMERICA 2026 EXHIBIT FLOOR — WHO IS THERE AND WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR
The exhibit floor at IMEX America is the commercial heart of the global business events industry, organized into the world’s most concentrated and curated buyer-supplier marketplace in the MICE sector. The 3,700-plus exhibitors represent every sector of the supply chain that powers meetings, events, incentive travel, and corporate experiences worldwide.
Convention and Visitors Bureaus — National, Regional, and City
CVBs are among the largest and most competitive exhibitor categories at IMEX America. They are competing directly — in the same hall, often within visual range of each other — for the meeting planner’s next site selection. A destination’s exhibit stand is the physical proxy for the destination itself. Scale, aesthetic quality, brand storytelling, and the hospitality offered at the booth are all being evaluated as reflections of what the destination would be like to work with on a live program.
Major Hotel Groups and Conference Venues
Hotel brands and venue operators use IMEX America to showcase their meetings capabilities, new property openings, renovations, technology upgrades, and the range of group experiences they can offer. The buyers they are targeting make property decisions worth hundreds of thousands of dollars — and they evaluate multiple competing hotel brands on the same floor. Brand differentiation at the booth level is not optional. It is the whole game.
Cruise Lines
Cruise companies exhibit to reach incentive travel buyers who design and purchase group sailings as incentive rewards for corporate clients. The challenge for cruise exhibitors is translating an onboard experience — which is inherently sensory and physical — into a booth environment. The exhibit stands that succeed here are the ones that make the experiential promise of the cruise brand feel tangible and real within the booth space itself.
Airlines and Transportation Companies
Airlines engage with corporate travel buyers, incentive program designers, and association meeting professionals who control significant group air spend. The exhibit presence for an airline at IMEX must communicate both the quality of the product and the efficiency of the group booking relationship.
Event Technology Platforms and Software Providers
Registration technology, event management platforms, venue-finding tools, virtual and hybrid event solutions, AI-powered engagement platforms, and sustainability measurement tools all exhibit at IMEX America. The technology buyer segment at the show is growing year over year, and technology exhibitors compete in an environment where the sophistication of their booth often serves as a demonstration of the sophistication of their product.
DMCs, PCOs, and Event Management Specialists
Destination management companies, professional conference organizers, and full-service event agencies exhibit to stay visible in the consideration set of corporate buyers who outsource their event production. For DMCs especially, the relationship-building that happens at IMEX America — in scheduled meetings, at WestFest, at on-booth happy hours — directly translates to RFPs in the months after the show.
Gifting, Merchandise, and Incentive Specialists
Companies providing incentive merchandise, branded gifts, award programs, recognition platforms, and experiential reward solutions connect with HR, marketing, and corporate events buyers who run annual and quarterly incentive programs for large employee populations.
THE HOSTED BUYER PROGRAM — THE ENGINE THAT MAKES IMEX AMERICA WORK
The hosted buyer program is the structural mechanism that separates IMEX America from a standard trade show and turns it into the most efficient buyer-supplier marketplace in the events industry. Understanding it is essential for every exhibiting company — because the hosted buyers are not just attendees. They are the audience your exhibit stand is designed to attract and your scheduled meetings are designed to convert.
Who Is a Hosted Buyer?
Hosted buyers are meeting professionals who regularly plan or book large-scale events outside their home country, have the demonstrated ability to research, organize, influence, or make budgetary decisions for international events, and can confirm at least three planned events taking place in the next three years. IMEX verifies all applications against the venues named — incorrect information delays or invalidates applications.
What Does a Hosted Buyer Receive?
Reimbursed travel costs up to a banding limit based on departure location. Fully covered hotel accommodations at an IMEX designated hotel. Free attendance with no registration fees and no cancellation penalties.
What Does IMEX Ask In Return?
Hosted buyers attend for complete days according to their program dates. IMEX recommends a minimum of six to eight scheduled meetings per day. Buyers come with real programs to place — they are expected to arrive with business to transact, not to attend casually.
When Can Buyers Book Meetings with Exhibitors?
Meeting booking opens approximately September 14, 2026 (date to be confirmed). Buyers access the IMEX meetings system through their IMEX account, browse the Exhibitor Directory, and schedule appointments directly. Once a buyer books a meeting with your company, you can view their meeting profile — including what they want to discuss and any active RFPs they have uploaded — allowing your team to prepare relevant, tailored presentations for every appointment.
The Exhibitor Directory
Your company’s profile in the IMEX Exhibitor Directory is the primary discovery mechanism through which hosted buyers find and choose to meet with you. A complete, well-written, and accurately categorized directory profile dramatically increases the number of meeting requests you receive. The Exhibitor Directory goes live in August 2026.
Hosted Buyer Lounge
Exclusively for hosted buyers, the Hosted Buyer Lounge provides a private space to recharge, take calls, meet colleagues, and interact with the IMEX hosted buyer team. Open Tuesday and Wednesday from 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM and Thursday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Complimentary coffee, refreshments, and snacks are provided. A marketplace serving sandwiches, salads, and desserts is also available.
Intermediaries — How Exhibitors Can Bring Their Own Buyers
All exhibitors with their own booths at IMEX can become intermediaries — inviting their clients to apply to the hosted buyer program, verifying their applications before IMEX reviews them, and looking after them throughout the show. This is one of the most underused advantages available to IMEX exhibitors. By shepherding your best prospects through the hosted buyer application and looking after them in Las Vegas, you deepen the relationship before the meeting even happens. Contact hello@imexevents.com to apply as an intermediary.
EDUCATION AT IMEX AMERICA 2026 — 300+ FREE SESSIONS OVER FOUR DAYS
IMEX America’s education program is the most comprehensive free professional development offering in the global events industry. More than 300 seminars, workshops, and keynotes run across Smart Monday and the three main show days, covering every dimension of the events profession.
Core education tracks in 2026:
Design thinking and event design innovation (central to the Design Matters Talking Point)
Leadership, culture, and organizational strategy for events businesses
Impact measurement and business outcomes for events and incentive programs
Technology and AI in event management, attendee experience, and event marketing
Sustainability in event production and procurement
Legislation and regulatory affairs affecting the global events industry
Marketing strategies, attendee engagement, and event communications
Wellbeing, resilience, and mental health for event professionals
Professional Accreditation
Many IMEX America sessions carry CMP (Certified Meeting Professional), CEU, CSEP, and ICCASkills accreditation. The full education program with accreditation details is published in September 2026.
Translation
Wordly.ai provides real-time speech translation into 25 languages in all main IMEX education areas. Attendees scan a QR code at their session to select a language and listen via device headset or read the live transcript on screen.
Quiet Spaces on the Show Floor
For those who need breaks from the intensity of three days on one of the most active show floors in the meetings industry, IMEX America provides a range of quiet environments: the Resilience Room Powered by Hello! DMC, Circadian Cove, Zen Space, Nook Pods, and -45dB Pods.
SOCIAL EVENTS AND NETWORKING AT IMEX AMERICA 2026
IMEXrun
A morning community run through Las Vegas that brings event professionals together before the show floor opens. One of IMEX America’s most beloved traditions — equal parts networking and stress relief.
On-Booth Happy Hours
Exhibitors create hospitality moments within their own booth space — inviting buyers and contacts in for drinks and conversation that deepens relationships formed in structured meetings. For many exhibitors, the on-booth happy hour is where the most productive, relaxed conversations of the entire show happen.
Drai’s Evening Event
IMEX America’s signature glamour evening — a nightclub-level social experience that draws the entire IMEX community together after hours at one of Las Vegas’s iconic entertainment venues.
City Events and Destination Experiences
Exhibiting destinations, hotel brands, and venues host private dinners, site inspections, and experiential events around Las Vegas throughout the show week — extending business conversations into immersive, memorable environments that a convention floor alone cannot replicate.
COMPLETE MOVE-IN AND MOVE-OUT SCHEDULE — IMEX AMERICA 2026
Freight Policy: All freight must be delivered to the GES advance warehouse before show week. Direct shipments to the venue are only accepted on Monday, October 12 from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. IMEX operates a targeted move-in system — review the Target Map on GES Expresso to find your specific booth’s assigned move-in window.
Move-In Schedule:
Saturday, October 10: 8:00 AM – 11:59 PM
Sunday, October 11: 12:00 AM – 11:59 PM
Monday, October 12: 12:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Hard Completion Deadline: All booth construction must be fully complete by Monday, October 12 at 8:00 PM.
Late Penalty: $500 per hour for every hour a booth remains incomplete after 8:00 PM Monday. No exceptions.
Clean Floor Policy
In effect from Sunday, October 11 at 8:00 PM. Once the clean floor policy is active, the exhibition floor transitions from active construction to the final install and dressing phase. Read the full policy on GES Expresso before planning your installation sequence.
No-Freight Aisles During Move-In
During move-in, specific aisles are marked with red tape and designated as no-freight zones. These aisles must be kept completely clear at all times to allow the movement of freight through the hall. Locations are shared in advance and shown on available floor plans.
Move-Out Schedule:
Thursday, October 15: 5:30 PM – 11:59 PM
Friday, October 16: 12:00 AM – 12:00 PM (noon)
All freight carriers must check in by: Friday, October 16 at 12:00 PM noon.
All exhibits and materials must be removed by: Friday, October 16 at 12:00 PM noon.
EAC Wristbands
All EAC and booth construction labor must wear daily wristbands to access the exhibit hall during move-in, show days, and move-out. No pre-registration is needed.
Wristband collection points:
Move-in and move-out: Security desk, Bayside Foyer, near the FedEx office.
Show days: Security desk, Bayside Foyer (near FedEx) or IMEX Show Management Office, Bayside D.
Exception: GES labor collects wristbands at loading dock door 1-D.
EACs needing show-day hall access via name badge — rather than daily wristband — can ask their exhibitor to register them as booth support staff in the IMEX system.
OFFICIAL CONTRACTORS AND EXCLUSIVE SERVICES AT IMEX AMERICA 2026
Understanding what is exclusive at Mandalay Bay — and what happens if you route an exclusive service to the wrong vendor — is non-negotiable planning knowledge for every IMEX exhibitor and their exhibit builder.
General Service Contractor (Official):
GES — Global Experience Specialists
All standard exhibit services: labor, furniture, equipment rental, material handling, drayage, flooring, carpet, graphics.
Tel (US): +1.800.801.7648 | Tel (International): +1.702.515.5970
Online ordering: ordering.ges.com/011602357
Catering — Exclusively Mandalay Bay:
All catering for exhibit booths, private meetings, and press conferences is exclusively provided by the Mandalay Bay Exhibitor Services team.
The only exception: sample-sized food and non-alcoholic beverages, which must be pre-authorized by Mandalay Bay via the Sample Authorization form before the show.
Questions: operations@imexevents.com.
Note: Popcorn and peanuts are not permitted anywhere in the booths.
Wireless Headsets and Radiofrequency Devices — Exclusively Show Gear Productions:
Show Gear Productions is the exclusive wireless headset provider on the entire IMEX show floor.
Every other wireless device — wireless microphones, alternative-brand headsets, or any device operating on a radiofrequency — must be registered with Show Gear before use on the show floor.
BOOTH CONSTRUCTION RULES AT IMEX AMERICA 2026
Height and Ceiling Approvals
Any booth higher than 10 feet, with a completely or partially closed ceiling, or planned as a two-storey structure requires written application and approval before construction. Approvals must be secured before the booth design submission deadlines above.
Panel Dimensions for Standard Hardwall Booths
Each panel: 37¼ inches wide × 91½ inches high (96.837 cm × 232.09 cm).
Hanging Signs
Hanging sign components must be shipped separately to the GES advance warehouse, clearly labeled. Crates containing hanging signs and flooring are delivered first during targeted move-in to allow priority installation. All rigging for hanging signs is placed with Mandalay Bay exclusively by September 17.
Union Labor — Nevada Rules
Nevada is a right-to-work state, which means union membership is not mandatory for installation labor, unlike California events. However, Mandalay Bay Convention Center has its own union protocols that all exhibitors and their contractors must respect. Read the full union labor compliance guidance in Point 5 of the GES Expresso General Information section before finalizing your installation plan. Interior Today LLC is fully versed in Nevada’s labor environment and Mandalay Bay’s specific requirements.
BETTER STANDS SUSTAINABILITY AT IMEX AMERICA 2026
IMEX America 2026 marks a significant turning point in how the show approaches exhibit sustainability. IMEX is part of the Better Stands pilot — a cross-organizer initiative designed to eliminate single-use trade show booths, reduce waste and carbon emissions from exhibition builds, and create safer and healthier installation environments.
At IMEX America 2026, every booth constructor is required to complete the Better Stands self-assessment questionnaire. On-site assessments will also be conducted, and booths will receive a provisional Better Stands compliance result during the show. The outcomes and learning from 2026 will directly shape formal sustainability requirements at IMEX America 2027 — meaning the standard at 2027 will be set by what exhibitors demonstrate in 2026.
The Better Stands 10-point framework covers: reusable booth structure materials, sustainable flooring, recyclable or returnable signage, elimination of single-use fabrication, responsible waste management, supplier transparency, and safe installation working environments.
What this means for your exhibit builder selection:
Not every booth builder is prepared for Better Stands compliance. Many build with single-use materials, one-show structures, and disposable graphics as a default — which will fail the on-site assessment at IMEX America 2026 and put your company’s sustainability record on the public record under the new pilot.
Interior Today LLC designs and builds with reusable structures, sustainable materials, and multi-year longevity as core design principles — not add-ons. Our builds comply with Better Stands framework expectations, and we support each client through their self-assessment process and any on-site evaluation. If your booth needs to demonstrate that your company takes sustainability as seriously as the IMEX platform says it should, Interior Today is the exhibit builder you need.
Donation Program
On the final day of IMEX America, donation bins around the perimeter of the show floor collect reusable materials — florals, vases, office and booth supplies, furniture — for distribution to Las Vegas community organizations. For large or unusual items, coordinate directly with operations@imexevents.com.
GETTING TO IMEX AMERICA 2026 — PRACTICAL TRAVEL GUIDE
Airport: Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), Las Vegas, Nevada
From the Airport to Mandalay Bay
Shuttle buses from Harry Reid Airport serve multiple hotel pickup points. Journey to Mandalay Bay: approximately 30 minutes. Fares from $8 (shuttles wait until full). Taxi: approximately 10 minutes from $25. Uber/Lyft: approximately 10 minutes from $15.
WHY INTERIOR TODAY LLC IS THE EXHIBIT STAND BUILDER YOUR BRAND NEEDS AT IMEX AMERICA 2026
Let us be specific about the challenge every IMEX America exhibitor faces.
You are on a show floor with 3,700-plus competing suppliers. Your competitors include some of the most recognizable destinations, hotel brands, and event companies in the world. The buyers walking the floor are professionals who attend trade shows regularly, evaluate supplier presentations with a trained eye, and make instinctive credibility assessments in the first few seconds of approaching a booth.
This is the environment in which your exhibit stand needs to perform. Not just look good. Not just hold brochures. Perform — attract, engage, convert, and sustain over three consecutive days of six-to-eight-hour floor sessions.
Interior Today LLC is a US-based trade show booth builder and exhibit stand contractor that specializes in custom exhibit design and fabrication for companies in the meetings, events, hospitality, destination, and travel sectors. We build for IMEX America specifically — for the Mandalay Bay Convention Center environment, for the meetings-based show floor format, and for the sophisticated industry audience that attends this event.
IMEX AMERICA — FUTURE DATES THROUGH 2030
Plan your multi-year events marketing calendar now. All editions at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Las Vegas.
2027: Smart Monday September 27 | Trade Show September 28–30
2028: Smart Monday September 25 | Trade Show September 26–28
2029: Smart Monday October 22 | Trade Show October 23–25
2030: Smart Monday October 21 | Trade Show October 22–24
Our Exhibition Stand Design Portfolio In Les Vegas.
At Interior Today we are offering flawless services for the exhibition and trade shows. We are working with brands and businesses of all sizes, designing and installing amazing stands. We believe in combining excellent design and superior project management to deliver high quality custom built exhibition stands. Just take a glance at some of our recent work given below.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) — IMEX AMERICA 2026
Q: When is IMEX America 2026?
A: IMEX America 2026 runs October 13–15, 2026 at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Smart Monday, powered by MPI, takes place the day before on Monday, October 12. Attendees access the show floor Tuesday and Wednesday from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM, and Thursday from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Exhibitors have early access from 7:00 AM Tuesday and 8:00 AM Wednesday and Thursday.
Q: Where is IMEX America 2026 held?
A: IMEX America 2026 is held at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, 3950 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, Nevada 89119. The show takes place in the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, connected via indoor walkways to the resort hotel, the Four Seasons, and the Delano.
Q: Is IMEX America 2026 free to attend?
A: Yes. IMEX America is free for meeting professionals, event planners, buyers, association executives, students studying event management, and faculty members. The hosted buyer program additionally provides reimbursed travel costs and free hotel accommodations for qualifying attendees.
Q: What is Smart Monday at IMEX America 2026?
A: Smart Monday powered by MPI is a free, full-day professional education program on Monday, October 12 — the day before the trade show opens. It features 300-plus sessions on event design, leadership, technology and AI, sustainability, marketing, legislation, and wellbeing. Education sessions are translated in real time into 25 languages via Wordly.ai. No shuttle buses return to hotels from Smart Monday — attendees make their own evening arrangements.
Q: What is the IMEX America 2026 Talking Point theme?
A: The IMEX America Talking Point for 2026 and 2027 is Design Matters. The theme positions design as a strategic business superpower — the ultimate differentiator for organizations, brands, and events that want to stand out and be remembered. It shapes education programming, keynote content, and special activations throughout both show years.
Q: Who exhibits at IMEX America?
A: Exhibitors include national, regional, and city convention and visitors bureaus; major hotel groups; conference venues and convention centers; cruise lines; airlines and transportation companies; event technology providers; DMCs and PCOs; gifting and incentive merchandise companies; incentive travel specialists; and event management firms. Over 3,700 suppliers exhibit at IMEX America annually.
Q: Who attends IMEX America as a buyer?
A: Buyers include meeting planners, event agency heads, association executives, incentive travel buyers, and in-house corporate event professionals. More than 65 percent of buyers have annual buying power exceeding one million dollars.
Q: What is the hosted buyer program at IMEX America?
A: IMEX America’s hosted buyer program brings qualifying meeting professionals to Las Vegas with travel costs reimbursed and hotel accommodations fully covered. Buyers qualify by regularly planning large-scale international events, demonstrating budgetary decision-making authority, and confirming at least three planned events in the next three years. In exchange, hosted buyers attend for full show days and engage actively in a minimum of six to eight scheduled meetings per day.
Q: How do buyers book meetings with exhibitors at IMEX America 2026?
A: Meeting booking opens approximately September 14, 2026. Buyers access the IMEX meetings system through their account, browse the Exhibitor Directory, and schedule appointments directly with chosen suppliers. Once a meeting is confirmed, exhibitors can view the buyer’s profile including what they want to discuss and any active RFPs.
Q: Can exhibitors bring their own buyers to IMEX America?
A: Yes, through the intermediary program. All exhibitors with their own booths can become intermediaries — inviting clients to apply to the hosted buyer program, reviewing their applications, and looking after them at the show. Contact hello@imexevents.com to apply.
Q: What is the booth design submission deadline for IMEX America 2026?
A: Standard exhibits must submit booth designs through the IMEX portal by August 26, 2026. Double-storey exhibits and booths with vehicles have an earlier deadline of August 19, 2026. Required: all drawings, renderings, and technical plans with full measurements in a single PDF, plus the booth constructor’s insurance confirmation.
Q: When is the EAC registration deadline for IMEX America 2026?
A: August 7, 2026. Any exhibit builder other than GES must be registered with IMEX as an Exhibitor Appointed Contractor by this date.
Q: What are the move-in times for IMEX America 2026?
A: Move-in runs Saturday, October 10 (8:00 AM–11:59 PM), Sunday, October 11 (12:00 AM–11:59 PM, with Clean Floor Policy beginning at 8:00 PM), and Monday, October 12 (12:00 AM–8:00 PM). All booth construction must be fully complete by Monday, October 12 at 8:00 PM. The late penalty is $500 per hour.
Q: When is move-out for IMEX America 2026?
A: Move-out begins Thursday, October 15 at 5:30 PM and must be complete — with all materials removed and all freight carriers checked in — by Friday, October 16 at 12:00 PM noon.
Q: What is the Better Stands requirement at IMEX America 2026?
A: IMEX America 2026 pilots the Better Stands 10-point sustainability framework. All booth constructors must complete a Better Stands self-assessment questionnaire, and on-site assessments will assign each booth a provisional Better Stands result. Results inform formal requirements at IMEX America 2027. Better Stands targets the elimination of single-use booth builds through reusable structures and sustainable materials.
Q: Is catering exclusive at Mandalay Bay for IMEX America?
A: Yes. All catering for booths, meetings, and press events at IMEX America is exclusively provided by Mandalay Bay Exhibitor Services. The only exception is sample-sized food and pre-authorized non-alcoholic beverages. Popcorn and peanuts are not permitted in booths.
Q: Are wireless headsets exclusive at IMEX America?
A: Yes. Show Gear Productions is the exclusive wireless headset provider. All other radiofrequency devices must be registered with Show Gear before use. Unauthorized devices cause interference with neighboring exhibitors and may be required to power off. Contact Show Gear at +1.818.639.4241.
Q: What is the rigging order deadline for IMEX America 2026?
A: All rigging orders must be placed with Mandalay Bay by September 17, 2026. Orders placed after this date cannot be guaranteed.
Q: What is the best exhibit stand builder for IMEX America 2026 in Las Vegas?
A: Interior Today LLC is a US-based trade show booth builder and exhibit stand contractor specializing in custom exhibit design and fabrication for meetings industry, hospitality, destination, and events technology companies. For IMEX America 2026, Interior Today handles full custom design, IMEX portal booth submission documentation, EAC registration, Better Stands compliance support, Mandalay Bay contractor coordination, GES logistics, targeted move-in management, on-site installation, and post-show teardown. Contact Interior Today LLC at interiortoday.us.
Q: How early should I start planning my IMEX America exhibit?
A: The EAC registration deadline is August 7 and the booth design submission deadline is August 26. Custom fabrication requires lead time before those dates. Engaging Interior Today LLC by May or June 2026 gives your project full design and production lead time, meets every deadline with margin, and avoids the rush-fee exposure that comes from starting late.
Q: Can I attend IMEX America 2026 as a student?
A: Yes. Students studying event management can attend and register like any other attendee. IMEX recommends students attend on Thursday. Students can also apply to the IMEX-MPI-MCI Future Leaders Forum, a dedicated program for emerging event industry professionals.
Q: What is the dress code at IMEX America?
A: Business casual is standard. Comfortable shoes are strongly recommended. Las Vegas in October is warm outdoors and heavily air-conditioned indoors — dress in layers and check the weather before each day.
Q: Are IMEX America education sessions accredited for CMP credits?
A: Yes. Many sessions at IMEX America carry CMP, CEU, CSEP, and ICCASkills accreditation. Full accreditation details are listed in the education program, which goes live in September 2026.
Q: How do I get a visa invitation letter for IMEX America 2026?
A: Once registered, you receive a confirmation email with instructions for generating your personal visa invitation letter. You can also find this option in your IMEX account. For additional assistance, contact the IMEX team directly.
Q: What union labor rules apply at IMEX America 2026?
A: Nevada is a right-to-work state, so union membership is not mandatory for installation labor — unlike California venues. However, Mandalay Bay Convention Center has specific union protocols that exhibitors and contractors must follow. Read Point 5 of the GES Expresso General Information section in full before finalizing your installation plan. Interior Today LLC is fully experienced with Nevada labor rules and Mandalay Bay’s specific protocols.
Q: What happens if my booth is not finished by the October 12 deadline?
A: A $500-per-hour penalty is charged for every hour the booth remains incomplete after 8:00 PM on Monday, October 12. There are no exceptions. Interior Today LLC manages every client’s installation to the completion deadline with margin built in — this penalty has never applied to one of our builds.
INTERIOR TODAY LLC — THE EXHIBIT PARTNER THAT TAKES IMEX AMERICA AS SERIOUSLY AS YOU DO
IMEX America is where 6,000 of the most qualified buyers in the global meetings and events industry decide which suppliers they want to work with for the next year. Three days. Thousands of conversations. And an industry that has just declared, with its own Talking Point, that design is the factor that separates those who are remembered from those who are not.
Interior Today LLC builds custom exhibit stands that make your brand the one that gets remembered. We design for the specific demands of IMEX America’s meetings-based show floor, we build to the sustainability standards the Better Stands framework requires, we manage every compliance deadline from August 7 through October 16, and we produce custom exhibit environments that communicate the design quality, brand credibility, and commercial investment your company deserves to project at the world’s most important meetings industry trade show.
Start the conversation now. The deadlines are in August. The planning needs to begin well before that.
ABOUT INTERIOR TODAY LLC
Interior Today LLC is a US-based trade show booth builder and exhibit stand contractor specializing in custom exhibition design and fabrication for companies in the meetings, hospitality, destination, events technology, and travel sectors. The company manages every stage of the exhibit lifecycle — concept design, technical documentation for organizer approval, sustainable fabrication, freight logistics, EAC registration, Mandalay Bay contractor coordination, GES labor management, on-site installation, and post-show teardown — for exhibitors at major events including IMEX America, IMEX Frankfurt, PCMA Convening Leaders, HSMAI, Connect Marketplace, and related hospitality and events industry trade shows. Interior Today LLC is prepared for Better Stands framework compliance requirements at IMEX America 2026.
