Reflecting on IMEX 2025: Our Favorite Moments and Key Takeaways
Reflecting on IMEX 2025: Our Favorite Moments and Key Takeaways
After a busy week in Las Vegas and amidst an equally busy October event season,
Jamie Hellesen, DMCP, and
Tamara O’Malley took a moment to reflect on their biggest takeaways from
IMEX America 2025.
Whether you missed this year’s conference or are packing your bags for another industry event soon, here are their standout insights, favorite moments, and practical travel tips from the trip.
1. Updates from the DMC Network
The DMC Network shared two exciting updates during this year’s conference. The first is their new tagline: Locally rooted, globally aligned, the best of both worlds. We’re here for you. This perfectly captures what makes the network such a strong community of destination experts who bring global perspective with local expertise.
Second, mark your calendars for the DMCN Exchange, which heads to Seattle, WA, in September 2026. Now is the perfect time to start getting your clients excited for the trip!
2. Make Time to Explore
When visiting a city for a conference, always make time to explore the location a bit. See new shows, try new food, and add in some fun that enhances the trip and leaves you with a well-rounded experience. Inspiration comes from what we immerse ourselves in!
We checked out the Princess Diana Exhibit that was in town and saw The Wizard of Oz at The Sphere, fully immersing ourselves in the local entertainment during our short time there.
3. Travel Tips from the Trade Show Floor
If you’re embarking on a long flight and spending long days on your feet, Jamie highly recommends traveling with compression socks, it’s the only way your feet will survive! It’s also important to take care of yourself so you can take care of others. Pack plenty of snacks and water to stay hydrated, alert, and connected with your peers throughout the conference.
4. Contracts & Insurance: Know the Fine Print
We attended a great session at the DMCN Sales Meeting on the importance of fully understanding your company’s terms and conditions, as well as your insurance coverage. Insurance in our industry has become increasingly expensive and sometimes difficult to secure, especially when trying to get the right coverage for different venues and destinations. The key is ensuring your team knows what to look for in venue and vendor contracts and fully understands the scope of work from a liability perspective.
5. Gifting with a Twist
Our gifting shoutout goes to Brand Makers for their customizable products. Guests can pick out custom patches to add to a personalized hat or bag—an excellent arrival experience that kicks off the week with a memorable welcome gift. Check out more here: brandmakers.com/custom-headwear.
For our team, the biggest takeaways from this year’s IMEX America were about balance, between professionalism and fun, and between work and wellness. We’re already counting down the days until next year. Until then, see you on the event floor!
