IMEX Group

What IMEX Group does

IMEX Group, operated by Regent Exhibitions Ltd, is a UK-headquartered private event management company founded in 2001 that owns and operates two flagship global trade shows for the meetings, incentives, conferences, and events (MICE) industry: IMEX Frankfurt (held annually in Germany) and IMEX America (held annually at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas). The company functions as a two-sided marketplace, facilitating approximately 155,000 business meetings per year between 8,000+ hosted buyers (meeting planners and corporate event professionals) and thousands of exhibitors (destinations, convention bureaus, hotels, venues, and event service providers), with 30,000+ total participants and 600+ educational sessions annually.

The core product is the two physical trade shows, supplemented by digital infrastructure for attendee registration, matchmaking, hosted buyer program management, and a content platform (knowledge hub) delivering trend reports, research, and educational material on sustainability, DEI, and event technology. The technology stack is described as traditional event management tooling rather than an AI- or data-native platform; there are no disclosed proprietary AI features, patents, or data flywheels.

IMEX generates revenue primarily through transaction-based exhibitor booth and sponsorship fees at its two flagship shows, with additional marketing channels including the IMEXscoop and IMEXfiles newsletters, press distribution, and a public-facing knowledge hub. The company is led by CEO Carina Bauer and Chairman Ray Bloom, operates with a small core team of 11–50 employees, and maintains deep institutional partnerships with the major governing bodies of the global MICE industry (AIPC, ASAE, ICCA, MPI, PCMA, IAEE, SITE, Destinations International, GCB, and U.S. Travel Association). IMEX America 2025 was its largest edition to date with 3,500+ exhibitors, and the company has already committed to the 2026 and 2027 editions of both shows.

Name

IMEX Group

Legal name

Regent Exhibitions Ltd

Website

https://imexexhibitions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IMEX Group operates two flagship global MICE trade shows — IMEX Frankfurt and IMEX America — facilitating 155,000+ annual meetings between thousands of exhibitors (destinations, venues, suppliers) and 8,000+ hosted buyers (meeting and event professionals) worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Show and Exhibition Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

akta.pro primary industry

Exhibition & Trade Show Management (Conference-Adjacent) (THAHACAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Exhibitor/Sponsor Management (Corporate Conferences) (THACAFAN)

Keywords

• Trade show management
• MICE events
• Exhibition organization
• Business events industry
• Meetings and incentives

Headquarters

HQ city

Hooe

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Trade Show Exhibition Fees: IMEX generates revenue primarily through exhibitor booth/sponsorship fees at its IMEX Frankfurt and IMEX America trade shows. Companies pay to showcase their destinations, venues, and event services to a global audience of meeting planners and buyers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

IMEX Group operates two flagship annual trade shows—IMEX Frankfurt (held in Germany) and IMEX America (held in Las Vegas, USA)—that serve the global meetings, incentives, conferences, and events (MICE) industry. The company sells exhibitor booth space, sponsorship packages, and hosted buyer programs to event suppliers (destinations, hotels, venues, event tech and service companies) and provides attendee registration for meeting planners and corporate event buyers. Complementary offerings include 600+ education sessions per year and an online industry knowledge hub.

Product overview

IMEX Group operates two world-leading trade shows: IMEX Frankfurt (held annually in Frankfurt, Germany) and IMEX America (held annually in Las Vegas, Nevada). These flagship events serve the global meetings, events, and incentive travel industry, bringing together event professionals to conduct business, access education sessions, and drive positive change. The company organizes over 155,000 meetings per year across both shows, hosting approximately 30,000 participants and 8,000 hosted buyers annually, with 600 education sessions provided.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IMEX Frankfurt A world-leading annual trade show for the meetings, events, and incentive travel industry held in Frankfurt, Germany, bringing together event professionals, destinations, venues, and event service suppliers to do business, learn, and drive positive change in the MICE industry.
• IMEX America A world-leading annual trade show for the meetings, events, and incentive travel industry held in Las Vegas, USA, serving as IMEX's largest-edition show with 3,500+ exhibitors and thousands of hosted buyers from across the global MICE industry.

Quantifiable outcome

• IMEX America 2025 attracted over 3,500 exhibitors and thousands of buyers, marking its largest edition to date

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AIPC (International Association of Convention Centres)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIPC is an international association of convention centres that partners with IMEX to support the global meetings and events industry. The partnership forms part of IMEX's collaborative industry-wide partnerships.
• ASAE (American Society of Association Executives)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASAE represents association professionals and partners with IMEX to advance the meetings and events industry through collaborative initiatives and knowledge sharing.
• Delta Air LinesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelta Air Lines serves as an IMEX partner, providing travel connectivity for attendees of IMEX events.
• Destinations InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDestinations International represents convention and visitors bureaus globally and partners with IMEX to advance the meetings and events industry.
• German Convention Bureau (GCB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGCB partners with IMEX, particularly for IMEX Frankfurt, to promote Germany as a leading MICE destination.
• IAEE (International Association of Exhibitions and Events)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAEE represents the exhibitions and events industry and partners with IMEX for industry advancement and advocacy.
• ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICCA represents the international meetings industry and collaborates with IMEX on industry initiatives and knowledge sharing.
• MPI (Meeting Professionals International)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMPI is a leading global community for meeting professionals and partners with IMEX to provide education and professional development.
• PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPCMA represents meeting professionals and partners with IMEX to advance business events and provide educational content.
• SITE (Society for Incentive Travel Excellence)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSITE represents incentive travel professionals and partners with IMEX to promote excellence in incentive travel experiences.
• U.S. Travel AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerU.S. Travel Association partners with IMEX to promote business events and travel within the United States market.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Reed Exhibitions (RX Global): One of the world's largest trade show organizers, operating across 40+ countries with hundreds of events. Directly comparable to IMEX as both operate as global B2B trade show organizers serving multiple industries, including MICE and business events.
• Informa Markets: The exhibitions division of Informa plc, organizing 100+ B2B trade shows globally. Highly comparable to IMEX in business model (exhibitor booth fees, hosted-buyer programs, content-led events) and in operating flagship events in multiple continents for industry professionals.
• Clarion Events: UK-headquartered global trade show organizer running 200+ events across multiple sectors. Comparable to IMEX as a similarly-sized international B2B exhibition business serving multiple verticals with flagship annual events.
• dmg events: International exhibition organizer with flagship events in energy, construction, hospitality, and MICE-adjacent verticals. Comparable business model to IMEX — large-scale B2B trade shows attracting thousands of exhibitors and hosted-buyer programs globally.
• Emerald (Emerald X): US-based B2B trade show organizer and media company. Operates large-scale annual trade shows serving multiple industries using the same exhibitor/hosted-buyer revenue model as IMEX.
• GL Events: French-headquartered global trade show organizer and venue operator with 300+ events annually. Comparable to IMEX as both run large-scale international B2B exhibitions with hosted-buyer and partnership-driven revenue models.
• Questex: Global B2B events and information company operating trade shows across technology, hospitality, healthcare, and other sectors. Direct comparable to IMEX in delivering large-scale hosted-buyer exhibitions and industry conferences.

Others

• Messe Frankfurt: One of the world's largest venue-based trade show organizers and operator of the Frankfurt exhibition complex where IMEX Frankfurt is held. Related as venue partner and co-organizer for IMEX Frankfurt; partially overlapping portfolio makes it a partial competitor in MICE event organizing.
• UFI (Global Association of the Exhibition Industry): Global association serving exhibition industry operators including IMEX. Related as an industry body and standards-setter rather than direct competitor, but provides context for IMEX's competitive positioning within the global exhibitions industry.

Emerging players

• Cvent: US-based meetings, events, and hospitality technology platform enabling event organizers and corporate planners. Comparable to IMEX as an enabling layer in the MICE value chain — though Cvent is technology/saas-focused rather than a trade show owner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IMEX_Group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IMEX Group