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As event professionals from around the world gather in Las Vegas for IMEX America 2026, the Association of Destination Management Executives International (ADMEI) is putting a spotlight on an essential - but often unseen - part of successful event design: local destination expertise.
As the global association for the Destination Management industry, ADMEI represents and supports the DMC community worldwide, advancing professional standards and helping meeting and event professionals connect with qualified destination partners. Its industry credentials, including the Accredited Destination Management Company (ADMC) accreditation and Destination Management Certified Professional (DMCP) certification, recognize the companies and professionals committed to excellence in destination management.
That expertise takes on particular relevance at IMEX America this year. The 2026 IMEX Talking Point, “Design Matters,” challenges the global events industry to think intentionally about how experiences work, feel and ultimately impact the people who attend them. For DMCs, that thinking extends beyond physical spaces and creative concepts to the full experience an attendee has with a destination.
“Some of the most memorable moments of an event happen outside the meeting room,” said Ashley Armstrong, DMCP, CMP, President of ADMEI. “The arrival experience, the unexpected local venue, the meal that tells a story about the destination and even the transportation between activities all contribute to how attendees experience an event. A DMC brings the local knowledge and operational expertise to intentionally design those moments while making the entire program work seamlessly.”
As planners increasingly seek experiences that feel distinctive to their destinations, ADMEI points to five areas where local expertise can turn an event concept into a complete destination experience.
Creating an experience that feels genuinely connected to a destination requires more than identifying its best-known attractions. Local DMCs understand the people, neighborhoods, venues, traditions and emerging experiences that give a place its character.
By bringing that knowledge into the planning process, DMCs can help planners move beyond experiences attendees could have anywhere and create programs that have a true sense of place.
The best logistics are often the ones attendees never notice.
Transportation, timing, guest flow, venue access, staffing and hundreds of behind-the-scenes decisions influence how an event feels. A beautifully designed experience can quickly lose its impact if attendees spend too long waiting for transportation or arrive at a venue frustrated and confused.
DMCs connect creative vision with operational reality, helping ensure the experience works as well as it looks.
DMCs serve as a bridge between meeting professionals and the local community.
Their relationships with venues, restaurants, transportation providers, entertainers, attractions, artisans and other local partners allow planners to expand an event beyond traditional meeting spaces and introduce attendees to experiences they might not otherwise discover.
Those partnerships also help meetings and events extend their economic impact into the communities that host them.
There is no universal definition of a memorable experience.
An incentive group, association conference and corporate leadership meeting may take place in the same destination but require entirely different approaches.
Understanding attendee demographics, accessibility needs, cultural considerations, program objectives, energy levels and expectations allows DMCs and planners to design experiences around the people participating in them - rather than simply around what is available in the destination.
Weather changes. Traffic happens. Venues become unavailable. Flights are delayed. Programs change.
Local expertise becomes particularly valuable when the original plan no longer works.
Because DMCs understand their destinations and maintain relationships across the local supplier community, they can help planners anticipate challenges, build contingency plans and respond quickly when circumstances change.
“Experience design and operational excellence aren't separate conversations,” Armstrong said. “The magic attendees remember is often possible because of an enormous amount of expertise they never see. Bringing a DMC into the conversation early gives planners another strategic partner at the table - one who understands both the vision for the event and the realities of delivering it in that destination.”
As the meetings and events industry continues to explore what thoughtful design means, ADMEI encourages planners to expand the definition beyond aesthetics and programming.
Great event design is not only about what attendees see. It is about how they move, what they discover, whom they meet, how a destination makes them feel - and what they remember when they return home.
Meet ADMEI at IMEX America 2026
Meeting and event professionals attending IMEX America can connect with ADMEI at booth C4648 during the show to learn more about the role of professional DMCs and resources available to planners seeking trusted destination partners.
For more information, visit ADMEI.org.
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The Association of Destination Management Executives International (ADMEI) is the global voice of the Destination Management industry, defining standards, elevating professionalism and advancing the role of Destination Management Companies (DMCs) worldwide. ADMEI serves as a premier resource for education, standards and best practices and promotes the value of local Destination Management through education. Its members represent destinations around the world.
Media Contact
Elyse Maxwell
Songbird Marketing & Public Relations, on behalf of ADMEI
[email protected]
405.441.0010
