Visit Raleigh director of sales Malinda Harrell, CMP Fellow, CASE, and national sales manager Loretta Yingling, CMP Fellow, traveled to Las Vegas, Oct. 7-9, 2025, to represent Raleigh, N.C., at IMEX America 2025. Joining them were six destination partners: Raleigh Convention Center, Raleigh Marriott City Center, Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley, Sheraton Raleigh Hotel, Attended Events and Slice Pie Company.

This year’s IMEX America broke records, welcoming more than 17,000 meeting professionals and hosting over 90,000 scheduled business appointments at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. The Visit Raleigh team met with more than 100 planners to share what makes Raleigh, N.C., a standout destination for meetings and conventions. IMEX America is held annually and features destinations from around the globe.

"IMEX America was a fantastic event for Visit Raleigh," said Yingling. "This year, we recorded over 200 booth scans—a new milestone for us. We were thrilled to share updates about Raleigh, N.C., as a meetings destination and, for the first time, bring a taste of home with local maker Slice Pie Company. Homemade pies paired with fresh destination news proved to be a winning combination. We look forward to turning these connections into new business opportunities for the Raleigh area."

IMEX America also marked the second appearance of Visit Raleigh’s new booth, designed to spark curiosity and conversation. Planners were excited to explore the Nobody Out-Nerds Raleigh campaign, which invites you to identify your own Raleigh nerdom and discover experiences that match your group’s passion. Raleigh is a destination where interests are celebrated and you can fully embrace and celebrate your inner nerd. After all, we all nerd out when something in a destination speaks to us!

As Yingling mentioned, a standout moment from the event was the in-booth activation featuring Slice Pie Company. Born from a father’s love of baking and a Blue Ribbon-winning apple pie at the N.C. State Fair, Slice Pie has grown into a beloved Raleigh business. Today, they serve pies to individuals and at restaurants across the Raleigh area and events nationwide—including large corporate gatherings and weddings—while also giving back to local charities and organizations. At IMEX, Slice Pie Company brought an impressive selection of pies in multiple flavors, delighting attendees and adding a sweet touch to the experience.

Where to next? Catch the Visit Raleigh booth in-person at Holiday Showcase 2025, Dec. 3-4, at McCormick Place in Chicago.