IMEX America Hosted Buyer Lounge by CORT Events
IMEX America 2025 brought together 17,633 participants, including more than 6,000 buyers from 75 countries, reinforcing the event’s position as a high-value marketplace for the global meetings industry. With 92,000 meetings conducted over three days and a large percentage of buyers managing multimillion-dollar budgets, the environment demanded spaces that could actively support performance, focus, and productivity at scale.
CORT Hosted Buyer Lounge
At the center of this ecosystem was the CORT Events’ Hosted Buyer Lounge, designed as a dedicated environment where attendees could prepare, recharge, and reset between appointments. As IMEX noted, “The Hosted Buyer Lounge is more than a perk — it’s a key part of our hosted buyer program,” underscoring its role as essential infrastructure rather than an add-on feature.
From the outset, the challenge was to balance scale with intention. The lounge needed to accommodate 700 seats while incorporating multiple sponsor identities in a unified design. As CORT Events’ experiential specialist, Rosilyn Galicia explained, “The primary goal…was to thoughtfully accommodate a large volume of attendees while creating a space that felt intentional, comfortable, and brand-aligned,” reinforcing that success would be measured not just by capacity, but by experience.
One Space, Many Experiences
This approach aligned directly with the expectations of IMEX’s hosted buyers, who are high-level decision-makers accustomed to premium environments. The lounge moved beyond simple seating to deliver a hospitality-forward experience, blending comfort and functionality. With soft seating, workspace surfaces, and curated vignettes, the space enabled attendees to both rest and work effectively within a cohesive environment.
Meeting these expectations required solving for complexity. The lounge had to support multiple simultaneous use cases—individual work, networking, quick meetings, and quiet recharge—while managing constant movement tied to tightly scheduled appointments. Galicia captured the nuance of the challenge: “Success was defined by more than capacity alone…[it meant] designing a space that encouraged natural flow… and balanced visual cohesion with sponsor individuality.”
Modelling the Lounge
To bring this vision to life, CORT used Prismm to model the lounge before execution. This allowed the team to test layouts, validate circulation, and refine density in advance. As Galicia described, “Prismm played a critical role in translating concepts into execution,” enabling stakeholders to visualize the space and confirm that it would perform effectively under real-world conditions.
The final layout used a multizone strategy to distribute activity and maintain balance across the space. Seating, powered tables, and key design elements were intentionally dispersed to encourage movement and prevent overcrowding. Clear pathways and intuitive navigation ensured that attendees could easily find the right environment for their needs without disrupting overall flow.
Micro-Environments for Choice & Personalization
Within that broader framework, micro-environments introduced choice and personalization. A consistent “baseline” design language created cohesion, while varied seating options empowered different behaviors. “The goal was to create a curated horizon,” Galicia noted, ensuring that “no matter where you looked, the space felt designed rather than improvised.” These layered experiences allowed attendees to seamlessly transition between work, socializing, and rest.
Ultimately, attendee behavior validated the design strategy. Galicia observed that “Attendees used the Hosted Buyer Lounge exactly as intended: as a place to pause, recharge, and reconnect away from the show floor,” with a clear preference for “quiet, semi-private areas” even within a high-traffic space. The result demonstrated that “large-scale event design doesn’t have to feel impersonal,” but instead can communicate care, intention, and professionalism through thoughtful, human-centered design.
About CORT Events:
At CORT Events, our hands-on approach ensures every detail is within your reach. From warehouse to welcome, we bring a firm grasp on style, comfort, and function, helping you craft spaces that leave a lasting impression.
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