IMEX America 2026: dinners and nights out for your groups
October 13-15, 2026 · Mandalay Bay · 7,300 attendees · Meetings, incentives and events
IMEX America brings around 3,100 suppliers and 4,200 buyers to Mandalay Bay from October 13 to 15. Almost everyone on that floor books groups for a living, which makes this the one show on the calendar where we are talking to peers rather than guests. Our Las Vegas team has the local relationships you and your own team may not, and we are here to assist.
You book groups for a living, so here is the short version
Most pages like this explain Las Vegas to someone who has never been. That is not this audience. If you are at IMEX you place group business every week, so the only thing worth saying is where we are actually useful. Our Las Vegas team has the local relationships you and your own team may not, and that is what we bring: the restaurant that says yes to a party of thirty on a Tuesday, the nightclub table booked directly with the venue at a minimum spend quoted in writing, and transportation arranged between them if you need it. Tell us the group and the dates and we will assist.
When people are actually in town
Buyers land Monday and the hosted-buyer program starts early. The show closes Thursday and most of the floor flies out that afternoon, so Thursday is optional. Monday night, before any of it starts, is a genuinely good night to take someone to dinner and nobody uses it.
Where to eat from Mandalay Bay
Mandalay Bay anchors the far south end of the Strip, which is the honest problem with this show: almost nothing north of the Cosmopolitan is a walk. On property, Carama and STRIPSTEAK by Michael Mina both seat a group without a drive. If the dinner is worth the car, Aria and Crystals are the nearest cluster that changes the evening, with Carbone, Catch, Toca Madera and Mastro's Ocean Club, and the Cosmopolitan next door adds Zuma, Scarpetta and STK. Build in the twenty minutes rather than discovering them at seven.
The nightlife half, for your clients
Planners book more nightlife than they get credit for, and it is usually the part of a Las Vegas program that arrives last and hardest. We book nightclub tables directly with the venues, quote the minimum spend in writing before anyone commits, and arrange transportation between venues so a hosted group arrives together. What is on during IMEX week itself is modest by Las Vegas standards, which is useful: availability is better than it would be a fortnight either side. The night-by-night picks below are the ones worth planning around, and if you want the full list for the nights you are in town, our Las Vegas events calendar lists every venue.
What we would actually do for your groups
The bookings we make most for planners are private dining rooms between twenty and seventy-five and reserved nightclub sections for a hosted group. We quote the minimum spend in writing before anyone commits, and we arrange transportation between venues so a group with a fixed seating arrives together. October is the wrong month for a pool, but for future programs our Las Vegas team covers restaurants, nightclubs, pool parties, transportation and the rest of it. If you want to place something on behalf of a client rather than book it yourself, that is the normal shape of this relationship.
If a nightclub is not the answer
If you are after something other than a club, say so. The Mayfair Supper Club turns dinner into the evening without anyone having to move. And if you would rather have a speakeasy or a live music bar, tell us the group and we are happy to steer you in the right direction and make recommendations.
Where to eat, by where your day ends
On property at Mandalay Bay — no car required
Aria and Crystals — a short drive north, and the nearest cluster that changes the evening
The Cosmopolitan — next door to Aria, and the deepest single-property list on that walk
If the group wants a room to itself — private dining, and the one people ask for by name
Frequently asked questions
When and where is IMEX America 2026?
October 13 to 15, 2026, at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, with roughly 3,100 suppliers and 4,200 hosted buyers from the meetings and events industry.
What does MyRSVP actually hold in Las Vegas?
Our Las Vegas team has the local relationships to place a group dinner that a platform will not, and we book nightclub tables directly with the venues at a minimum spend quoted in writing.
Where should we eat during IMEX at Mandalay Bay?
Carama and STRIPSTEAK by Michael Mina are both on property and seat a group without a drive. Mandalay Bay sits at the far south end of the Strip, so anything past the Cosmopolitan is a car rather than a walk - worth building into the evening rather than discovering at seven.
Can you place group bookings on behalf of a client?
Yes, and that is the normal shape of this relationship. Tell us the headcount, the nights and the budget and we come back with rooms, minimums quoted in writing, and the transport between them.
What is on while you are here
Checked against the calendar on 12 October. See the full Las Vegas events calendar for the current lineup.
Monday — arrival and setup night, before the floor opens
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday (optional) — closing day, so optional - most people fly home
Other Las Vegas conventions
All Las Vegas convention guides
Planning the rest of it
