Why Showing Up in Your Own City Still Matters: LVIMA’s February Kick Off Mixer

There’s a version of entrepreneurship that looks like constant travel, keynote stages, international summits, and back-to-back flights. Yes, we do that. From Washington D.C. to global innovation forums, Alter New Media shows up wherever the conversation is happening.

On February 19, 2026, we stayed in Vegas. And it was exactly where we needed to be.

The Las Vegas Innovation Marketing Association (LVIMA) kicked off 2026 with their February Mixer at Swingers inside Mandalay Bay, the indoor mini golf and bar concept that has quickly become one of the most talked-about social spaces on the Strip. And if you know anything about LVIMA, you know they don’t do boring events.

What LVIMA Actually Is

Since 2004, LVIMA has been one of Las Vegas’s most consistent professional communities, gathering marketers, strategists, creatives, and digital innovators for a dynamic annual series of networking and educational events. They’ve been connecting local talent to the rapidly evolving world of digital technology and marketing long before it was trendy to talk about community.

What I’ve always respected about LVIMA is that they understand something many professional organizations miss: people want to learn andconnect. Real connection. The kind that turns into collaborations, referrals, friendships, and business.

The Night Itself

The February Kick Off Mixer ran from 6–8 PM at Swingers Mandalay Bay, and the venue was a genuinely inspired choice. Indoor mini golf is inherently social, you can’t be stiff on a putting green. It breaks the ice in a way that a hotel conference room with a cash bar never will.

The room was full of Las Vegas marketers, people doing real work in this city across agencies, brands, tech companies, and startups. What struck me, as it always does at these events, is how much talent exists right here in our own backyard. We talk a lot about going global, but the relationships you build locally are often the most durable ones.

The conversations were energized. 2026 is already moving fast, AI, creator economy shifts, new platforms, the continued evolution of Web3 and blockchain in marketing, and you could feel that energy in the room. These weren’t surface-level exchanges. People came ready to talk.

Why This Kind of Community Matters More Than Ever

At Alter New Media, we talk a lot about visibility, building it strategically, sustaining it, and making it compound over time. What most people don’t hear enough is that visibility isn’t just about press placements or social media reach. It’s about presence. Physical, consistent, intentional presence in the communities that matter to your work.

LVIMA is one of those communities for us. Showing up at their events isn’t a marketing tactic; it’s a commitment to the city we built this business in. Las Vegas has a marketing and tech ecosystem that is often underestimated by the outside world. Events like this are part of why that ecosystem keeps growing.

Ten years into building Alter New Media, I can trace some of our most meaningful partnerships and collaborations back to rooms exactly like this one. Not a conference with 10,000 attendees. A room of marketers who care, showing up for each other on a Wednesday evening.

A Note on What Real Networking Looks Like

I want to say something directly, because I think it needs to be said: networking only works if you’re actually there to give, not just to get.

The best thing you can do at an event like LVIMA’s mixer is walk in curious. Ask people what they’re working on. Make the introduction between two people who should know each other. Listen more than you pitch. That is what we actually do at Alter New Media. We build relationships before we ever need anything from them, and it’s a philosophy that has shaped every year of this company’s growth.

See You at the Next One

To LVIMA: thank you for two decades of keeping this community connected. What you’ve built since 2004 is a genuine asset to Las Vegas’s professional landscape, and we’re proud to be a part of it.

If you weren’t at the February Kick Off Mixer, keep an eye on LVIMA.com for what’s coming next. If you are part of the marketing ecosystem in Las Vegas, join LVIMA and register for their next event. If you’re a Las Vegas marketer who hasn’t found your community yet, then this is it.

See you in the room. 💜

About the Author

Lauren Jones is the Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Alter New Media, a purpose-driven marketing and media agency based in Las Vegas. Over the past decade, Alter New Media has supported nearly 1,000 brands, founders, and creators worldwide with brand strategy, earned media, influencer marketing, and strategic partnerships. Learn more at alternewmedia.com.

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