The Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA), the unified public policy voice of the U.S. business and professional events industry, today announced its 2026 Elected Officers and Board of Directors. The following Elected Officers were selected by the ECA Board of Directors to serve a one-year term ending on December 31, 2026: Fernando Fischer (Chair), President,…
The 11th edition of Global Exhibitions Day (GED) will be celebrated on Wednesday, 3 June 2026, under the theme “Exhibitions drive opportunities”. UFI encourages all businesses and professionals across the industry to celebrate GED by showcasing how exhibitions create opportunities for people, planet, and performance. Download resources and tools, and find inspiration here…
2025 marked a major shift for the events industry, and Freeman’s End-of-Year Trends Recap examines what was most impactful. One of the significant opportunities, and challenges, coming in 2026 is how the industry must prioritise stronger retention strategies. Attendee retirement is outpacing attendee retention, creating a significant workforce challenge over the next three years.
This report from IMEX explores how design matters not only at events, but across adjacent fields where human experience, brand perception and long-term impact are at stake. Drawing on research, industry insight and real-world examples, it examines how intentional design strengthens and seeds relationships, builds brand power and reinforces long-term commercial resilience.
The German Trade Show industry contributes around €30bn annually to Germany’s economic output and safeguards at least 280,000 jobs, according to a recent report from the economic research institute Prognos, commissioned by the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry (AUMA). The study is based on surveys of over 33,700 visitors and 17,700 exhibiting companies…
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Eva started her career in the travel industry working as a Manager/Director for Thomas Cook and American Express Business Travel. After 6 years abroad in Ghana and Malta as an expatriate and family time she started working for Messe Frankfurt visitor services in 2006. After different roles and accompanying various projects within the visitor service…
Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance, a unified public policy voice of the US business and professional events industry, has announced its 2026 Public Policy Agenda, outlining the organisation’s federal and state policy priorities for the year ahead. “2026 presents a critical moment for our industry in Washington, DC, and beyond,” said Fernando Fischer…
From TSNN: The global exhibitions industry is entering 2026 with a burst of momentum, as leading organizers push into new regions, sectors and formats through a mix of high‑profile launches and strategic acquisitions. From safety and energy to tourism and design, established players are widening their footprints and accelerating growth plans to meet rising demand…
Better understand the business of travel through Skift’s wide range of daily and weekly newsletters. From daily travel news to a deep dive into the events industry, you can tailor your subscription to the information relevant to you. Weekly briefings cover topics such as how AI and tech are changing travel…
Kai Hattendorf observes that much has been written and discussed in trends, outlooks, and on stages around the breakdown of the traditional business flow: For decades, the rhythm of the exhibition industry was rigid: Venues booked five years out, marketing campaigns launched twelve months out. That era is over, so how do we adapt?
Recent deals and debuts show how specialization and regional diversification are fuelling the next wave of events trade shows and other commercial business events. Global organizers are accelerating growth through bold new launches and strategic acquisitions, reshaping the trade show landscape across multiple sectors. From TSNN…
Victorian Convention and Event Trust, operators of Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre and Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre, released its Annual Report and Impact Report for the 2024-25 financial year. MCEC hosted 714 events, attracting 3.2 million visitors, reflecting its direct economic impact, and the social and environmental contribution of these events.
Global Exhibitions Day (GED) is held annually on the first Wednesday of June. It is open to everyone interested in increasing the visibility of the exhibitions industry regionally and on a global scale. Four key messages highlight how exhibitions unlock potential for industries, individuals, communities, and companies: Exhibitions drive collaboration and innovation to transform businesses…
A new analytical framework and report breaks down exhibition organizer income into five segments. Former UFI CEO Kai Hattendorf has developed the “5 S Model for Organiser Sales Segmentation,” as a way to address the long‑standing challenge of standardising how the industry measures and ranks the revenue streams of trade show companies and event organisers.
From Exhibition World: International consultancy for the for the exhibition and conference industry, Germany-based jwc GmbH, has announced a shake up in its management structure that sees former UFI CEO and MD Kai Hattendorf join as managing partner, and founder Jochen Witt transition to executive chairman. The leadership changes include Sebastian Witt also named as…
The latest report includes data from 11 trade fair bodies in 16 European countries and covers 2,240 exhibitions, totalling 23.1 million m² of net space rented in 2024. The number of events covered by the ‘Euro Fair Statistics’ report has continued to grow in recent years. UFI estimates that this year’s data represents almost 55%…
Thoughts & Observations is a weekly newsletter by Kai Hattendorf. It shares updates, reflections, and analyses on the business events and exhibitions industry, covering topics ranging from market trends to industry practices and emerging developments. Each edition provides a concise summary of recent news, data, and professional insights relevant to event organizers and stakeholders.
A monthly update of reports, news, events and insights into the exhibition and trade show sector from UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry – this is where the global community stays connected and informed.
This unique business partnership case study from the world of exhibitions has a wide range of potential lessons for all sectors of the business events industry, not just for other trade show organisers. “What got us here will not get us there” has become an MBA cliche, but in this case Messe München and the…
From TSNN: ECA’s Tommy Goodwin explains what’s at stake as SCOTUS hears arguments in two tariff cases on November 5 and why it matters to the trade show industry: Since January 20, the White House has been ground zero for tariff policy changes negatively impacting the trade show industry. In the coming days, the focus…
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