The ExpoPlatform blog
London voted top European meeting destination – Amex GBT
London has retained its position as Europe’s top destination for business meetings in American Express Global Business Travel’s annual survey. The poll saw event professionals rate destinations on six key metrics: accessibility, cost, safety, facilities, amenities and environmental practices. Read more about it below. Here are the top headlines for your weekly event news updates: …
New UFI President: Silence has hurt exhibitions, it’s time for action
The global exhibition industry needs to step out of the shadows and assert its economic importance, according to UFI’s new president Hugh Jones. Taking charge of the industry’s leading association, Hugh set out that years of poor communication have left governments conflating trade shows with concert tours and tourism – undermining the sector’s strategic value. …
Messe Frankfurt hits ‘record sales’ for German tradeshow
Messe Frankfurt is on track to post the “highest level” of sales by a German tradeshow, according to the group’s latest financial update. The 2024 sales figures are projected to increase 28% to €780 million – from €609m in 2023. Read all about it below. Here are the top headlines for your weekly event news …
Informa B2B events report 11.1% revenue surge in Jan-Oct
Informa’s business events division has posted double-digit revenue growth of more than 11% from January to October 2024, riding strong global demand for in-person experiences. Informa Markets led the surge with a 13.5% increase, followed by Informa Tech (+11.2%) and Informa Connect (+4.9%). Get the complete details below. Here are the top headlines for your …
AEO names Anna Golden of Olympia Events as new CEO
The Association of Event Organizers (AEO) has named industry veteran Anna Golden as its new CEO from January 2025. Anna joins AEO after more than two decades at Olympia Events, where she most recently served as commercial director. Read more about it below. Here are the top headlines for your weekly event news updates: AEO …
Raccoon launches Europe’s first B2B running expo
Raccoon Media Group is on track to launch Europe’s first running B2B expo. It has been announced that International Running Expo will be held next year between November 4 and 5, bringing together key stakeholders in the sport’s industry. Read more about it below. Here are the top headlines for your weekly event news updates: …
Hyve makes major foray into healthcare with HLTH acquisition
Hyve Group has marked its entry into the global healthcare sector with the purchase of platform HLTH. The deal includes the acquisition of HLTH USA, ViVE and HLTH Europe as well as HLTH’s year-round membership community. Read all about it below. Here are the top headlines for your weekly event news updates: Hyve makes major …
Event spend thrives despite UK firms’ budget cuts
UK companies are spending more on events despite overall marketing budget cuts, according to a new report. Research from IPA Bellwether Q3 2024 shows event investments grew 9.9% in the third quarter. Public relations, direct marketing and media advertising were other areas that saw significant budget growth. Read more details below. Here are the top …
ExpoPlatform named matchmaking partner for UFI Global Congress
UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, has named ExpoPlatform as its official speed matchmaking partner for its upcoming Global Congress. The 91st edition of the event will be hosted by Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany, between November 20 and 23, bringing together hundreds of colleagues from across the world. Event technology provider ExpoPlatform will …
GITEX Global records highest-ever international participation
The 2024 edition of GITEX Global saw the highest number of international attendees in the tech show’s 44-year-old history. The event featured more than 6,500 exhibitors and 1,800 startups from 180+ countries. Read more about it below. Here are the top headlines for your weekly event news updates: GITEX Global records highest-ever international participation Explori …
IMEX America hits record 15,500+ attendees
IMEX America has hit a new record with more than 15,500 attendees at its 2024 edition, signalling growing confidence in the business events sector. The prestigious tradeshow saw the participation of over 5,500 buyers – including 4,300 hosted buyers – with more than 86,000 pre-scheduled meetings with exhibitors. Read all about it below. Here are …
UFI names Chris Skeith new CEO
UFI has selected event industry veteran and the current chief executive of AEO Chris Skeith as its new CEO from 2025. The development comes after outgoing CEO Kai Hattendorf announced he would step down from the post after a decade-long tenure. Read more about it below. Here are the top headlines for your weekly event …
Who is incoming UFI CEO Chris Skeith?
UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, has announced Chris Skeith as its next CEO. Chris takes on the post from January after incumbent Kai Hattendorf revealed he would be stepping down. Throughout his career, Chris has been actively involved with UFI, chairing the Associations Committee and serving on UFI’s Executive Committee. He said: …
Top three positions unchanged in Stax exhibitions ranking
Informa, RX and Clarion continue to lead the global exhibition industry, respectively holding onto the top three positions in Stax’s annual ranking of organizers. The figures also show exhibitions exposed to Chinese markets making a strong return. Read more about it below. Here are the top headlines for your weekly event news updates: Informa, RX, …
AI adoption in events leaps 60% – report
AI adoption in events has surged 60% since 2023, according to a new report. The rise and rise of this technology comes amid a growing eagerness among organizers to take advantage of its benefits. Global DMC Partners found 48% are now using AI tools like ChatGPT, Jasper, Midjourney, Fathom and Descript to streamline their event …
AEO appoints dmg executive as new chair
The Association of Event Organizers has appointed a dmg executive as its new chairman. New chair Rachel Swann will also work on building AEO’s core pillars and exploring their relevance to the association’s members. The move is aimed at “future-proofing” the association for next-generation challenges and opportunities. Read more about it below. Here are the …
AI in event management: powerful but in ‘a bit of a mess’
In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, artificial intelligence has emerged as both a challenge and an opportunity for event professionals. This Transformation Stories interview with Fatima Barbero delves deep into its current landscape to uncover the way forward. The role of AI in event management is in “a bit of a mess” but a strategic …
UFI’s CEO steps down after decade-long tenure
It’s the end of an era in exhibitions as Kai Hattendorf announced his departure as UFI’s CEO after 10 years. Kai assumed the role of chief executive for the association in 2015 and is set to conclude his tenure at the end of 2024. Read below for more details. Here are the top headlines for …
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