GITEX expands across four continents to ensure global AI progress

Welcome to the Week in Events. Your top story is that GITEX is to launch events in four more cities to help ensure progress AI “serves all humanity”.

The announcement was made during the landmark 45th edition of the show, with the development to include shows across four continents.

It comes as GITEX Global in Dubai reported record of number of attendees and more than 6,800 exhibitors in its latest edition.

Your other top headlines include:

• Hyve expands finance tech event to Europe
• New space economy expo by IEG
• Free Event Strategy Bot launches

Read on for your the full Week in Event industry news roundup.

GITEX expands into four “fast-moving” cities

GITEX Global will be expanding its portfolio across four continents to ensure AI progress “belongs to everyone”.

Sao Paulo, Bangalore, Belgrade and Istanbul will all now host their own editions of the brand.

The move was announced at GITEX Global in Dubai, which reported record-breaking figures for the world’s largest AI and tech event.

Trixie LohMirmand, EVP of organizer Dubai World Trade Centre, said: “The future of AI cannot be written by a few privileged nations.

“Only through shared participation can we ensure intelligence serves all humanity, not just for some.

“Every economy, regardless of size or shape, has a vital role and the right to shape this collective future.

“Guided by this conviction, this week at GITEX Global 2025 we announced the further expansion of GITEX into four of the world’s fastest moving cities – countries defined by fearless ambitions, abundant talents and bold, committed Governments.

“Now part of the GITEX Global universe across four continents and in 14 countries, these rising intelligent economies will take their place in influencing the global narrative of AI.

“GITEX Global is proud to ensure that innovation is inclusive, opportunity is borderless and progress belongs to everyone.”

Meanwhile, the event in Dubai drew over 6,800 exhibitors, 2,000 startups and tech delegations from 180 countries for the 45th edition of the show.

Visitors saw several major unveilings of new tech in areas such as – generative AI, next-gen systems and connected cloud.

ExpoPlatform was once again the official tech provider for the landmark edition of GITEX Global.

Hyve expands finance tech event to Europe

Hyve is set to expand one of its major finance tech shows into a new market.

The move will see Fintech Meetup Europe launch in Lisbon, Portugal next year.

It comes after three “game-changing” editions of the event in the US.

Mark Shashoua, CEO of Hyve, said: “Fintech Meetup has proven to be a game-changing format in the US and expanding it into Europe is a natural next step.

“This launch demonstrates our ability to take high-performing event brands into new regions and launch at full scale from day one.”

Hyve has made several new acquisitions this year across several sectors.

This move to scale up Fintech Meetup is another significant milestone in the organizer’s growth strategy.

The event will see more than 2,500 attendees – with over 25,000 double opt-in meetings planned.

Gary Dempsey, event director of Fintech Meetup Europe, added: “Europe’s fintech community is ready for a platform that delivers real outcomes, not just conversations.”

New space economy expo by IEG

The Italian Exhibition Group is launching a new space industry expo-conference in collaboration with the Emilia-Romagna Region.

Beyond Exploration (BEX) will see its first edition take place at the Rimini Expo Centre in 2026.

The event will be a focal point for generating new ideas and business opportunities within the aerospace industry.

Giuseppe Sala, president of BEX’s Scientific Technical Committee, said: “BEX is preparing to be an absolute first in the panorama of events dedicated to space exploration and the space economy.

“The project, developed by a group of experts from complementary disciplines, aims to overcome traditional formats and become an international point of reference.”

IEG has created BEX as part of efforts to position Italy the epicenter of international debate for the space industry.

The conference’s main objective is to serve as a bridge between the research and innovation, traditional supply chain and emerging fields.

IEG is in discussions with government bodies and major space industry stakeholders to increase the size and reach of BEX across the globe.

Free Event Strategy Bot launches

A new AI-powered tool has been developed to create a full strategic analysis of any show in minutes – and it’s being given away for free.

Baris Onay, founder of Precision Communities, created the Event Strategy Bot to help organisers quickly understand and benchmark their events.

It was born from his own consulting work with mid-sized companies and designed to make event analysis “as easy as possible”.

He told ExpoPlatform: “I made it as easy as possible. The only input you need is the URL of the show you want to analyse.

“It might be your own show, your competitor’s show – just the URL – and wait five minutes and you get a 10-point strategy out. It doesn’t get easier than this.”

He added: “You can also run it on your competitors, or if you’re having M&A targets, you can put the bot on one of those and see what it does for you. It will give you a very nice overview of your target show.”

Meanwhile, Baris also covered topics such as the importance of “invisible” technology, issues with a fragmented playing field as well as the power imbalance between organisers and participants.

Read the full Transformation Story with Baris Onay here.

That was your full Week in Events roundup. To bring the latest tech to your next trade show book a demo with ExpoPlatform.