Welcome to this month’s exhibit industry news digest for corporate trade show marketers, featuring intel on research, trends, people and company updates.
Data
The meetings and events industry is projected to flourish in 2025, with meeting professionals expressing confidence in its future and noting planned increases in meetings budgets, as revealed in the 14th Annual Global Meetings and Events Forecast by Amex GBT Meetings & Events.
Trending topics include a stronger demand for human connection in an increasingly AI-driven world, data insights at the center of strategic programs, and the “experience is everything” viewpoint. Among the driving factors of memorable experiences the respondents noted three content (38 percent), venue (27 percent), and destination (25 percent). Over half (54 percent) consider sustainability highly important in their 2025 planning, with 47 percent having established clear sustainability goals and action plans and also focusing on DE&I practices, waste management, and eco-friendly food and beverage options.
Trends
Bishop-McCann launched Joy IndexTM, an innovative measurement tool that uses art AI to quantify attendee engagement and experience in real-time, providing a clear picture of in-the-moment attendee engagement. The system is driven by two key tech components: Immersion, created by neuroscientist Dr. Paul Zak, measures changes in attendees’ heart rates using attendees’ own smartwatches or fitness trackers. The facial analytics system, created by Zenus AI, anonymously analyzes attendee expressions and energy levels during events and provides an overall energy score, as well as insights into how different demographics, such as gender and age groups, engage with content. All data is collected ethically, ensuring complete anonymity for attendees.
Gevme in collaboration with the Net Zero Carbon Events (NZCE) initiative and the Strategic Alliance of National Convention Bureaux of Europe unveiled Sustainability Hub for Events, an AI-powered resource designed to simplify sustainable event planning with actionable insights.
The platform, tested and refined with input from users in 25 countries, is available in over 30 languages and is now accepting contributions from multiple stakeholders. A roadmap for broader stakeholder engagement and continuous updates is in development, ensuring the platform remains relevant as the industry evolves.
Company Updates
GES has launched a new division in Qatar aimed at expanding its capacity to deliver localized, in-region support for its clients. Over the past 12 months, GES has successfully delivered a number of major projects in the region, including COP28, Dubai Airshow, Arab Health, ADIPEC, and several notable exhibitions in Saudi Arabia, such as Big5 Construct, Seamless, and Intersec.
NPARALLEL has acquired Atomic Props and Effects LTD, known for innovative prop and structure fabrication. Along with this news, Atomic Props and Effects will now be known as Atomic Props.
Exhibitus has made the Inc. 5000 list. The agency ranks No. 1689 on the 2024 list, Inc.’s annual list of the fastest-growing private companies in America.
ASTOUND Group has appointed Adam Lewis as senior director of technical services, with a focus on enhancing in-house a/v and event production capabilities.
WS Display has announced several promotions. Mike Morrison has been promoted to vp-sales. Rick Moreno has been promoted to Western regional sales manager. Roger Freeman has been promoted to Midwestern/Northeast U.S. sales manager. And Vince Vaughn has been promoted to new Southeastern regional sales manager.
Venue Updates
The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center has completed its second major waste audit. During the recent WEFTEC water quality event, convention center employees, event staff and special guests (dubbed the “Trash Team”) rooted through over 3,674 pounds of a representative sample of waste materials and experimented with the new recycling assistant app, which uses AI photo recognition. As part of the Rubbish AI pilot program, convention center staff can quickly document what items are left in landfill containers and on the show floor. The audit revealed that 73.3 percent of the waste evaluated was properly diverted from the landfill, according to Brian Bollinger of Sustainable Investment Group, the Convention Center’s LEED consultant.
AT&T Hotel and Conference Center in Austin, Texas, is set to undergo a comprehensive $30 million renovation aimed at elevating both the guest and conference experience. Starting in Spring 2025, the project will focus on modernizing the hotel’s expansive 85,000-plus square feet of meeting space. With advanced meeting technology, collaboration-focused features, and turnkey luxury, the hotel will offer “campus-style mini wides” in collaboration with its partner hotels in the University Hotel Collection.
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