TSNN - Trade Show News Network

🎙 New podcast drop: Trade Show Talk with RX Global Chief Digital Product Officer Gaby Appleton Danica Tormohlen interviewed Gaby about her role in building and commercializing digital products that enhance the value of RX events, by connecting buyers and sellers across more than 400 events in 43 different industry sectors. Over the last three years in her current role, she has overseen the rollout of the company’s own registration system Mercury, the mobile badge-scanning app Emperia, and an Exhibitor Dashboard to analyze their results and improve their performance. Most recently, RX introduced Colleqt QR, where visitors can capture information about exhibitors, sponsors, and their products by scanning Colleqt QR codes at exhibitor booths and at product feature zones with their mobile phones. What's the current state of digital product rollouts at RX? Listen to the full episode of Trade Show Talk on your favorite streaming service or here: https://lnkd.in/eaDBR_VT

With half-year revenues hitting $2.14 billion, Informa is riding a wave of growth. The B2B events and digital services giant reported impressive half-year results for 2024, boasting an 18.8% increase in underlying operating profit, an 11% revenue boost, and a 10% hike in dividends. Informa has now upped its full-year guidance, targeting an adjusted operating profit of up to $1.29 billion. "Informa is kicking off 2024 with the same momentum we saw at the end of 2023. We're growing, expanding internationally, and continuously developing our portfolio, which gives us increasing confidence in our distinctive products, services, and brands," said Stephen A. Carter, Informa PLC Group Chief Executive, in video presentation today. Adding to the excitement, Informa made a $1.5 billion bid for Ascential plc, the producer of prominent industry conferences like the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and Money20/20. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gddP5yrx

Trade show exhibitors now have an AI-powered solution to help them solve the common challenge of forgetting or losing vital lead information gathered during trade shows, conferences, and other business events. Enter Backtrack - AI Booth Sales Assistant, a retroactive audio recording mobile app created specifically for exhibitor booths by parent company Yac, developer of an asynchronous voice messaging platform for remote teams. “Exhibitors spend over $10,000 to go to events, just to forget 90% of the conversations within a week,” explained Hunter McKinley 🛸, Backtrack co-founder and CEO. “Time and time again we hear from exhibitors that legacy lead capture systems aren’t helpful in that they don’t give the actual context of what they talked about with their leads. What makes [Backtrack] magical is it records backwards like a car dash cam, giving [exhibitors] the optionality to choose what they want to save, and not leaving them with massive 8-hour recordings.” 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gsRfZEpw

Ahead of this week’s opening of Comic-Con International, the San Diego Convention Center Corporation Center (SDCC) unveiled the show’s limited-edition craft chocolate bars that will be available for purchase when the show opens at 6 p.m. PT on Wed., July 24.  Each year, SDCC’s food & beverage partner Sodexo Live! develops new, creative flavors that celebrate the fun and whimsy of the convention. Led by Sodexo Live! Executive Chef Sufi Karaien and Pastry Chef Kristianna Zabala, the F&B team makes 100 chocolate bars every 90 minutes inside the on-site kitchen, hand-crafting each one during the weeks leading up to the major event that attracts more than 135,000 attendees, creating a regional economic impact of more than $160 million and tax revenues of more than $3 million to the City of San Diego. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gcSaMeVK

The Los Angeles Convention Center recently got the green light to move forward with its Convention Center Expansion and Modernization Project, which is now expected to move forward in the spring of 2025. Plans include new construction that will connect the LACC’s two existing South and West Exhibit Halls by adding 190,000 square feet of space to create one contiguous hall and add 55,000 square feet of new meeting room space, 95,000 square feet of multipurpose space, and redesign Gilbert Lindsay Plaza, which will add public open space and transform it into a new outdoor venue for event programming. “Currently, the LACC hosts nearly 200 events and two million visitors annually,” said LACC General Manager Kimberly Weedmark. “We’re excited that an upgraded facility will allow us to expand our event base with more top-tier programs and allow our current clients continued growth opportunities. An expanded and modernized center will provide our customers with innovative technology and demonstrate leadership in sustainability.” 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gSZeujxy

One of the fastest-growing segments of the trade show industry in 2024: international attendance and exhibitors. In fact, international travel to the U.S. is growing quickly, with volume expected to reach 98% of 2019 levels in 2024 (up from 84% recovered in 2023), according to the most recent data from U.S. Travel Association. After international participation in U.S. trade shows flat-lined during COVID, event organizers, like Money20/20 and Plant Based World Expo North America Expo, are capitalizing on the rebound by investing in attracting foreign companies to their U.S. events with international pavilions. TSNN delves into the current trends and strategies surrounding international pavilions, drawing insights from cherif moujabber, owner of Creative Expos and Conferences, a Walpole, Mass.-based company that has a long history of consulting with trade shows, like the Fancy Food Shows, CONEXPO-CON/AGG and the National Restaurant Association Show, to attract international exhibitors and attendees. We explored successful examples, challenges, and strategic advice for ensuring your company's success on the global stage. https://lnkd.in/g8nPMk45

Highlights from Destinations International Annual Convention on Wednesday, July 17, at the JW Marriott and Marriott Hotels in Tampa. The event attracted 1,850 attendees.

PCMA and the Strategic Alliance of the National Convention Bureaux of Europe (SANCBE) are gearing up to launch Convene 4 Climate, a sustainability conference for the global business events industry. Set for Oct. 2-3 in Barcelona, the inaugural gathering is open to select participation in a workshop-based environment and aims to drive responsibility, harness the power of technology, and deliver transformative solutions to address climate change challenges. “Together with SANCBE, PCMA is co-creating a way forward for a regenerative future that empowers the global business events industry to continue to operate in a commonsense way while driving positive change for a new economy,” said Sherrif Karamat, president and CEO of PCMA and CEMA. “Now is the time to embark on this transformative journey to reimagine the future, inspire sustainable progress, and ignite a movement towards a more resilient tomorrow.” 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gdDWbrDJ

The business event industry is at a pivotal moment for event planners and marketers alike – where budgets are tight and attendees are more demanding. That means that when it comes to trade shows and events, almost every detail matters – including the choice of swag. In his first thought leadership post with TSNN, Adrian Speyer, VP of marketing & community at education and research community Customer Leaders Institute (CLI), shares insights from the 2024 Swag Report, which surveyed more than 250 professionals in North America and Europe to uncover trends and guide marketers in using their swag dollars wisely. Read his summary here: https://lnkd.in/exAxCqS2 #tradeshow #tradeshows #eventprofs

Marketplace Events (MPE)—an independent producer of nearly 70 home and garden shows, 18 sport and outdoor shows, 16 holiday shows and 10 regional trade shows in North America—recently expanded its business in Canada with the acquisition of 31 events from Master Promotions, Ltd., elevating its total trade and consumer show portfolio to 111 events, which includes 66 in the U.S. and 45 in Canada. The 31-show deal—which includes 14 sport/outdoor shows, seven home shows and 10 trade events owned by one of Canada’s largest independent trade and consumer event management companies—marks MPE’s largest acquisition in its history. The 111 events in 53 markets currently attract 30,000 exhibitors, 2.5 million attendees and another 5 million unique web visitors each year. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/ecQuE35C Mark White #tradeshow #tradeshows #consumershows #eventprofs