Andrea Doyle

Freeman's new in-house platform turns convention center floor plans into navigable 3D environments — and has the potential to change how planners visualize, sell, and build events before a single booth goes up.

As the war involving Iran drags on, the Middle East’s event calendar is being reshuffled, and a key World Economic Forum gathering on global collaboration is the latest postponement.

Financial losses stemming from the Iran War continue to mount, with cancellations now pushing further into the 2026 calendar as uncertainty reshapes global event demand. 

Convene’s evolution into a multi-brand platform is drawing strong investor interest.

Chicago is joining other convention cities using higher hotel taxes to better fund destination marketing and offer cash incentives, but it may be pushing costs toward a tipping point.

In a market defined by mega-resorts, Caesars is betting on a boutique property for executive-level meetings.

After a 2025 spree of acquisitions targeting high-growth markets, Emerald is now attracting buyers of its own.

Crypto traders are used to financial volatility, but the war in Iran has introduced a different kind of instability. It is disrupting the events ecosystem that the city spent years building.

SXSW’s 2026 edition will offer a preview of how large citywide events adapt when venues shutter, schedules compress, and worrying attendance trends reshape the bottom line.

The postponement wipes out millions in revenue for the year and puts pressure on organizers to manage refunds, rebookings, and the reputation of a major new regional launch.