Meetings and Events Industry News

The only way to transport everything was by cable car, the planners were not permitted to bring generators, the venue had never held a major event before — and then came the rain. 

Louisville’s plan to convert the iconic Humana Building into a 1,000-room convention hotel reflects a broader shift among mid-tier meeting destinations, closing the headquarters-hotel gap. As large conventions increasingly demand walkable room blocks connected to convention centers, Louisville is aligning its downtown hotel inventory with planner expectations. 

New research reveals that attendees are looking to medical congresses as much for connection as for education.

Travel management platform Engine has launched a new meeting room marketplace. For now, it functions mainly as a streamlined way to discover meeting spaces and send inquiries, with real-time booking still to come.

It’s a new year, but many players in the event tech sector are taking one of two familiar approaches: buy a competitor to gain customers or repackage the product with a heavy dose of 'AI-driven' automation.

Organizers of the 2026 Winter Olympics are deploying predictive crowd tech, digital twins, and AI-driven operations to manage the sprawling, multi-cluster footprint — a real-world template for future mega-events.

A fresh style of entertainment has emerged from the festival scene — one that also appeals to younger-generation attendees and is all about "Instagrammable" moments.

Make sure your CEO is aware that the decision to hold off on booking an event will mean limited availability, lower attendance, a stressed-out staff — and big bucks. 

As immigration enforcement continues in the Minneapolis area, most meetings and travel industry associations have avoided public statements. Skift Meetings reached out to 14 associations, but received responses from only four. 

UFI’s latest research highlights regional differences in business forecasts, AI adoption, and the desire for refreshed trade show formats.