Industry News
Curated headlines from the trade show and exhibition industry's top publications, associations, and expert blogs. Stay current with exhibitor announcements, show openings, industry trends, and market news from across the events world. Whether you follow technology, healthcare, food, or manufacturing events, our news feed surfaces the stories that matter to trade show professionals, exhibitors, and event marketers.
The Essentials: Your Onsite Survival Kit for Events
CHICAGO — Being onsite for long stretches of time can be daunting — and it can be uncomfortable if you don’t feel like you packed the right items for the trip. From aching feet to scrambling for a stapler to feeling like you aren’t getting enough rest, traveling and being on your feet for days at a…
Nominations for the 2026 TSE Gold 100 Grand Awards and Women to Watch Programs are Open; Deadline to Nominate is July 20
CHICAGO — Trade Show Executive (TSE) is now accepting nominations for its 2026 Gold 100 Grand Awards and Women to Watch programs. The deadline for submissions is July 20, and the finalists in the Grand Awards categories and recipients of the Women to Watch awards will be announced on Aug. 3.…
The State of the Trade Show Industry with Larry Kulchawik
PARKER, Colo. — Larry Kulchawik coined the phrase “the invisible industry” to describe the world of trade shows. The just-released 2026 Events Industry Council (EIC) Global Economic Significance of Business Events Executive Summary asserted that the industry has a total spend of $1.3 trillion,…
RISKWORLD Introduces New Elements Designed for Meaningful Impact
PHILADELPHIA — May 2-6, RISKWORLD took over the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia to offer more than 150 learning opportunities, special events and an expansive show floor for risk professionals. This year’s event, hosted by the Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS), saw 3%…
Future Nutra Innovation Summit to Launch in September 2026
HOUSTON — As a veteran of the supplements industry, Joey Savage was frustrated. Over the years, there had been many attention-grabbing headlines about the dangers of these products, but no real clarification on which ones are safe — leaving a void of evidence-based information that consumers could…
The Art of Personal Career Development: A Q&A with Freeman’s Katherine O’Hare
CHICAGO — In the trade show industry, there has been an increasing focus on workforce development and developing talent within the sector from leaders. And while formal company-wide initiatives and purposeful education and training are impactful, they’re not the only ways that early-career…
The Great Connector: Jennifer Hoff Named the 2026 Lenay Gore Award of Excellence Recipient
CHICAGO — At the 2026 Trade Show Executive (TSE) Fastest 50 Awards & Summit, TSE introduced the Lenay Gore Award of Excellence, in honor of the late industry icon Lenay Gore. The first ever recipient of the award was Jennifer Hoff, CEO of Taffy Event Strategies, who demonstrated the values of the…
Ulta Beauty World Fire Highlights Move-In Safety Risks
ORLANDO — Hours before thousands of attendees were set to walk the show floor at Ulta Beauty World on April 15, 2026, a pre-dawn fire broke out inside a booth at the Orange County Convention Center, triggering sprinklers, an emergency response and a cleanup effort to keep the event on schedule. No…
Stewardship in Practice: How Organizers Create Wins for Exhibitors and Sponsors
Stewardship in Practice: How Organizers Create Wins for Exhibitors and Sponsors is a contributed article from Ira Gleser. In my previous article in Trade Show Executive, I introduced the concept of stewardship as “taking responsibility for the health, clarity and outcomes of the exhibitor/sponsor…
CEIR’s 2026 Marketing Spend Decision Report Affirms the Power of B2B Exhibitions
DALLAS — The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) released its 2026 Marketing Spend Decision Report, examining how exhibitors are allocating marketing budgets across channels, their motivations for trade show participation, how they measure ROI and their outlook for the year. The report…
Screen Gems — How Digital Signage Is Rewiring the Convention Center Experience
PHILADELPHIA — Before the badge lines form and the first keynote takes the stage, the Pennsylvania Convention Center hums to life in a different key. Light arrives first. It glides across a 79-foot digital ribbon in the Broad Street Atrium, climbs three 28-foot-high vertical screens, bends around…
Texas Restaurant Show to Integrate the Texas Bar & Nightclub Convention in 2026
AUSTIN — Not long after being recognized for its high growth at the 2026 Trade Show Executive Fastest 50 Awards & Summit, the Texas Restaurant Association’s Texas Restaurant Show will integrate the Texas Bar & Nightclub Convention starting with its 2026 edition, which is set for July 12-13 at the…
How Can Trade Show Professionals Travel More Sustainably?
ORLANDO — According to the World Economic Forum, the global airline industry expects to fly a record-breaking 9.8 billion passengers in 2026. In 2025, the industry transported its highest volume of cargo to date. While airlines grow, however, their impact on the environment does too: Air travel is…
Industry Research Highlights Attendee Acquisition Challenges and Opportunities
CHICAGO — Trade Show Executive (TSE), Lippman Connects and EVOLIO Marketing teamed up once again to conduct an industry survey and study focused on attendee acquisition trends, and found that the industry is struggling with retaining attendees and relies heavily on known audiences in the…
PLMA’s World of Private Label International Trade Show Reflects the Trends While Looking Forward
AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands — In 2025, total sales of store brands reached $282.8 billion — an increase of $9 billion year-over-year and a new record. When you organize the major trade shows in this industry, it’s essential to respond to the market and stay ahead of the curve. That’s why organizers…
Kinsey Fabrizio is Ready to Lead CTA with Clear Vision, Strong Principles and Contagious Optimism
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Effective May 1, Kinsey Fabrizio will take the reins as the Consumer Technology Association’s (CTA)® President and CEO. Fabrizio has been with the association since 2008, and has successfully led major transformations and improvements over the course of her tenure at CTA to both…
SOHO Healthfest 2026 Offers Top-Notch Education and Networking for the Natural Products Industry
ROCKWALL, Tex. — April 17-19, members of the natural products industry — including independent retailers that sell dietary supplements, beauty products, clothing and organic products — came together at the Hilton Dallas/Rockwall Lakefront for SOHO Healthfest 2026. During the event, which is…
New Orleans: Built to Host at Scale
New Orleans: Built to Host at Scale is a sponsored article from New Orleans and Company. A Future-Ready Meetings Campus For trade show organizers, success starts with the right infrastructure, and New Orleans is built to deliver. The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is undergoing a…
Ten Takeaways from the 2026 Fastest 50 Education Summit
BALTIMORE — On April 23, 2026, events industry thought leaders convened at the Fastest 50 Education Summit for a day of elite knowledge sharing. With the theme of “Disruption as a Discipline,” the summit was designed to help attendees navigate an increasingly turbulent landscape and thrive in a…
2026 Sustainability Tips from Industry Leaders
CHICAGO — Earth Day 2026 has come and gone, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to forget about sustainability, especially because eco-friendly strategies don’t just help the planet — they also save you money. To help you continue to level up, Trade Show Executive’s Young Professionals Corner got…