Events & Exhibition industry
Latest news
Foto: The CCD
Foto: The CCD
Europe’s Leading Meetings & Conference Centre 2025
The Convention Centre Dublin Honoured at World Travel Awards
The Convention Centre Dublin (The CCD) has been named Europe’s Leading Meetings & Conference Centre 2025 at the 32nd annual World Travel Awards, reaffirming its reputation as one of the continent’s premier venues for international business events.
German Sustainability Day 2025
2bdifferent curates Deep Dive on sustainable event practices
Graphic: 2bdifferent
The 18th German Sustainability Day (DNT) on 4 and 5 December 2025 in Düsseldorf will once again focus on issues of transformation and the future. The highlight will be the presentation of the German Sustainability Award on 5 December. This year's honourees include the Zollverein Foundation and the winners in the "Special Places" category: the Umweltforum Berlin and the Königsstuhl National Park Centre.
Future programme decided
NürnbergMesse is investing over €500 million in its site
From left: Deputy Chair of the Supervisory Board and Mayor of Nuremberg Marcus König, NürnbergMesse Group CEO Peter Ottmann and Chair of the Supervisory Board Albert Füracker, Bavarian Minister of Finance and Home Affairs. Photo: Ralf Rödel, NürnbergMesse
At its meeting on 28 November 2025, the Supervisory Board of NürnbergMesse decided to launch a multi-year future programme aimed at making the exhibition grounds in Nuremberg more sustainable, digital and flexible.
AUMA – Association of the German Trade Fair Industry
First industry study on AI applications in trade fairs
Photo: Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH / Arturo Rivas Gonzalez
From 30 June to 2 July 2025, the Congress Centre Villach will become the hub of the Austrian conference industry. Convention4u 2025 (C4u), the conference laboratory of the Austrian Convention Bureau (ACB), invites you to join in the joint development of a sustainable meeting culture under the motto "Connecting. Rewarding. Transformative." to jointly develop a sustainable meeting culture.
2025 JMIC Profile & Power Award
Ben Goedegebuure Recognised at IBTM World
The Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC) has presented the 2025 JMIC Profile & Power Award to Ben Goedegebuure, Chief Global Strategy Officer at Maritz. The award was handed over during IBTM World 2025 in Barcelona, recognising his leadership, strategic influence and long-standing contributions to the global business events sector.
International MICE Summit (IMS) 2025
Saudi Arabia Strengthens its Global MICE Profile
The International MICE Summit (IMS) returns to Riyadh this week, taking place from 26 to 27 November 2025. Organised by the Saudi Conventions & Exhibitions General Authority (SCEGA), the second edition has drawn more than 3,000 registrations – a significant rise from the inaugural event in 2024, which drew 1,700 participants from 25 countries.
The Hague & Partners Publishes Bleisure Study
Survey Shows Rising Interest in Mixing Business and Leisure
The Hague & Partners Convention Bureau has published new findings on how business travellers and event professionals approach bleisure travel – the blending of business and leisure time during work-related trips. This case study explores perceptions, motivations and behaviours, offering destinations and industry stakeholders guidance on evolving traveller expectations.
digital talks by the dfv media group:
Federal Conference on the Event Industry 2025
Specific political demands
Council of Representatives 2025/26 (from left): Jens Langner, Alexander Ostermaier, Marcel Fery, Ellen Kamrad, Justus Benedikt Brand, Mike P. Heisel and Christian Eichenberger. Photo: kwie.medien
With the Congress of the European Society of Paediatric Otorhinolaryngology (ESPO) from 3 to 6 May 2025 and the Annual Congress of the German Society for Senology (DGS) from 26 to 28 June 2025, two important medical congresses will once again be held at the Stuttgart Exhibition Centre this year. "Hosting conferences such as ESPO and DGS is very important to us," emphasises Claudia Döttinger, member of the management board at Messe Stuttgart. "They enable the latest research findings to be presented to a broad specialist audience ...
AI in event planning
Vok Dams focuses on "digital doppelgangers"
Colja Dams, Managing Director at Vok Dams, presents the "digital doppelgangers". Photo: VOK DAMS
The agency for events and live marketing Vok Dams uses so-called "digital doppelgangers" to tailor event concepts more closely to the needs of potential participants early on in the planning phase. The AI-supported models simulate the expectations, motivations and possible hurdles of a target group, providing early insights into their perspective.
92. UFI Global Congress
Two anniversaries in Hong Kong
The new Presidential Trio of UFI – The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (from left): Hugh Jones (outgoing President, CEO of RX), Panittha Buri (President 2025/26, Vice Chair of the Bhiraj Buri Group) and Wolfram N. Diener (President-elect, Chairman of the Management Board of Messe Düsseldorf). Photo: UFI
On 22 November 2025, the 92nd UFI Global Congress came to an end in Hong Kong. Hosted by AsiaWorld-Expo, the event brought together over 600 participants from 47 countries under the motto "Shaping the Future". The congress also marked two anniversaries: 100 years of UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, and 20 years of AsiaWorld-Expo.
Business Events Growth Programme
VisitBritain Reports Strong Economic Impact
VisitBritain has reported that its Business Events Growth Programme generated £60.6 million in direct economic return between April 2018 and March 2024, according to an external evaluation that has now been updated to include events supported during the 2023–2024 financial year. The programme aims to attract and grow international business events across Britain and has supported 91 events in 18 cities across England, Scotland and Wales during the six-year period.
2025 ICCA Congress in Porto
Visit Faroe Islands Wins 2025 Best Marketing Award
Visit Faroe Islands has been named the winner of the 2025 ICCA Best Marketing Award. The announcement was made during the closing ceremony of the 64th ICCA Congress in Porto, Portugal.
IBTM World Trends Report 2025
Demographic changes as an opportunity
The new IBTM World Trends Report 2025, presented at the IBTM World in Barcelona (18 to 20 November 2025), paints a picture of a resilient and growing meetings and events industry. The analysis is based on over 140 sources and shows continued high confidence in the market – despite global uncertainties.