After years of disruption, the business meetings and events industry has stabilised, but it now operates under greater cost pressure and growing demands around visibility and demonstrable value. That is according to the 2026 Global Client Survey published by corporate meetings agency BCD Meetings & Events. Organisations are shifting their focus from expanding programmes to optimising them, with every event expected to perform better and deliver more strategic value.

The dividing line between managing business travel and business meetings is blurring rapidly. According to new research by Business Travel Show Europe, 60.5 percent of corporate travel buyers are now jointly responsible for both travel and meetings; an increase from 50 percent in 2025. This shift points to a broader wave of consolidation within the field, driven by cost pressure and the need for greater control over expenses.

The accessibility measures at the 2025 edition were already so thoughtfully designed that they earned consultant Marianne Dijkshoorn of Welkom Toegankelijkheid & Evenementen a Golden Giraffe Award for sustainability. During a guided tour of the third edition at Rotterdam Ahoy — on 30 and 31 May 2026 — she shows how the bar has been raised even higher this year.

Professionals who avoid trade events rarely do so out of disinterest, but because they do not sufficiently see how an event helps them advance professionally. This is evident from the report "What's Keeping People Away", published by the American event company Freeman on May 18, 2026, based on nearly 20,000 survey responses.

Encore and Boldpush have published The Experience Design Report, based on research among 447 event professionals. Connection is seen as the most important core factor of gatherings, but programming lags behind in this regard.

At IMEX Frankfurt, the Copenhagen Convention Bureau presented the Copenhagen Risk Navigator, a comprehensive framework designed to improve risk management for international business events. This initiative offers the first structured approach to risk management in the conference sector.

The Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC) is proud to announce that Anne-Marie Baezner, CEO of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Venues, GL events Group and Director of the Lyon Motor Show and Salon du Randonneur, has been named the recipient of the 2026 JMIC Unity Award.

JWC, a global consultancy for the business events sector, has introduced a new analytical model that helps city officials and destination marketers demonstrate how business events contribute to policy goals. The DDM – Destination Development Model – addresses the growing demand from governments for clearer evidence of the sector's long-term contribution, going beyond traditional impact metrics such as visitor spending, hotel stays, and economic impact.