Miguel Neves

As the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia F1 races face likely cancellation, the fallout is highlighting broader risk for all live events across the region.

One major investment stole the spotlight, but most event tech companies are focused on partnerships, integrations, and — of course — AI upgrades.

Germany's long history of trade shows just got beat by France, and India's crashing the party with less than 7 million square feet. Tradition and venue size alone won’t cut it, and a new ranking framework shows why.

Event teams don’t lose budget because leaders hate events. They lose budget because “success” gets framed as vanity metrics that can’t survive a CFO’s follow-up question.

Matching AI-powered sourcing, payment, and event management functionality with a powerful player in business travel and expense management is a shrewd move. BoomPop has scored a powerful partnership that no doubt will be good for business.

As the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics approach the final stretch, they are not just inspiring a world of aspiring athletes; they are also a key driver of revenue and a factor lifting projections for European event agencies.

The M&I 15 reflects a sector remade by consolidation — and stress-tested by the Covid pandemic. As mergers and rebrands compressed the field, capabilities have increasingly converged, leaving differentiation to come from corporate structure, service model, and where each firm chooses to specialize. Scale remains the entry ticket, but the gaps in focus are real enough to make buyers look twice at who they’re partnering with.

Co-opetition between destinations sounds ideal, but it rarely survives budget season. One alliance has defied the odds for 25 years and counting.

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.

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