In Case You Missed It
In the past month on BizBash's Meetings & Trade Shows vertical, we've covered tips for working with event sponsors—how do you keep them happy without sacrificing your event's integrity? It can be a delicate balancing act.We also recapped buzzy meetings like The Wall Street Journal's Future of Everything Festival. This year, the event brought together a cohort of business titans and emerging leaders to discuss the future of key industries, ranging from technology to finance to sports and entertainment. Then it was on to Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies Gala & Summit; the third annual event honored the brands featured on the publication's 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2025 list.
And just this week, we launched our 2025 recap of C2 Montreal. The event—known for its out-of-the-box experiences—returned to the Grand Quay with the theme "Motion: The Art of Taking Action."
Are you experiencing global attendance challenges? This month we also explored how U.S. event profs are dealing with visa delays, travel bans, and heightened scrutiny at airports, and rethinking how their events can attract, support, and retain international attendees.
Here are five more things to know about this month...
1. MPI WEC kicks off this week in St. Louis.
More than 2,000 event profs are expected to arrive in St. Louis this week for Meeting Professionals International's World Education Congress, its marquee event. The event takes place June 18-20 at the America’s Center Convention Complex, which recently completed phase one of a $256 million expansion and facelift.“St. Louis isn’t just the backdrop—it’s the co-creator of this experience,” said Brad Dean, president and CEO of Explore St. Louis, in a statement. “This is our moment to shine as a hub of creativity, resilience, and reinvention. Hosting WEC in St. Louis gives attendees an authentic, engaging experience they can’t get anywhere else.”
Resilience will surely be a key theme this year. On May 16, an EF3 tornado struck the region, killing five people and causing major damage. As the entire community continues to rally to support those affected (MPI even has a tornado recovery volunteer opportunity on the agenda on Wednesday), the city moves forward.
WEC's theme this year is "Where Connection Inspires Action." Headlining speakers include activist, educator, and writer Brittany Packnett Cunningham and U.S. scientist, author, and inventor Temple Grandin. Off-site celebrations will take place at notable St. Louis attractions like Busch Stadium, The Pageant, and the Grand Center Arts District.
2. Connect Spring Marketplace has a new host city for 2026.
After hosting its spring event in Las Vegas for the last several years, Informa-owned Connect Meetings announced last week that its Connect Spring Marketplace will take place in Louisville, Ky., April 14-16, 2026. The event will bring thousands of events, travel, and sports industry leaders to Derby City."Louisville has consistently proven to be an exceptional host city for our events," said Matt Johnson, managing director at Informa Connect. "Since hosting Connect Marketplace in 2019 with 3,600 attendees—which featured our first-ever experiential trade show—the city has demonstrated its commitment to delivering outstanding experiences for our attendees. This will mark our fourth Connect event in Louisville, underscoring a longstanding partnership that both parties are incredibly proud of."
Editor's note: Connect Meetings | Informa Connect is BizBash's parent company.
3. A new trends report says corporate events are on the rise.
New York-based event agency FCM Meetings & Events recently released its inaugural "Global Trends Report," aiming to provide a detailed look at the key trends shaping the meetings and events industry today and in the years ahead. The report, developed in partnership with Cvent, features insights from a diverse group of meetings and events professionals surveyed across 28 countries and 22 industries.“Looking ahead, it's clear that the industry's future growth will be defined by how well those deliver unique and personalized service, enable and encourage responsible travel choices, and design events that are accessible and engaging on every level,” said Simone Seiler, global general manager for FCM in a press release.
Notable findings from the report include:
- 56% of respondents shared that the primary purpose of meetings and events is to foster engagement, whether with employees, clients, or both, highlighting the critical role of connectivity in driving business success.
- More and more industries are assigning dedicated staff to manage their event business. The professional services sector led the way in employing in-house planners, followed by the travel, real estate, and media industries.
- In 2024, more than 47% of companies globally invested in medium- to large-scale events, ranging from 50 to 150+ attendees. In the Americas, 42% of companies allocated budget toward larger events last year.
Read the full report here.
4. There's a new leader at the helm of Visit San Antonio.
Earlier this month, Mario Bass was named the new president and CEO of Visit San Antonio. Bass, a San Antonio native, has been the interim president and CEO of the organization since April; before that, he served as the executive vice president and chief strategy officer.“The Visit San Antonio team and I are focused on strengthening our core mission of bringing the world to San Antonio, to put heads in beds, fill our convention center, restaurants, attractions, and cultural institutions to continue growing the positive economic impact and tax revenues, and keep my fellow San Antonians working," Bass said in a statement.
San Antonio continues to rise in the ranks of top U.S. meeting destinations. The city hosed Cvent CONNECT last week for the second time. Other big events in the city in 2025 include the InCyber Forum North America debut in June, Keller Williams Family Reunion in July, and Premiere San Antonio in September—to name a few.
5. The Boston convention center has a new name.
The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority announced that the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC) will be renamed as the Thomas Michael Menino Convention and Exhibition Center in honor of Thomas Menino, who served as the mayor of Boston from 1993 to 2014 and was the city’s longest-serving mayor. An event to officially mark the name change will be held on July 12.“Last year, we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the opening of the BCEC, which would not have been possible without the leadership of Mayor Menino,” said Marcel Vernon, Sr., CEO of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, in a statement. “It is a fitting tribute that the convention and exhibition center he championed will now carry his name and we look forward to hosting the commemoration event in July.”
