Meetings and Events Industry News

Indianapolis is getting its first Ritz-Carlton, adding a luxury option to the city’s convention hotel options, part of a $3 billion investment in new tourism-related projects.

Recipients are required to pay taxes on incentive merchandise, trips, and even gift cards — not just on cash bonuses.

Strata’s latest acquisition adds a new layer of creative and experiential design to its growing portfolio.

Convene’s acquisition of the NeueHouse brand signals a broader repositioning from functional corporate meeting spaces toward culturally driven, hospitality-led venues.

It starts with a foundation of trust, layered with a mix of interesting people, exclusive experiences, and the promise of potential business.

Fueled by capital from a continuation fund, Nineteen Group is using acquisitions and a soon-to-be-announced launch to fast-track its U.S. expansion.

2026 promises continued condensed booking windows and last-minute sourcing decisions as planners grapple with budgetary and geopolitical uncertainty.

What looked to be a slow year for event tech deals ramped up to a climactic finale with three major deals announced in December. Consolidation, AI upgrades and streamlined versions of all-in-one solutions were some of the trends that emerged and promise to continue into 2026.

CES 2026 is the first major showcase of the Las Vegas Convention Center’s $600 million renovation, with the redesigned Grand Lobby reflecting a broader shift toward flexible, revenue-generating space. 

Predicting the biggest shifts in the events industry is never simple. Some of Skift Meetings’ predictions for 2025 did in fact reshape the industry, while others went off course or were impacted by roadblocks.