7 Criteria for Choosing Event Registration Software at Exhibition Scale
When your exhibition crosses the 10,000-attendee threshold, every registration decision compounds. ISE 2026 processed 120,914 registrations across 168 countries. WHX Dubai 2026 handled 235,000 or more registered visitors from over 180 countries, with 4,300 exhibitors. At that volume, choosing the wrong event registration software starts costing you money even before a single badge gets issued. […]
The State of Event Technology Trends Beyond 2026: Worth Watching and Not
Every January, the industry produces a fresh batch of event technology trend reports. Most recycle the same themes with updated year numbers. The useful ones are willing to say what is not going to happen, alongside what is. Consider this an honest read of where event technology actually stands beyond 2026, based on what we’re seeing […]
Build an Event Operations Playbook for a Flawless Event
There is a moment at every event where the pressure spikes. A contractor misses their dock window. A sponsor’s VP is asking pointed questions. Three teams are waiting for a call that only one person can make. That moment exposes your operations’ maturity. Either the system absorbs the pressure. Or people start improvising. And while […]
Brian Pagel: Your Smartphone Is Your Competition
And Other Uncomfortable Truths About Events in 2026 Brian Pagel is the 2026 IAEE Chairperson and Executive Vice President at Emerald. His original commentary was published in Trade Show Executive magazine as part of their Power Lunch Executives series. Let’s start with a reality check that IAEE’s 2026 Chairperson Brian Pagel delivered with refreshing candor: […]
Event Leads Are Shifting From Lead Lists to Buying Signals
The conversation goes like this: An exhibitor asks how the event performed. You open your post show report: 3,000 badge scans delivered, 1,200 lead forms captured, a 40% increase in floor traffic year over year. Then they ask the question that matters: “Right, but how many of those leads were actually qualified?” The silence that […]
Stop Overcomplicating Your Event Technology Stack
Let’s be honest with each other for a minute. If I asked how many of you feel fully in control of your event technology: not ‘hopeful’, not ‘we manage’, but genuinely in control; a few hands would go up, not many. Obviously, I couldn’t count anyway, but I suspect most of you would be shaking […]
Mastering Lead Retrieval: Top Solutions for 2026
Updated: December 2025 This update reflects where the market actually stands in 2026, stripped of the excitement that clouded earlier assessments. This article was first published in 2023, when contactless scanning was being framed as innovation rather than infrastructure. Three years later, exhibitors arrive expecting CRM-ready data within hours, not days, progressive web apps have […]
Global Support in Event Technology: Why It Matters More Than Features
When you choose an event platform, you are not just choosing software. You are choosing the team that will stand beside you when your reputation is on the line. That moment at 7 AM, 30 minutes before the doors open, is where true partnership shows itself. During the selection process of an event technology partner, […]
Event Registration Best Practices: How Data Creates Event Engagement
Registration, the Event Engagement Foundation You know what event professionals get wrong about registration? They think it’s a gate. A necessary bit of admin before the real event begins. Fill in the forms, print the badge, and move along now, please. Here’s the truth: your event registration system is actually the foundation of your entire […]
What Do Your Event Attendees Want?
As an event organizer, you’ve probably followed a trusted formula for years: secure a few big-name speakers, help design some eye-catching stands, and make sure the coffee is decent. It’s a solid plan that seems like it should work. But in today’s world, that approach is starting to show its age. Attendees are no longer […]