Global Industry News

Article summaryUK venue organisation Music Venue Trust (MVT) and technology company Audoo ran a two-month pilot at small music venues. A system listened to the performance audio and compared it with known songs, but MVT reported that 21% of the recorded live audio time matched known songs. What, then, was the remaining 79%? And why does this figure matter to the live music industry?

Article summaryCvent changed access to proposal email links in a supplier notice on 3 November. Planners can view a proposal only after signing in to Cvent, and NSO contacts must also sign in before opening a link. For suppliers, managing who can open the material has become another task after sending a proposal.

Article summaryFreeman launched Signature Turnkey Solutions on September 21 with repeat delivery in mind. Its supply model offers three options, from predesigned modules to fully custom builds. The structure raises a question: who should pay for design, inventory and revisions, and how?

Article summaryUFI released its European exhibition statistics on 22 October. The report brings together 2025 records for 1,758 exhibitions in 13 countries. It is tempting to look at these figures and think, "A European exhibition market this large must offer a way to make money." It is not that simple.

Article summaryFreeman released The Pre-Event Edition on 13 October. Organisers often interpret late registrations as a sign that customers are hesitating. The report suggests that this timing is better understood as late decision-making. Before deciding to attend, customers look for evidence, and how early organisers provide that evidence can shape when they register.

Article summaryPCMA Convene’s 2026 Salary Survey, published on 8 October, shows that event professionals are concerned with more than pay. Respondents were also assessing additional responsibilities, work allocation, career paths, leadership and flexibility. Compensation adjustments, work reallocation and development support require different cost and staffing decisions.

Article summaryOn October 6, Informa announced plans to acquire Clarion for £2.24bn. Clarion’s more than 100 B2B event brands are expected to join Informa’s B2B live events business. This is a transaction and integration plan; the brands have not yet joined. Suppliers need to consider both sales opportunities and customer concentration as an event portfolio grows.

Survey finding91% expected meetings and events spending to rise in 2027. Attendee experience remained the top priority as planners considered costs, locations, risk and AI together. The findings describe professionals’ responses and plans.