December 2025
How planners who participated in our annual Meetings Market Survey are bearing up in an uncertain geopolitical and economic environment and what they think the new year will bring.
Cover illustration by Illustrations by Petra Péterffy
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Main Stage speaker Adam Grant on how action unleashes confidence, the hidden benefits of imposter syndrome, the limits of AI, and more.
What We All Share in Common in the Global Business Events Industry
Outgoing PCMA chair Neil Brownlee shares highlights from his service and what he has learned as the Board’s first non-North American chair.
Incoming Chair Kelly Ricker Is ‘All In’ on PCMA’s Industry Stewardship, Growth, and Momentum
Ricker told Convene why she is so excited to get to work “building on our strengths while positioning PCMA for an even better future” and laid out her top priorities for 2026.
Trevor Noah Wants to Tell You a Story
Trevor Noah will deliver the closing keynote and conduct a fireside chat at Convening Leaders 2026.
Tabitha Brown on Why Authenticity Is Everything
The Convening Leaders Main Stage speaker shares a preview of her session this coming Tuesday on approaching branding from the heart space.
3 Common Planner Assumptions About AV
AV is one of the biggest expenses planners wrestle with when it comes to budgeting for events. This Tuesday session will help untangle in-house AV and hotel partnerships for organizers so they can plan with clarity.
What’s Ahead for the Events Industry in 2026?
In our recent Meetings Market Survey, Convene asked planners: Are you more worried or more excited about the future? We then put the question to a group of global event professionals. Here’s what they all said.
Using AI Tools to Find Patterns in Registration Data
Event technology and marketing consultant Nick Borelli on which event-registration trends are easiest to predict by analyzing data.
Equip Your Exhibitors
Most trade-show professionals market and sell booth space and then simply wish their exhibitors well. You can do better — their success is your success.
Unpacking the ‘Half a Glass’ Meetings Economy
Looking at our Annual Meetings Market Survey through the lens of optimism vs. pessimism.
Inside Indy’s Rise
Indianapolis may be considered a second-tier city, but it’s punching above its weight class as a host destination for medical meetings and more.
Seriously Cincy
A quick trip reveals how a downtown renaissance is transforming Ohio’s third-largest city into a top-tier event destination.
Sea Suite
A three-day tour of Florida’s Palm Beaches showcased this coastal area’s culinary creativity and sophisticated meeting spaces.
Convene’s 32nd Meetings Market Survey Results
Responses from Convene’s Annual Meetings Market Survey show the varying ways that event strategists are managing uncertainty, maximizing attendee engagement, and adopting new technologies like AI.
Adam Grant Believes in Your Hidden Potential
Organizational psychologist, podcaster, and author Grant will deliver the opening keynote on the Main Stage at Convening Leaders 2026.
10 Things Not to Miss in Philadelphia
Places, spaces, and tastes to shortlist while in town for Convening Leaders.
Why the Business Events Community Is Built to Last
The long-term value of our community lies in our ability to strengthen the connections that allow societies to thrive.
An Artist in Residence Inspired Deeper Connections at This Association’s Annual Meeting
How a First Nations artist’s live carving sparked a four-day-long conversation at an International Academy of Trial Lawyers meeting.
Using AI to Move the Needle on Late Registrations
How Spark can help planners combat the late registration trend by uncovering patterns in their own registration data and finding ways to spur prospective audiences to action.
Post-Con Survey Redo
What questions to ask — which ones to avoid — to increase your chances of getting the highest number of responses that yield insights.
Planners Share Their Recent Challenges and Rewards
Event strategists from around the world told us how they’re staying flexible at a pivotal moment for the business events industry.
How to Make Subvention Programs Work Harder
A recent study shows that the current funding model to encourage group business falls short in significant areas beyond economics.
Candy Retailers Come Together for a Confectionery Convention
Retailers gathered in Kentucky in April to collaborate on the making, packaging, and marketing of candy.
This Biennial Meeting Is a Divine Collaboration
How a national leadership conference amplifies the impact of a powerful network of Black Greek-letter fraternities and sororities.
How Convening Leaders 2026 Is Embracing Sustainability
Thanks to a combination of careful planning and strategic partnerships, PCMA’s annual meeting keeps raising its own standards for event sustainability.
How to Boost Real-Time Attendee Engagement
Planners shared event engagement strategies in a recent discussion on the PCMA Catalyst community.
Fixing a Broken Conference Model
At The Conference for Conferences, participants explored what events rooted in participant experience and connection could look like.
This ‘Little Behavioral Trick’ Makes Sessions More Meaningful
Behavioral expert Thimon de Jong — who spoke last week at PCMA Convening EMEA — on the brain benefits of resisting the urge to grab your phone the moment a session ends.
3 Practices That Beat New Skill Acquisition
In 2026, your edge will be from regularly engaging in three workplace practices.
Joining the Dots With Zanny Minton Beddoes
Ahead of her Main Stage opening keynote at PCMA Convening Leaders 2026, Jan. 11-14 in Philadelphia, The Economist Editor-in-Chief Zanny Minton Beddoes spoke with Convene about three global revolutions reshaping our world, why in-person events matter more than ever, and how to navigate an environment defined by uncertainty.