Event Dispatch - May

Hey there 👋

Welcome to the latest edition of Event Dispatch. Hybrid is making a comeback, younger audiences are raising the bar, and 2026 is proving to be a year of sharper strategy across the board.

In this issue, we look at the Q2 trends redefining event experiences, what planners are still getting wrong with Gen Z and millennial audiences, and a data-rich breakdown of where the industry stands today. We also took a closer look at B2B exhibitor spending, risk-aware travel planning, and the latest cyber trends and how they affect event security.

Let's get into it.

🧠 Event Industry Intel You Need To Know

Sledge's Q2 Reality Check for Event Planners

Live events agency Sledge has shared its Q2 outlook, and the picture is clear: the industry is getting more deliberate about how it uses technology, how it tells stories, and how it designs for audiences that are no longer all in the same room.

Key insights from the report:

• AI needs a brief: Project-specific strategies that factor in budget, timeline, and audience will separate effective campaigns from expensive experiments.

• Hybrid is back for real reasons: With over 100 events canceled across the Middle East by mid-March, organizations are returning to hybrid as a considered model.

• Storytelling is becoming a job requirement: LinkedIn postings featuring "storyteller" doubled in the year to November 2025. Sledge predicts it will soon be an expectation across all roles.

The thread connecting all three trends is intentionality. The organizations getting it right in Q2 are the ones asking sharper questions before they start.

Want the full breakdown? Event Industry News breaks down all trends and what they mean for your event strategy this quarter.

What Planners Keep Getting Wrong About Younger Attendees

Gen Z and Millennials are projected to make up 75% of the workforce by 2030, yet most event design still relies on assumptions that don't hold up. A recent Skift Meetings Backstage Briefing brought together experts from 360 Live Media, MCI Group, and Maritz to challenge ten of the most common misconceptions planners hold about younger audiences.

Key insights from the experts:

• Content and networking are no longer enough: What younger attendees are looking for is belonging, momentum, and identity.

• Co-design over programming: Involving participants in shaping their own experience builds loyalty in a way that pre-set agendas simply cannot.

• Simpler tools often win: Many younger attendees prefer a WhatsApp group over a feature-heavy conference app that loses relevance the moment the event ends.

Getting this right is not just about appealing to a new generation. It is about building events that people keep coming back to.

Skift Meetings breaks down all ten misconceptions and what planners should be doing differently.

💭 From the Founder's Desk: The Gap Between Data Ownership and Data Control

In his latest LinkedIn post, Wil raises a question that every event organizer using a ticketing platform should be asking: Does your contract actually reflect how your data is being handled, or does it just look good on paper?

The distinction matters more than most organizers realize. A data ownership clause is only as meaningful as what the platform technically allows you to do. Collecting attendee data is one thing. Being able to access it, export it, and walk away with it when you switch platforms is another conversation entirely.

For organizers, this is both a legal and practical consideration. Attendee data sits at the heart of every marketing decision, every follow-up campaign, and every relationship built beyond the event itself. If that data is effectively locked inside a platform, the ownership clause in your contract means very little.

With GDPR compliance expectations continuing to tighten, understanding what your platform is actually doing with attendee data, and what happens to it when you leave, is becoming a baseline requirement rather than a bonus.

Worth a read before you sign your next contract. Join the conversation on LinkedIn.

Why Risk-Aware Planning is the New Normal in 2026

The FCM Meetings and Events 2026 Trends Report paints a clear picture: organizations are doubling down on face-to-face events, but with a much sharper eye on risk, flexibility, and operational resilience.

Key insights from the report:

• Budgets are holding firm: 92% of organizations expect their meetings and events spending to increase or remain stable in 2026.

• Safety is now the baseline: 79% of planners rank safety and security as their top priority, shaping everything from destination selection to supplier choices.

• Smaller is smarter: Medium-sized events of 50 to 150 delegates remain the sweet spot, offering meaningful engagement without overexposure on cost or logistics.

The industry has not lost its belief in physical connection. It has simply become more disciplined about how that connection is designed and delivered.

For the full picture on how risk awareness is reshaping event strategy in 2026, the article is worth a read.

🎤 Featured Voice: Nancy Drapeau on Where Exhibitor Budgets Are Really Going

The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) has released its first updated exhibitor spending benchmarks since 2017. The findings offer a useful reality check on where B2B marketing budgets are really going.

Key insights from the report:

• Exhibit space dominates: Floor space now accounts for 40.5% of total exhibitor spend, up from 37.9% in 2017.

• Participation is growing: 28% of exhibitors plan to add more shows to their schedule in 2026, while 47% expect to maintain their current number.

• Booths are being refreshed: While 52% plan to use existing booths as is, a substantial share intend to refurbish, purchase new, or rent for the year ahead.

The data points to a channel that has not just recovered but held its ground as a core part of the B2B marketing mix.

TSNN has the full breakdown of how exhibitor budgets are being allocated across categories this year.

📺 Deep Dive: What the Numbers Say About the Events Industry in 2026

The events industry is growing, and the data behind that growth tells a more detailed story than the headline figures suggest. Eventcube's latest roundup of 90+ industry statistics offers a clear view of where budgets are going, how formats are performing, and what attendees actually expect.

A few numbers worth paying attention to:

• The market is expanding fast: The global events industry is projected to reach $1.46 trillion in 2026, growing at a 9.4% CAGR.

• Budgets are rising, but so is accountability: 67% of executives increased their meeting budgets in 2025, with events now accounting for up to 21% of total marketing spend.

• Hybrid is no longer optional: 74.5% of planners are now hosting hybrid events, and 84% of attendees expect virtual options as standard.

• AI is coming, ready or not: 95% of respondents expect AI use in events to increase, yet only 11% have reached a high level of integration so far.

The gap between where the industry is and where it is heading is where the most interesting decisions are being made right now.

For the full breakdown of statistics across market size, attendee behavior, ROI, and technology, the Eventcube guide is a resource worth bookmarking.

The Cybersecurity Industry's Biggest Event Had One Topic: AI

Every vendor at this year's RSA Conference had AI in its tagline. The security professionals walking the floor had a rather different take.

CSO Online's Jon Oltsik spent the week in conversation with CISOs and technology leaders, and what emerged was a more honest picture of where the industry actually stands.

Key insights from the conference:

• Three types of CISOs emerged: The proactive 20% arrived with specific questions tailored to their needs, while the majority fell somewhere between curious, confused, and largely unaware of what AI changes are already underway.

• Legacy vendors are racing to adapt: Most are layering AI onto existing infrastructure, but a genuinely cloud-native AI approach is what the industry will need to keep pace with evolving threats.

• Identity security is moving fast: Passwordless authentication, non-human identity management, and AI agent access controls were among the most active areas of development on the show floor.

For event organizers, the relevance is practical. The same AI pressures reshaping cybersecurity are also reshaping how attendee data is stored, how event platforms are secured, and what vendors can realistically deliver.

CSO Online breaks down all 12 trends from RSAC 2026 and what they signal for the year ahead.

Until Next Time!

That wraps up this edition of Event Dispatch. From the return of hybrid and the generational shifts reshaping event design, to where B2B budgets are really going and what the data says about the industry at large, there is plenty here to inform how you plan and build in the months ahead.

Across each of these shifts, one theme stands out. Events are being designed with greater intent, where experience, trust, and control are playing a more central role.

What stood out to you in this month’s edition? Continue the conversation with us on LinkedIn or explore more insights on the Eventcube blog.

Here's to building events that are sharper, smarter, and genuinely worth showing up for. 🥂

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