Snöcap June 27, 2025
Snöball correspondent
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Friday's here and the events world is buzzing with energy. Catch the hottest headlines from exhibitions and associations in this week's Snöcap.
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The top event stories that made waves:
- CloserStill Media boosts North America portfolio with acquisition of PARCEL forum
- ESSA expands board members as it celebrates year of industry progress
- Germany top trade fair destination in the world with 2.46m international visitors in 2024
- People-first approach earns Easyfairs major workplace culture recognition
- AUMA re-elects Philip Harting as chairman for third term
- Who is hiring?
CloserStill Media boosts North America portfolio with acquisition of PARCEL forum
CloserStill Media has acquired PARCEL Forum, an independent parcel fulfillment event in the United States.
The acquisition adds to CloserStill's North America portfolio of more than 25 events. The London-based company operates conferences and exhibitions in supply chain optimization and e-commerce.
PARCEL Forum, founded in 2003, hosts a three-day conference for the small-package fulfillment industry that rotates annually between major U.S. cities.
This year's conference runs Sept. 8-10 in Chicago. Organizers said the exhibit floor sold out with 135 companies and expect 2,000 attendees.
"PARCEL Forum has established itself as the go-to event for the small-package fulfillment ecosystem in the U.S.," said Yancy Weinrich, president of CloserStill North America.
Weinrich said the acquisition represents a strategic move as the company grows its North American presence.
Joel Dunkel, president of EventEvolution Management Inc., which operates PARCEL Forum, said the partnership will provide resources to build on the event's foundation.
Read the acquisition announcement
ESSA expands board members as it celebrates year of industry Progress
The Event Supplier and Services Association has added two new board members as it celebrates a year of "growth, influence and industry leadership."
Lisa Tyson of Aztec Event Services and Simon Ridout of Showlite Ltd were elected to the ESSA board for 2025-2026, alongside re-elected members including Andy Hickenbotham of Tecna.
The board expansion follows achievements including securing a parliamentary select committee for business events and launching the inaugural Senior Leaders Summit. ESSA's advocacy resulted in business events receiving one of just six select committees chosen from over 250 submissions.
"Business events now have their own select committee – an important milestone for increased recognition of our industry," said Rob Brackstone, ESSA chair.
The association also created country reports for over 20 nations as research found 65% of event suppliers view international markets as their biggest growth opportunity.
"Together, we are enabling meaningful change and laying the foundations for a more resilient, skilled and inclusive industry," said Noel Reeves, CEO at Rocket Exhibition Services, who described the year as one of "growth, influence and industry leadership."
Germany top trade fair destination in the world with 2.46m international visitors in 2024
Germany attracted 2.46 million international visitors to its trade fairs in 2024, maintaining its position as the world's leading trade fair destination by foreign attendance.
The 176 national and international trade fairs drew 34% international visitors, up from 33% in 2023, according to the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry AUMA.
Top visitor countries:
- Netherlands: 211,000
- Italy: 176,000
- Austria: 152,000
- Switzerland: 148,000
- China: 120,000
Germany also led in international exhibitor participation with 107,370 foreign companies.
Top exhibitor countries:
- China: 20,630 companies
- Italy: 10,690
- Netherlands: 5,020
- Turkey: 4,920
- France: 4,820
2024 trade fair performance:
- Total events: 322
- Exhibiting companies: 204,000+ (up 9.2%)
- Total visitors: 11.7m (up 3.2%)
- Stand space: 7.2m square meters (up 7.2%)
Growth occurred despite first-quarter transportation strikes that reduced attendance by an estimated 250,000 visitors.
"Germany as a trade fair venue is the meeting place for the global economy," said Philip Harting, AUMA chairman.
More than 310 trade fairs are scheduled for 2025, with German venues planning 770 million euros in infrastructure investments through 2029.
People-first approach earns Easyfairs major workplace culture recognition
Easyfairs has received workplace culture recognition across multiple regions, including Great Place to Work™ certifications in Germany, Switzerland and Italy, and a Best Places to Work 2025 listing in the UK.
2025 workplace recognitions:
- Great Place to Work™ certifications: Germany, Switzerland, Italy
- The Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2025 (UK)
- Deloitte Best Managed Company (seventh consecutive year, Platinum status)
The Brussels-based exhibition organizer joins three Belgian companies holding Deloitte's Platinum status in 2025. Easyfairs Belgium and Netherlands previously earned Great Place to Work™ certifications.
"At Easyfairs, we've created workplaces where people love to work, grow and succeed," said Matt Benyon, group co-CEO. "Several years ago, we made 'having fun' one of our core values, and it's paying off."
AUMA re-elects Philip Harting as chairman for third term
The Association of the German Trade Fair Industry has re-elected Philip Harting as chairman for a third three-year term.
The 67 members voted unanimously to retain Harting, 50, who has served since 2019. The vote followed a Board of Directors request after the pandemic limited his ability to serve during full trade fair operations.
"I am honored by the trust placed in me by AUMA members," Harting said. "I want to strengthen Germany as the number one trade fair country."
The General Assembly also elected Charlotte Finger, 37, to the AUMA Board of Directors. Finger represents the Association for the Equipment Manufacturing Industry.
Seven board members were re-elected, including representatives from major German trade fair companies and industry associations.
The AUMA Board consists of up to 22 members representing industry and trade fair organizers. Board terms are three years.
Who is hiring?
This section highlights the latest job positions in the events and associations industry. Here are some new roles that have opened up:
NetApp
Senior Event Manager, Global Experiential Marketing - Industry & Tradeshows
Workhuman
Senior Programs Manager - Events
State Street
Senior Events Manager, North America Events, AVP
Apple
Head of Creative, Events & Experiential
Lenovo
Events Manager - Global Channel Marketing
Interested in learning how peer-to-peer marketing can boost your event registrations and audience engagement? Book a chat to know how Snöball can help .
