Snöcap August 22, 2025

INBOUND 2025 is just around the corner and we have a truly special session lined up this year.

DAHLIA+Agency , Snöball and RingCentral and are hosting the first-ever eventprofs meetup designed specifically for the community.

"The Ultimate EventProfs Vibe-Up" happens Thursday, Sept. 4 from 2:45 to 3:30 p.m at Hall C (Level 0) at Moscone Center South, San Francisco, CA.

Here's what in store:

• Take the "What Vibe Event Marketer Are You?" quiz
• Connect with peers over live DJ music
• Grab exclusive swag including hats and stickers.

And a lot more.

Dahlia El Gazzar, founder of DAHLIA+Agency, Rachel Stephan, founder and CEO of Snöball, and Jordan Arnold, Director of Go-to-Market at RingCentral, created the meetup to bring event professionals together in a more relaxed and interactive setting.

Whether you're looking for strategy insights, creative inspiration, or just want to meet others in the industry, this session is going to provide a LOT of fun and value.

Register here

The International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) has announced a partnership with the Events Industry Council to integrate sustainability certification into its education program.

The collaboration will include the Sustainable Event Professional Certificate program as part of IAEE's Certified in Exhibition Management Learning Program.

The partnership allows exhibition and event professionals to access sustainability training through IAEE's education platform. The SEPC program teaches event professionals to implement sustainable strategies, measure environmental impact and drive industry change.

IAEE launched its CEM Learning Program in 1975. The program serves as the primary professional designation for exhibition and event organizers in more than 20 countries. The curriculum covers event planning, marketing, operations and now sustainability through the EIC partnership.

"The CEM Learning Program is designed to support exhibitions and events professionals at every stage of their career, and sustainability is a critical component of that journey," said IAEE President and CEO Marsha Flanagan. "Sustainability has moved from being a bonus feature to becoming an ethical obligation and critical success factor for exhibitions."

Explori has unveiled research showing B2B exhibitors report higher satisfaction levels at trade shows and conferences than before the pandemic.

The study, conducted with trade associations UFI and SISO, analyzed feedback from more than 3,000 B2B events worldwide between 2017 and 2025. Four metrics — overall satisfaction, Net Promoter Score (NPS), likelihood of return and event importance — increased in 2022 and remained above pre-pandemic levels through 2025.

Average exhibitor NPS rose 27 points since 2019, according to the report. The scores stayed consistent for three consecutive years.

Explori attributed the trend to exhibitors adopting more focused strategies after returning to in-person events. Companies now prioritize relationship-building over lead generation and measure return on investment through business outcomes rather than contact counts.

"People are so happy to gather again. But if everyone returns to the old formats, I think over time we will find that not everything, even before the pandemic, had a reason to exist," said Stephen Rose, head of communication services at Siemens.

The research suggests event organizers should maintain audience quality and provide tools that help exhibitors measure results beyond lead counts.

Adam Ford, chief operating officer at Clarion Events, said the industry must avoid complacency despite current success.

"You need to be vigilant; you have to look at data. You have to be asking why; you have to be pulling back the layers to really understand the dynamics that are at play," Ford said.

The report recommends exhibitors set clear objectives for each event and use post-event data to refine future strategies.

Hyve Group has appointed Melissa Magestro as portfolio director of CWIEME, the company's engineering event series focused on electrical engineering and electrification.

Melissa brings more than 20 years of experience in global business-to-business industries and manufacturing. CWIEME hosts events in Europe and Asia where engineering professionals from companies including Samsung, Tesla, General Electric and Land Rover discuss innovation and electrification.

At Informa Markets, she launched the Sustainable Manufacturing Expo and MD&M South, led digital product development initiatives, and founded the Women in Processing community.

"I'm excited to continue building on CWIEME's momentum in Europe and Asia, working closely with our team to create event experiences and deepening our partnerships within the electrical engineering community," Melissa said.

Julie Driscoll, president of New Next Gen, said Melissa will lead CWIEME "into its next chapter of growth and innovation."

Melissa succeeds Chris Lee, who worked with Hyve for more than two years before relocating abroad.