Hello!
Unless you have been hiding from civilization, you will be well aware that this week it's all been about INBOUND 2025 - and what an amazing show it has been so far!
The highlight was definitely Hubspot's major product announcements. More than 200 product innovations were revealed during the Fall 2025 Spotlight - these include a new Data Hub, Data Quality, Breeze Agents, Marketplace and Studio, and a whole lot of new AI tools.
Also, here's a fun clip from the first-ever gathering of eventprofs that our CEO Rachel Stephan co-hosted with Dahlia El-Gazzar and Jordan Arnold at INBOUND!
But beside INBOUND, what other news made the headlines? Our latest Snöcap has a lot to offer! Have a read below.
The headlines this week:
Informa and RX maintained their positions as the largest exhibition organizers globally while IEG, IFEMA and Terrapinn entered the top 20 rankings for the first time, according to Stax's annual industry report.
The research firm's Top 20 ranking tracks exhibition organizers based on their 2024 revenues from organizing trade shows and exhibitions. The industry generated aggregate revenues of $10 billion across the top 20 companies, representing a 14% increase from $8.77bn in 2023.
Informa recorded $2.74bn in exhibition-organizing revenues, including its acquisition of Ascential. RX, the second-largest organizer, also posted double-digit revenue growth, Stax reported.
The rankings showed shifts within the top tier. Messe Frankfurt returned to the top three, displacing Clarion Events. Hyve and dmg Events moved into the top 10 after revenue increases of nearly 100% and 70%, respectively.
Hyve's growth reflected acquisitions including HLTH and POSSIBLE, while dmg Events expanded through performance in energy and infrastructure sectors and Middle Eastern markets.
The industry has grown 20% above pre-pandemic levels from 2019, when the top 20 generated $8.35bn in combined revenues. However, growth patterns varied between institutional organizers, often tied to city-owned venues, and non-institutional companies.
The report indicates exhibitions have strengthened their role in business-to-business marketing and customer engagement following the pandemic. Companies with geographic flexibility and sector focus have outperformed those constrained by fixed venues and local mandates.
Terrapinn boosts portfolio with acquisition of Digital Health Festival
Terrapinn has acquired Digital Health Festival, Australia's largest digital health event, the company's group CEO, Greg Hitchen, announced.
The Melbourne-based conference draws 8,000 attendees, 350 exhibitors, 125 startups, and 400 speakers annually, making it the largest event of its type in the Southern Hemisphere.
"We have long admired DHF and it is such a great fit with our tech-oriented events such as Edutech and Tech in Government," said Matthew Williams, managing director of Terrapinn Australia. "It also offers really strong growth in Australia, as well as international possibilities."
The festival takes place in Melbourne each May and serves health professionals and technology partners.
"Terrapinn gets DHF and has all that is needed to take the show to the next level," said Hamish Steel, chief executive and founder of Digital Health Festival. "We are confident that they will grow the show, serve the community and be a great home to our team."
"We are delighted to bring the quality of Digital Health Festival to our stable of international life science and health events," added Hitchen.
Deal terms were not disclosed.
UFI has named Dex Hunter-Torricke as the keynote speaker for its annual global congress.
Hunter-Torricke has held communications roles at major technology companies including SpaceX, Facebook, Meta and Google. He has also served as head of communications at SpaceX, where he reported to Elon Musk, and as head of executive communications for Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook.
He previously worked as head of communications and public policy for Meta's Oversight Board and as Google's first executive speechwriter.
His keynote will address opportunities and challenges in business and technology.
Saudi events company Tahaluf reportedly generated $17.6 billion in economic impact from 2023 to 2025, surpassing the $17 billion economic impact of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, according to company CEO Mike Champion.
The economic impact also exceeded the $11bn generated by the Summer Olympics, according to Bloomberg data cited by Mike during a keynote address at the Saudi Business and Investment Summit.
Tahaluf's portfolio includes technology conference LEAP, real estate exhibition Cityscape Global, Global Health Exhibition and 18 other event brands operating in Saudi Arabia.
Mike said the company's platforms create "compounding impact year after year," unlike single-occurrence events such as the World Cup and Olympics.
The events company was formed in 2022 as a joint venture between British exhibition organizer Informa, Saudi Arabia's Events Investment Fund and the Saudi Fund for Development.
Tahaluf reported generating 53,000 news clippings in 2024 and reached 42bn global news impressions, Champion said.
The company built its strategy around Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 economic transformation plan, Champion told the business summit audience of investors and leaders.
The Association of Event Organisers (AEO) has named Easyfairs CEO Alison Willis as its new chair.
The AEO Board made the decision at a recent meeting. Andrew Williams, executive vice president at Informa, was named vice chair.
Rachel Swann, chief operating officer of the energy division at dmg events and outgoing chair, will serve as past chair until September 2026.
Matthew Butler, group managing director of CloserStill Media, stepped down from the Executive Committee as outgoing past chair.
Willis said her priority will be member engagement and developing a value proposition that reflects member needs.
"I'm truly honoured to take on the role of AEO chair at such an exciting time for our sector," Willis said. "My priority is to harness that energy and ambition among our members, working together to make the AEO experience even more rewarding, relevant, and inspiring."
Willis said she will work directly with members to develop a value proposition that supports their goals.
Swann said she was proud of progress made during her tenure, particularly in member engagement and advocacy.
"I'm confident that Alison's passion and focus will keep the AEO moving forward," Swann said.
Anna Golden, AEO chief executive, said Swann led the organization through a period of change and set a high standard.
"As we welcome Alison and Andrew into their new roles, my focus will be on deepening our member relationships and delivering on the promise of a refreshed value proposition," Golden said.
This section highlights the latest job positions in the events and associations industry. Here are some new roles that have opened up:
Netflix
Manager, UK+ Events
Sidley
Senior Meeting Planner
Taco Bell
Events & Engagements Specialist
PayPal
Event Manager, Developer Events
Verizon
Manager, Responsible Business Community Engagement & Events
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 .