Trade Show Executive Magazine celebrates Fastest 50 Awards, Data Center World wins coveted Rock Star award

Welcome to the latest edition of Snöcap.

Baltimore played host to trade show’s fastest growers this week, as TSE’s Fastest 50 Awards & Summit wrapped its 13th edition with Data Center World taking the Rock Star Award and Jennifer Hoff receiving the inaugural Lenay Gore Award of Excellence.

We also cover CEIR’s first update to exhibitor spending benchmarks since 2017, which puts exhibit space at 40.5% of total spend across a $30 billion industry, plus Event Industry News’s 2026 Sustainable Event Guide launch and UFI’s 2026 Next Generation Leadership program winners.

Here are the full headlines from this week’s roundup:

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Trade Show Executive Magazine celebrates Fastest 50 Awards, Data Center World and Jennifer Hoff among noted winners

Trade Show Executive (TSE) Magazine held its 13th annual Fastest 50 Awards & Summit from April 22-24, 2026, in Baltimore, drawing more than 170 event professionals.

Data Center World received the Rock Star Award for ranking No. 1 across all the Fastest 50 lists for the 2025 edition, and Jennifer Hoff, CEO of Taffy Event Strategies, was named the inaugural recipient of the Lenay Gore Award of Excellence, named for the late industry icon.

The summit featured an Education Summit themed “Disruption as a Discipline,” an Awards Gala and networking events across the city.

Rick Simon, TSE Media Group Chairman and CEO of United Service Companies, opened the Education Summit on April 23.

“Our program is all about the industry leaders, what they’re reimagining the work rules to be now and how they’re rewriting the playbook,” Rick said. “We’re going to be talking with some of the industry’s brightest minds about how they are going to evolve the industry.”

Kireem Swinton, Visit Baltimore’s President and CEO, offered an update on the city’s ongoing development.

“We are a city that has a mood and a vibe for everyone,” Swinton said. “Baltimore right now is undergoing a true transformation, with $7 billion of reinvestment and development.”

Sessions covered trade show experimentation, venue upgrades, sponsorship strategy and community building. Key takeaways included:

• A mobile-app overhaul at Questex eliminated printed materials and reached a 90% adoption rate by driving attendee actions through periodic in-app challenges.
• Consolidating hospitality events under one roof built a revenue stream exceeding $1 million.
• Following a year-long research process, RX consolidated Vision Expo into one annual show, trading short-term loss for long-term growth.
• Susan Newman, Senior Vice President, Event Strategy, National Retail Federation, said organizers carry too much responsibility for sponsor ROI and that expectations should be set clearly at the point of sale.
• Dan Cole, Senior Director, Sales, AVIXA, said the industry should pursue less conventional sponsorship offerings, noting that AVIXA has shifted from transactional to value-based selling.

TSE also announced that the 2027 Fastest 50 Awards & Summit will be held in Houston, Texas.

Exhibitors spending 40.5% of budget on exhibit space: CEIR

Exhibitors are allocating 40.5% of their total spend to exhibit space, up from 37.9% in 2017, according to new research from the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR).

The findings come from “How the Exhibit Dollar Is Spent,” the organization’s first update to exhibitor spending benchmarks since 2017, based on a survey conducted in late 2025.

Nancy Drapeau, CEIR Vice President of Research, noted that spending allocations have remained largely consistent with pre-pandemic patterns, and that exhibit space has historically commanded the largest share of exhibitor budgets.

CEIR puts exhibitor direct spend at U.S. trade shows at $30 billion, excluding broader economic impact. The report breaks down spending by annual marketing budget size across three tiers:

• Under $250,000
• $250,001 to $749,000
• $750,000 and above

On 2026 participation plans, the research found:

• 47% of exhibitors plan to exhibit at the same number of events as before
• 28% expect to add more shows to their programs
• 52% plan to use their existing booths as-is, while the remainder intend to refurbish, purchase new exhibits or rent

CEIR said a follow-up report, “Marketing Spend Decision Report,” is forthcoming. It will examine how exhibitor marketing budgets are allocated across channels, what share B2B exhibitions command today and how the channel fits within the broader marketing mix.

Event Industry News unveils 2026 Sustainable Event Guide

Event Industry News launched its 2026 Sustainable Event Guide at BMA House in London last week, bringing together event professionals, suppliers and sustainability advocates for panel discussions and masterclasses on sustainable event delivery.

BMA House hosted the launch for the sixth consecutive year. Rebecca Hurley of BMA House said: “We’re proud to host this event for the sixth consecutive year. Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at BMA House, and it’s always a privilege to welcome an audience so committed to making a difference. Events like this play a crucial role in sharing knowledge and inspiring meaningful change across the industry.”

Matt Grey of Event Decision chaired the panel sessions and led a hackathon, the outcomes of which have been compiled into a white paper.

Beth Hancock, speaking on behalf of Event Industry News, said: “It was fantastic to see such a strong turnout of passionate professionals all committed to driving sustainability forward. The conversations throughout the day were not only inspiring but also practical, which is exactly what our industry needs. The launch of the 2026 Sustainable Event Guide is about equipping event planners with the tools and connections to make more responsible choices, and it’s incredible to see that momentum continue to grow year on year.”

The 2026 Sustainable Event Guide offers supplier listings, expert insights and guidance for event professionals looking to embed sustainability into their planning and delivery. Sessions from the event will be available on demand.

UFI reveals winners of 2026 next-gen leadership program

UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, has announced the five winners of its 2026 Next Generation Leadership (NGL) program.

Now in its tenth edition, the NGL program recognizes and supports emerging talent within the exhibition industry. Eligible candidates must have fewer than 10 years of industry experience and demonstrate a commitment to driving change and innovation. This year’s winners were selected from a pool of applicants by a panel of international judges chaired by UFI President Panittha Buri.

The 2026 NGL program winners are:

• Divya Jashnani, Head of Data & Analytics, dmg events (UAE)
• Ewa Łukomska-Ślęk, Brand Communication Manager, Targi Kielce (Poland)
• Mariella Greifenberg, Senior Customer Experience Manager, Messe Düsseldorf North America (U.S.)
• Tracy Abou Jaoude, Project Manager, IFP Group (Lebanon)
• Vivian Yap, Assistant Business Development Manager, Exhibitions, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (Malaysia)

The program is sponsored by Clarion Events, dmg events, Informa Markets, Messe Düsseldorf, and RX, and offers recipients mentorship and guidance from global industry leaders.

“If exhibitions are powered by people, then the NGL programme is where the energy comes from. This year’s winners impressed with fresh thinking, fearless ideas & a real appetite to make a difference. Expect them to shake things up – in the best way possible – at the UFI Global Congress this November,” Panittha said.

The 2026 NGL mission centers on how exhibitions can stay relevant in a world shaped by Gen Z and younger Millennials. The winners will begin with an in-person workshop at the UFI European Conference in Izmir, Turkiye, in June. Over the following seven months, they will collaborate online to develop their project before presenting their findings at the 93rd UFI Global Congress.

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