Easyfairs Expands Global Events Portfolio with Xpo Group and The AI Conference Acquisitions

Welcome to the latest edition of Snöcap.

Easyfairs has moved to consolidate its position in the European and U.S. events markets, acquiring Xpo Group in a deal that secured 99.99% shareholder approval, and buying The AI Conference in San Francisco. The Xpo Group deal, which closed July 31, brings 61 events across 17 countries under the Easyfairs banner.

Meanwhile, a big update from our end too! Snöball has appointed Tony Melis as Chief Operating Officer. Tony joins from SIAL Canada, where as CEO he ran a trade show drawing roughly 25,000 attendees, bringing an organizer’s perspective to the marketing platform’s leadership team. Read the full stories below.

Here are the headlines from this week’s roundup:

Get the full stories below:

Easyfairs Expands Global Events Portfolio with Xpo Group and The AI Conference Acquisitions

Easyfairs has acquired Xpo Group and The AI Conference, expanding its European and U.S. events portfolio.

Easyfairs Belgium NV completed a public takeover of Xpo Group BV, acquiring 100% of its shares. Separately, Easyfairs bought The AI Conference, an applied AI event held in San Francisco, marking its second U.S. acquisition.

Key figures:

• Xpo Group organizes 61 events across 17 European countries
• 99.99% of Xpo Group shareholders accepted the takeover offer
• The Xpo Group deal closed July 31, 2026
• The AI Conference expects 5,500 attendees and has announced 120 speakers for 2026

Xpo Group’s portfolio includes ARCHITECT@WORK, the Design Nation series and the Solar Solutions portfolio, along with the Kortrijk Xpo venue in Flanders. The AI Conference, launched in 2023, covers large language models, AI frameworks and AI platform development.

Matt Benyon, group CEO of Easyfairs, said: “The acquisition of Xpo Group represents a significant step in the growth of Easyfairs. It adds an attractive portfolio of established events and creates new opportunities for expansion in Europe and the United States.”

Saskia Soete-De Boosere, CEO of Xpo Group, said: “Joining the Easyfairs family gives our event brands access to a broader international platform while preserving the qualities that have made them successful.”

On The AI Conference, Matt said: “This is our second acquisition and fourth event in the USA, fully aligned with our strategy of building a high-growth position in the United States through launches in niche industry sectors and the acquisition of established top-quality events.”

Shon Burton, founder and CEO of The AI Conference, said: “We’re thrilled to partner with Easyfairs as we expand The AI Conference in San Francisco and beyond. Demand for that collaboration has never been greater and Easyfairs gives us the reach and resources to meet it.”

Easyfairs has also launched Coiltech North America and acquired the Energy Projects Conference & Expo, with further U.S. launches and acquisitions planned. The AI Conference was advised on the transaction by CapM.

Snöball Welcomes Tony Melis as Chief Operating Officer

Snöball, a peer-to-peer event marketing platform, has named Tony Melis Chief Operating Officer.

Tony was previously CEO of SIAL Canada, the country’s largest agri-food trade show and part of the Comexposium network, where he led a show drawing roughly 25,000 attendees.

Snöball founder and CEO Rachel Stephan said Tony’s organizer background will strengthen the company’s product.

“Tony has sat in the exact seat our customers sit in every day,” Rachel said. “He’s felt the pressure of filling a show floor, answering to a board, and growing an audience year over year. Bringing that lens inside Snöball, alongside the marketing DNA we’ve built the company on, is how we make the product sharper for the organizers we serve. I couldn’t be more excited to have him with us.”

Tony pointed to the pace of change facing organizers and the range of stakeholders they answer to.

“The pace of change is faster than it has ever been before,” Tony said. “I understand the objectives an organizer has, the constraints, the pain points, the limitations. An organizer answers to many stakeholders: a board, leadership, exhibitors, attendees, sponsors. I can bring insight into what each of their pain points really are.”

Snöball operates as an enterprise-ready, SOC 2 Type II-compliant platform. Its recent product additions include Snömotion, a video share card feature, and reporting tools that track engagement from click to conversion.

Tony credited the platform with surfacing hidden support networks during his time at SIAL Canada.

“Snöball helped me discover clusters of networks I didn’t know existed before,” Tony said.

Tony also noted shrinking planning windows for organizers and a shift in how younger attendees engage, calling it a factor organizers will need to address as they build audiences for future events.

Nineteen Group Reaches for the Stars with Space-Comm Expo Europe Acquisition

Nineteen Group has acquired Space-Comm Expo Europe from Lunar Ridge Ventures, the company announced.

Space-Comm Expo Europe is an annual exhibition and conference for the global space industry, delivered in partnership with ADS, the United Kingdom’s trade association for aerospace, defense, security and space. The 2026 edition drew:

• More than 6,000 delegates.
• More than 250 exhibitors.
• More than 190 speakers.

The global space economy was valued at $630 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $1.8 trillion by 2035, growing at about 9% a year, the companies said.

Christie Day, managing director of Space-Comm Expo, said the acquisition opens a new phase for the event.

“Joining Nineteen Group marks our most exciting chapter yet, accelerating growth and creating greater opportunities for the industry. The countdown starts now,” Day said.

Peter Jones, group chief executive officer of Nineteen Group, said the company plans to back the event’s expansion.

“Nineteen Group recognises its massive potential and is proud to support its future growth as part of the newest addition to our group portfolio,” Jones said.

Tom Morgan, founder of Lunar Ridge Ventures, said the event has outgrown what his firm can offer alone.

“It has exceeded expectations, is on track to grow by 200%, and forged a critical partnership with ADS. But to reach full potential, it needs scale beyond what we can offer alone,” Morgan said.

Kevin Craven, chief executive officer of ADS Group, said his organization looks forward to continuing its role.

“We look forward to working with Nineteen Group to strengthen its reach and create greater opportunities for our members,” Craven said.

The next edition of Space-Comm Expo Europe will be held at ExCeL London on Feb. 24-25, 2027, under the theme “Securing Europe’s Space Advantage.”

Messe Düsseldorf North America Names Geoffrey Sauer as New CEO and President

Messe Düsseldorf North America has appointed Geoffrey Sauer as CEO and president, effective Aug. 17. Sauer will lead the company’s U.S. subsidiary, based in Chicago, and oversee its strategic and operational development across the region.

Wolfram Diener, president and CEO of Messe Düsseldorf, said Sauer was selected for his industry experience.

“He combines international market expertise with outstanding sales leadership and brings exactly the experience we were looking for in this key role,” Diener said. “I am confident that he will successfully lead our North American business into the future.”

Sauer’s priorities include developing the company’s existing trade fair portfolio and expanding new event formats and business models. Tom Mitchell will work alongside Sauer in the new leadership structure.

Sauer has more than 20 years of leadership experience in the international trade fair, media and technology sectors. He spent most of his career at Reed Exhibitions, now RX, where he advanced from international sales to group vice president of sales, leading global sales teams of more than 100 employees and overseeing operations generating up to $300 million in annual revenue. He later held senior roles at other organizations, including Emerald Expositions.

“Messe Düsseldorf is one of the world’s most respected trade fair organizations and offers tremendous growth potential in North America,” Sauer said. “I’m excited to work with the team in Chicago to continue growing our business, pursue new market opportunities, and connect even more exhibitors and visitors from the region with our world-leading trade fairs in Germany.”

Trade Show Executive Unveils 2026 Gold 100 Grand Award Finalists and Women to Watch

Trade Show Executive has unveiled the 2026 Gold 100 Grand Award finalists and the Women to Watch Class of 2026.

All Grand Award finalists and Women to Watch honorees qualify for one waived registration to the Gold 100 Awards & Summit, taking place Sept. 22-24 at the Terranea Resort in Palos Verdes, California. The Grand Award winners will be announced on stage at the summit, where the Women to Watch will also be recognized.

The 2026 Women to Watch are:

• Monique Abed, operations director, Ai4
• Lisha Baer, associate director of operations, NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants)
• Whitney Bell, vice president, marketing, NTP Events
• Amber Curtis, sales manager, RXUS/ReedPop
• Linette Dao, senior marketing director, industrial group, Emerald
• Nataly Laro, group media marketing director, Clarion Events North America
• Alexandra Lombardo, events operations manager, event performance group, Questex
• Natasha Miles, event manager, Informa Markets
• Rachel Rodean, director of education and events, ESCA (Exhibition Services and Contractors Association)
• Brianne Somers, senior director, exhibitions services, and The Utility Expo show director, Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM)

Grand Award finalists in select categories are:

Show with the Most Commendable Green Initiatives

• ISC West
• National Restaurant Association Restaurant Show
• Natural Products Expo West
• SupplySide Global

Best Use of Technology and Data in 2025

• DISTRIBUTECH 2025
• G2E 2025
• Licensing Expo
• SpaceCom

Best Attendee Acquisition Model

• Equip Exposition
• ProMat
• StreamTV Show
• The Utility Expo

Best Exhibitor ROI of 2025

• MEDevice Boston
• NATDA Trailer Show
• ProMat
• WVC Vegas

Greatest Trade Show of 2025

• FDIC International
• KBIS (Kitchen & Bath Industry Show)
• ProMat
• SupplySide Global

Skift Meetings and MPI Analyze 700+ Event Tech Tools in New AI and Future of Events report

Skift Meetings, in partnership with MPI, has published a new report, “AI & the Future of Events,” analyzing nearly 700 event technology tools to map the opportunities and risks AI presents for event professionals.

The report addresses risks that traditional event tech buying does not typically account for, including hidden compute costs, black-box vendor demos, attendee data used to train third-party models, and agentic tools making decisions without a clear audit trail.

The report includes:

• Profiles of more than 130 AI-native event tech tools mapped across six event phases.
• The case for AI-native event tech shaping the future of events.
• A vision of the ideal AI-powered event experience for attendees, sponsors and organizers.
• A plain-language explainer on large language models, agentic AI and MCP, written for practitioners rather than technologists.
• Key questions and red flags for event professionals shopping for AI-powered event tech.

MDG Redesigns Its Website For AI Search As Marketers Rethink Digital Strategy

Marketing agency mdg has rebuilt its website to perform in an environment where large language models, not just search engines, shape how audiences find information. The redesign began as part of a broader brand refresh, but its scope shifted as use of platforms including Claude, ChatGPT and Google Gemini grew during the build.

The agency said it needed to treat its website as a content source that AI models would read, interpret and potentially cite.

“In theory, those goals align. LLMs like what humans like — clear structure, direct answers, content that gets to the point. In practice, if you aren’t careful, chasing LLM optimization turns your website into a laundry list of keyword-stuffed instructions that sounds like every other site out there,” the company said.

Key principles guiding the rebuild included:

• Every page had to pass a test before publishing: “Does this sound like something a person at mdg would actually say?”
• Pages were structured around real questions, since a genuine question “is useful to a human and exceptionally useful to an LLM.”
• Content was split into two categories: “science,” built around existing search demand, and “art,” opinion-driven content that shapes reputation.
• Design details such as animations were built for human visitors, since “no LLM will ever notice a well-timed animation.”

“A year from now, writing with LLMs in mind will be second nature,” the company said.

Tahaluf Leaders Earn Regional Recognition From Inc. Arabia and Campaign Middle East

Three senior leaders at Tahaluf have been recognized by Inc. Arabia and Campaign Middle East for their work in the events, marketing and communications industries.

Rachel Sturgess, executive vice president, and Kitty Draper, head of attendee marketing, were named to Inc. Arabia’s Women of Influence 2026 list. Jess Homan, senior PR manager, was named one of Campaign Middle East’s Brand Faces to Watch.

Sturgess, who leads Cityscape Global and Global Health Exhibition, pointed to a shift in strategy.

“Rather than measuring success by attendance alone, we focused on creating year-round value by strengthening government collaboration, attracting international investment, supporting innovation and facilitating meaningful partnerships,” Sturgess said.

Key figures she cited include:

• Global Health Exhibition draws 130,000 visits from 125 countries and facilitates US$35.5 billion in deals.
• Cityscape Global generates US$63 billion in onsite transactions, with senior leaders representing $6.1 trillion in real estate and infrastructure assets under management.

Draper, who oversees attendee marketing across seven Tahaluf events including LEAP and Money20/20 Middle East, said her focus is on quality over volume.

“It’s building an acquisition model that prioritizes quality, seniority and buyer intent, since that’s what drives real commercial value for exhibitors and sponsors,” Draper told Inc. Arabia.

Homan, 29, was nominated for building Tahaluf’s strategic media function from the ground up, securing coverage from outlets including Bloomberg, Forbes and the New York Stock Exchange.

Tahaluf credited the three for their impact across event strategy, attendee marketing and global communications.

ECA Launches Ambassadors Circle to Strengthen Industry Advocacy

The Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance has launched the ECA Ambassadors Circle, a program designed to recognize, empower and engage the business and professional events industry’s advocates.

The program is part of ECA 2.0 and gives a select group of industry leaders access to year-round programming, advocacy training and opportunities to amplify the industry’s voice with policymakers and the broader events community.

Fernando Fischer, president, Americas, for RX and chair of the ECA board of directors, said the program addresses where industry-shaping decisions are made.

“The future of our industry will be shaped by decisions made in Washington, D.C., and in state capitals across the country,” Fischer said. “The ECA Ambassadors Circle will give our most committed advocates the tools, access, and year-round opportunities to help ensure those decisions reflect the importance of business and professional events.”

The inaugural cohort includes 28 industry leaders who have shown a commitment to advocacy and public policy engagement. Members will lead ECA’s advocacy efforts throughout the year and receive advocate education, VIP access at select ECA events, and invitations to private roundtables with policymakers.

Tommy Goodwin, president and chief executive officer of ECA, welcomed the cohort.

“Each of these leaders has already demonstrated a steadfast commitment to ensuring that our industry is heard by policymakers,” Goodwin said. “Their participation in the ECA Ambassadors Circle will help ECA amplify the case for policies that strengthen the industry’s ability to create new jobs, reduce economic uncertainty, safeguard affordability, and ensure that the U.S. remains the premier global destination for business and professional events going forward.”

ECA recognized Austin O’Boyle and Andrew Swick for their contributions to establishing the program.

Who is hiring?

Gartner | Director, Conferences Strategy

CoStar Group | Director, Events, Sponsorships, & Partnerships

Swooped | Director, Experiential Marketing

CrowdStrike | Global Events Manager, Registration & Event Tech (Remote)

Terrapinn | Business Development Manager