In retention era, events that guide attendee journeys will lead 2026: Freeman

Hello everyone, we are back with our latest weekly edition of Snöcap 🏔️

Today, the spotlight is on Freeman’s End-of-Year report, which is packed with useful insights and numbers for eventprofs. Scroll down below to read the details.

Here are the top event industry headlines:

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In retention era, events that guide attendee journeys will lead 2026: Freeman End-of-Year Recap report

The events industry faces a retention crisis as attendee retirement outpaces new attendee acquisition, with organizers averaging only 30% to 35% year-over-year retention, according to Freeman’s End-of-Year Trends Recap.

The report identifies a widening gap between how organizers plan events and what attendees need. Events that provide personalized guidance and help attendees achieve specific objectives will gain competitive advantage in 2026, while those relying on traditional approaches risk declining attendance.

Freeman’s research across three trend studies in 2025 found attendees now participate with clear intention. They attend events where value is clear, skip experiences that feel unfocused and judge the entire experience through whether it helped them accomplish their goals.

Also read 👉 7 Pillars of Attendee Retention and Event Growth

The findings reveal significant shifts in attendee behavior and expectations:

Workforce Demographics:

• 75% of the workforce will be Millennial and Gen Z by 2030
• 2025 makeup: 37% Millennial, 21% Gen Z, 29% Gen X, 12% Boomer
• 2030 projection: 40% Millennial, 35% Gen Z, 20% Gen X, 5% Boomer

Registration and Retention Patterns:

• 50% of events were behind their regular registration pace
• 51% of attendees plan to attend two to three events in the next 12 months
• 85% of attendees who have a peak moment are likely to return
• 20% do not believe their objectives are being met at events

The research identifies navigation and vendor discovery as attendees’ biggest frustration when evaluating events. More than half of attendees, 54%, are willing to share on-the-job challenges if it helps point them toward better networking opportunities.

Pre-event guidance ranks as a priority, with 61% of attendees saying maps that allow them to plan a path for vendor visits are most useful. Online listings of exhibitor products and services ranked second at 57%, while understanding how vendors on the expo floor are segmented registered 24%.

The report challenges organizers’ assumptions about international attendance barriers. While many focused on visa restrictions, three other factors proved more significant: broader perceptions about traveling to the United States, government shutdown timing and suspension of the Department of Commerce’s Trade Event Partnership Program in 2024, and corporate hesitation about increasing business travel volume.

Hands-on engagement emerged as critical for retention. The research found 57% of attendees state that hands-on opportunities or demonstrations are most useful for product evaluation and decision-making. More than 90% said hands-on experiences made it easier to champion an event.

For more practical insights, read 👉 Attention Retention Strategies from Freeman’s very own Ken Holsinger 

Subject matter experts also drive attendee satisfaction, with 84% saying connecting with subject matter experts is extremely or very important at the most valuable event they attended.

The report warns that events designed for outgoing generations will not attract or retain incoming workforce demographics. Gen X and Boomer attendees are cycling out of the workforce faster than Gen Z and Millennials are cycling in.

Organizers in 2025 planned conservatively with safer layouts, cautious programming and protective commercial strategies. Investment targeted early registration numbers as success predictors, while programming focused on celebrity talent and after-hours experiences designed to generate buzz.

Attendee behavior showed that progress toward objectives during the event, not spectacle around them, drove satisfaction and return intent. When attendees achieve what they came to do, they return. When objectives go unmet, first-time attendees disappear from the following year’s registration list without filing complaints or explaining their absence.

The research emphasizes that retention, not acquisition, determines whether events grow or stall. Budget pressure continues to shape attendance, but attendees also step back when events fail to help them discover something useful, learn something relevant or connect meaningfully.

Freeman’s End-of-Year Trends Recap synthesizes findings from the company’s “Unpacking XLNC” trend report series conducted throughout 2025.

UFI unveils ‘Exhibitions drives opportunities’ as GED 2026 theme

UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, announced the theme for the 11th edition of Global Exhibitions Day as “Exhibitions drive opportunities.”

The event will be celebrated Wednesday, June 3, 2026. UFI invited businesses and professionals across the industry to participate by showcasing how exhibitions create opportunities for people, planet and performance.

UFI refreshed the GED logo with a design reflecting the exhibition industry’s evolution.

The 2026 campaign features three core messages:

• Exhibitions drive opportunities for people by fostering collective effort, expanding skills and creating connections that support careers, communities and global collaboration.
• Exhibitions drive opportunities for the planet by accelerating sustainable solutions, showcasing green innovations and advancing responsible practices that help industries reduce their environmental footprint.
• Exhibitions drive opportunities for performance by powering business growth, opening new markets and enabling companies to thrive through direct customer engagement and marketplace connections.

UFI President Panittha Buri said exhibitions serve as drivers of economic and societal progress.

“Exhibitions are essential drivers of economic and societal progress,” Panittha said. “They bring friends together across borders and industries, supporting people through skills development, employment, and international collaboration. They help shape the future by advancing national and global sustainability objectives, and by strengthening business performance through trade, investment, and innovation. Global Exhibitions Day 2026 calls on governments and policymakers to recognise and support the exhibition industry as a proven contributor to growth, competitiveness, and long-term impact.”

Learn more about Global Exhibitions Day in our Sevinar with UFI CEO Chris Skeith – you will also get to know how they turned the 2026 edition into a global celebration through peer-to-peer marketing powered by Snöball.

Diversified USA strengthens commercial marine portfolio with Marine Money acquisition

Diversified has acquired Marine Money from International Marketing Strategies Inc., the company announced.

Marine Money, founded in 1987, organizes ship finance events and produces newsletters, research and industry reports for the global shipping finance industry.

The acquisition strengthens Diversified’s commercial marine portfolio, which includes the International Workboat Show, Pacific Marine Expo, National Fisherman and Workboat Magazine.

Diversified retained Marine Money’s team, including owners Matt McCleery and Mike McCleery. The Marine Money team will join Diversified’s commercial marine division, led by group vice president Wes Doane.

“This acquisition represents a highly strategic step forward in expanding and deepening our Commercial Marine portfolio,” Wes said. “Just as important, we are gaining exceptional partners in both Matt and Mike, whose decades of industry leadership, trusted relationships, and commitment to the shipping finance community will be instrumental as we invest in growth, innovation, and long-term value for our customers.”

Matt said the partnership offers growth opportunities for Marine Money.

“This is a transformational opportunity for us, and we couldn’t be more excited about it,” Matt said. “Diversified’s family-owned culture and client-focused approach are a perfect fit for Marine Money, and with the support of Diversified’s expertise and resources, we plan to take Marine Money to the next level in terms of client service and digital technology, as well as training, content, data and networking.”

Oakley Dyer, corporate vice president of strategy and corporate development at Diversified, said Marine Money complements the company’s existing offerings.

“Diversified has been actively seeking to expand our existing portfolio, including our Commercial Marine offerings,” Oakley said. “Marine Money is a clear complement, and we are eager to see what we can accomplish with the Marine Money events and the support of Diversified’s in-house central services.”

ECA elects new board of directors and elected officers for 2026

The Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance announced its 2026 elected officers and board of directors Thursday.

The ECA board selected four elected officers to serve one-year terms ending Dec. 31, 2026:

• Fernando Fischer, president of Americas at RX, will serve as chair. Fischer represents the Society of Independent Show Organizers.
• Mark Bogdansky, vice president of trade shows and community engagement at Auto Care Association, will serve as vice chair. Mark represents the International Association of Exhibitions & Events.
• Chris Griffin, president and chief executive officer of Crew XP, will serve as treasurer. Chris represents the Experiential Designers & Producers Association.
• Hervé Sedky, president and chief executive officer of Emerald, will serve as secretary. Hervé represents the Society of Independent Show Organizers.

The board includes leaders from the U.S. business and professional events industry, which employs:

• More than 2.6 million Americans
• Generates more than $400 billion in direct spending nationwide

Board members are Mike Carlucci, Beth Cowperthwaite, Janet Dell, Martha Donato, Douglas Emslie, Marsha Flanagan, Senthil Gopinath, Sherrif Karamat, Trevor Mitchell, Vincent Polito, Chris Schimek and Nancy Walsh.

“The year ahead presents both significant challenges and important opportunities for the business and professional events industry,” Fernando said. “I am honored to work alongside this accomplished Board of Directors as we continue to strengthen ECA’s role as the unified voice of our industry and advance a policy agenda that helps create new jobs, reduce economic uncertainty, safeguard affordability, and increase the competitiveness of the U.S. industry.”

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