Welcome to the latest edition of Snöcap 🏔️ – our weekly event news roundup
Our headline this week is the release of Snöball’s latest Peer-to-Peer Event Marketing Benchmark report – the only report of its kind in the industry.
The report is power-packed with industry insights and research on how peer referrals grow attendance across different events – by region, social channels, industry type and more. Scroll down to get the link of the Benchmark report.
Other top stories of the week include:
- RX announces Brian Thomas as president of Asia Pacific region
- Meetings Industry Association publishes new guide on creating accessible events
- TSNN names Chela Nicholson as National Account Director, celebrates retirement of John Rice
- UFI opens registration for its 2026 APAC conference in Bangkok
- Who is hiring?
Read on for the full stories ⤵️
Snöball releases latest edition of event industry’s only Peer-to-Peer Marketing Benchmark Report
Snöball, the leader in peer-to-peer event marketing solutions, has released its 2026 Peer-to-Peer Event Marketing ROI Benchmark Report, a study showing conversion and attribution data from peer-driven event marketing.
Rachel Stephan, CEO of Snöball, said: “These numbers don’t just tell a story — they prove ROI. Referral marketing has always been a concept, but until now it wasn’t measurable or scalable. Snöball has made it possible to turn audiences, speakers, sponsors, and exhibitors into powerful, trackable growth engines.”
The report examines how event organizers use attendees, speakers, sponsors and exhibitors to share content and drive registrations. LinkedIn remains the top platform for B2B events, while channels including WhatsApp, SMS, Slack and Teams drive conversions.
Rachel said: “Marketers today are being asked to do more with less. This report gives them proof that there’s a powerful, data-backed channel already within reach — their own community.”
Snöball launched a peer-to-peer ROI calculator alongside the report, allowing organizers to project registrations and revenue from the strategy.
Key Findings:
- Peer-to-peer social share conversion rate: 31.9%
- Attendees from peer-driven referrals: 6.9% of total
- Top performer conversion rates: Above 50%
- Top performer audience attribution: Over 13% from peer-to-peer efforts
- LinkedIn share of B2B platform activity: 34.8%
- Dark social channels share of total: 32.6%
- Middle East and Africa peer referral attribution: Over 10% of attendees
Download the 2026 Benchmark Report
RX announces Brian Thomas as president of Asia Pacific region
RX has appointed Brian Thomas as president of its Asia Pacific region, effective immediately. Brian succeeds Chien Ee Yeh, who is retiring after 14 years with the global exhibition organizer.
Brian has spent more than 30 years at RX in leadership positions across multiple regions. Over the past year, he has managed the company’s operations in Australia, Singapore, Korea and Indonesia and helped establish RX BITEC, a joint venture in Thailand.
“Brian is a proven leader with deep regional expertise and a strong track record of delivering results,” said Hugh Jones, global CEO of RX. “His passion for our business, his collaborative approach, and his commitment to our customers and people make him the ideal person to lead our Asia Pacific operations into the future.”
Hugh thanked Chien Ee for his “outstanding contributions and dedication to RX, we wish him happiness and all the very best in his next chapter.”
“I’m honoured to take on this new role and build on the strong foundation laid by Chien Ee,” said Brian. “Asia Pacific is a dynamic and diverse region, and I’m excited to work with our talented teams to drive innovation, growth, and deeper customer engagement.”
Brian will join RX’s Executive Leadership Team and report to CEO Hugh Jones.
Meetings Industry Association publishes new guide on creating accessible events
The Meetings Industry Association (MIA) has launched guidance on creating accessible events to help professionals in the UK business meetings and events sector develop inclusive experiences.
The guide was developed with Gabrielle Austen-Browne, founder of Diversity Alliance, a diversity, equity and inclusion consultancy. It provides advice to support members in meeting legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and embedding accessibility practices into operations.
Launched on Purple Tuesday 2025, the guide explores how to remove barriers for delegates, speakers and employees with disabilities. The Equality Act 2010 requires service providers, including hotels, venues and event organizers, to make reasonable adjustments for those with physical or mental impairments.
Shonali Devereaux, MIA chief executive, said: “Accessibility is so much more than a legal requirement. As an industry built on connection, inclusivity should sit at the heart of everything we do. This guide has been designed to help our members navigate their legal responsibilities under the Equality Act and take proactive steps to remove barriers and raise awareness, empathy and understanding across our community.”
Gabrielle said: “When we fail to consider accessibility from the outset, we impoverish the entire experience, not just for disabled attendees, but for everyone. ‘Access for All’ provides the practical framework our industry needs to bridge the gap between good intentions and meaningful action.”
TSNN names Chela Nicholson as National Account Director, celebrates retirement of John Rice
Trade Show News Network (TSNN) has appointed Chela Nicholson as National Account Director and announced the retirement of John Rice, director of sales, who is leaving after 30 years with the company.
Chela began her role Nov. 1 and will oversee U.S. and global sales across destinations, venues and vendor partnerships. She has held positions at RX Global, Messe Frankfurt North America, AAHOA, AmericasMart Atlanta, NurnbergMesse North America and Total Product Expo.
“My passion lies in international business, and I’m thrilled to join TSNN at such a pivotal time,” said Chela. “I look forward to collaborating with Danica [Tormohlen, VP of Group Content] and the entire media team to drive growth and deliver value to our partners across the exhibitions ecosystem.”
John will retire Dec. 31 and continue as a consultant, supporting strategic initiatives. He joined TSNN three decades ago and helped develop the company into a media platform for the exhibitions industry.
“TSNN has been more than a job — it’s been a career built on relationships, innovation and a shared passion for the exhibitions industry,” said John. “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished and excited to continue supporting the brand in new ways.”
UFI opens registration for its 2026 APAC conference in Bangkok
UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, has opened registration for the 2026 Asia-Pacific Conference in Bangkok, Thailand.
The conference will take place March 5-6 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, which was refurbished in 2022. The Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau will host the event.
The conference brings together industry stakeholders to exchange insights and explore the future of exhibitions across Asia-Pacific. UFI previously held conferences in Thailand in Chiang Mai in 2016 and Bangkok in 2011. UFI hosted its Global Congress in Bangkok in 2019.
The 2026 conference will coincide with the UFI presidency of Panittha Buri, vice chairperson of Bhiraj Buri Group.
Dr. Supawan Teerarat, president of Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, said: “TCEB has a long-established and valued relationship with UFI, so we are honoured to host the 2026 UFI Asia-Pacific Conference. Thailand continues to grow as a regional hub for exhibitions, so we are delighted to have the opportunity to showcase Thailand with our world-class venues, professional expertise, and exceptional hospitality to colleagues from across Asia and around the world.”
Mark Cochrane, UFI regional director for Asia-Pacific, said: “UFI is very pleased to bring the Asia-Pacific Conference back to Thailand. This event was last held in Thailand in 2016, when we were in Chiang Mai. Much has changed since then, as the Thai exhibition industry has gone from strength to strength. We are anticipating a large turnout for this edition as we bring together UFI members and industry leaders from around Asia to discuss the issues of the day, such as the role of AI in events, the impact of trade tensions, growth opportunities, talent strategies and much more.”
Who is hiring?
EY – Global Event Manager, Supervising Associate
EDO – Marketing Comms & Events Manager
BigID – VP, Global Events & Field Marketing
Transamerica – Senior Director, Strategic Events & Hospitality
Fanatics – Vice President, Brand Experiences
Wrapped – Senior Manager, Global Events (Contract/Remote)
Informa Connect – Event Delivery Manager
