Destinations came to Vegas with stories, not just booths.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Read online The Good News Out of IMEX Destinations came to Vegas with stories, not just booths.   David McMillin, Skift Meetings Head of Content October 15th, 2026 It’s easy to focus on what’s going wrong right now: rising costs everywhere and anxiety over AI disruption (or doomsday, depending on who you ask). The issue below digs into some of those pressures, but first, I want to start with something more encouraging: the energy at IMEX this week. The show floor was packed, a good signal for the industry. What stayed with me, though, were the conversations with destinations eager to be part of the answer. Valeria from Discover Puerto Rico beamed as she shared news of a new Cirque du Soleil residency coming to San Juan, along with a cast of culinary stars who have chosen to put down roots across the island. Susan from Destination D.C., talked about countering negative sentiment toward the U.S. by telling the stories of immigrant business owners who proudly call the capital home. Joel from Destination Canada explained how the country’s deep commitment to legacy is paying off with conventions that create meaningful change. Despite the uncertainty hanging over the world right now, the message in Vegas was clear: Meetings have a real opportunity to prove that bringing people together is still one of the best tools we have for working through hard things. — David McMillin       FEATURED STORIES 5 Key Statistics About the State of Incentive Programs  By Barbara Scofidio Disruption has become the norm as incentive planners brace for continued uncertainty in 2027.  GET THE STORY Some Event Line Items Have Increased By 146% Since 2019 By Andrea Doyle Inflation is slowing, but event pricing isn’t turning around, according to a new price index from Maritz. Planners who keep cutting last year’s program to fit this year’s budget will lose on both cost and experience. GET THE STORY What If AI Thinks Your Event Is Canceled? By Andrea Doyle New research from Freeman shows that one in five attendees now uses AI to find conferences. Will it be able to find the right information about yours? GET THE STORY The Meetings Industry’s Anti-Trafficking Work Is Still Unfinished By Barbara Scofidio Hotels still treat trafficking awareness as a reputational risk rather than a duty of care. Planners who control room blocks are the buyers with the power to change that — but few are doing so.  GET THE STORY             Why Recurring Meetings Are Your Best Shot at Doing More With Less Marriott Bonvoy Convention & Resort Network + Skift Meetings Site selection, contracts, and hotel handoffs repeat every year for recurring meetings. Learn how you can streamline all that work so you can focus on what you really need to do: design for attendee engagement. LEARN MORE             WORTH YOUR TIME Five things worth your time today. How to turn attendees and speakers into your marketing team. Why late registration doesn’t really exist anymore. What unites a collection of 1,500 events during Tech Week. What 20 years of designing events shows about their real value. How to prevent your team from burning out.             SKIFT PICK: TRANSLATING TRAVEL TRENDS FOR MEETINGS People Are Paying $19.99 Per Month to Have Dinner With Strangers This week, Rafat Ali tipped Skift readers off to a service I had never heard of: Timeleft. The app charges $19.99 per month to help pair four to six strangers up for dinners. An algorithm sorts through your interests, finds a crew that seems like a good fit and books a reservation at a restaurant. Does this job description sound familiar to you? It should, because it’s exactly what a meeting planner does: finds a venue and helps people connect with each other. However, Timeleft takes the connection further than a lot of meetings. Instead of an open bar with a hope that people figure out how to talk to each other, there are conversation starters in the app to avoid awkward gaps. And there’s no chance of searching the LinkedIn profiles of the dinner companions before because Timeleft keeps the names private until the night out on the town. The lesson: If people are willing to shell out money each month for a curated dinner, it’s worth spending more time — and more money — to design a better networking experience.             Skift Meetings Toolkit Great events are built on strategy, innovation, and the right resources. The Skift Meetings Toolkit is your go-to hub for best practices in managing meetings and events. EXPLORE THE TOOLKIT             Thanks for being a regular reader. We are switching to a new email platform. Why? This change will allow for better delivery, and more engaging newsletters. Please take a moment to add this new email address to your contacts to ensure you continue receiving your newsletters without interruption. During this transition, these emails might land in your promotions or spam folder. To ensure you don’t miss out, please move this newsletter to your primary inbox.       1    DEFINING THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL. Update your email preferences or unsubscribe here © 2026 Skift 35 W 31st St. New York, New York 10001, United States

What I can’t stop thinking about after interviewing Uber’s CEO

Hi there,   I interviewed Dara Khosrowshahi at Skift Global Forum a few weeks ago, and I’ve been stuck on the same set of questions ever since. What if the hotel booking itself doesn’t need to make money - because the company making it monetizes the customer somewhere else? What changes when a company like Uber doesn’t have to pay Google to acquire the customer in the first place? As AI starts mediating discovery and booking, who actually owns the customer relationship? And if the traveler starts with Uber, a credit card, or an AI agent, what does “direct booking” even mean anymore? None of these is really a distribution question anymore. Distribution is just one piece now - discovery, payments, loyalty, and the customer relationship sit on top of it, and the real fight is over which layer is worth controlling.   That’s the whole reason we’re running this as a Commerce Summit. It’s November 11 in NYC, and I’d like you in the room: https://live.skift.com/skift-travel-commerce-summit/   See you there. Rafat Skift, 35 W 31st St., Frnt 1, New York, NY 10001, USA Unsubscribe Manage preferences

Run the show by staying ahead

The meetings and events industry never stands still. New trends, emerging technology, shifting attendee expectations, and evolving best practices mean there's always something new to learn.   Meeting Professionals International (MPI) helps you stay ahead.   As an MPI member, you'll gain access to professional development through MPI Academy, including online and in-person certificate programs, webinars, and learning opportunities designed specifically for meeting and event professionals. Whether you're building new skills, strengthening your expertise, or preparing for your next career move, MPI provides the resources to help you keep growing.   Membership also connects you with a global community of peers who share ideas, experiences, and practical solutions you can apply in your own work. Because the best learning doesn't just happen in the classroom—it happens through the conversations and connections you build along the way.   Running the show means staying ready for what's next. MPI gives you the knowledge, community, and support to do just that.   Learn more about what MPI membership can do for you at mpi.org/join.   This content is brought to you in partnership with MPI. Skift, 35 W 31st St., Frnt 1, New York, NY 10001, USA Manage preferences