The Spotnana-TROOP deal is a bet that CFOs want one number, not two.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Read online The Wall Between Travel and Meetings Is Falling The Spotnana-TROOP deal is a bet that CFOs want one number, not two.   David McMillin, Skift Meetings Head of Content August 27th, 2026 When my friends ask me about what I do, I typically tell them I write about business travel. Everyone understands the concept of traveling for work, but many people are puzzled about what it means to “work in meetings.” To a lot of them, the meetings industry is invisible, and it only matters when a convention is in town, and their visiting parents wind up crashing with them instead because hotel rates are too high. The Spotnana-TROOP deal suggests my shorthand wasn't so far off after all — meetings and business travel are actually merging. Skift Meetings’ Andrea Doyle dives into the move to bring travel and meetings under one roof as companies look to get a clearer picture of where all their money is going. The rest of this issue of The Stand-Up includes a look at more than six years of analyzing job listings in the industry and cautionary advice on the implications of facial recognition on attendee privacy. — David McMillin       DON’T MISS OUT Skift Meetings Forum When finance folds meetings into the travel budget, every planner in the room becomes a line item under one CFO's scrutiny.  On September 22 at NYC's Javits Center, senior planners from JPMorgan, Salesforce, Rotary, and the FIFA World Cup 26 host committee work through what tighter budgets and merged reporting mean for how events get funded and defended, with sessions like "How Meeting Leaders Can Do More With Less." APPLY TO ATTEND             FEATURED STORIES Why Your Photography Waiver Doesn’t Cover Facial Recognition By Andrea Doyle A checkbox that says "photography and videography" may be doing legal and ethical work it was never built for. As facial recognition, AI-enabled wearables and passive recording become more common at events, planners are facing a bigger question: What exactly have attendees consented to? GET THE STORY What Years of Job Postings Reveal About the Events Industry By Barbara Scofidio The METHOD Project, a stealth initiative analyzing event industry jobs and salaries, confirms what planners have been sensing anecdotally: The title with staying power and a salary bump isn't planner, it's marketer. GET THE STORY The Wall Between Business Travel and Meetings Is Falling By Andrea Doyle Spotnana's acquisition of TROOP is a bet that managed travel and meetings belong on the same platform. GET THE STORY             WORTH YOUR TIME Five things worth your time today. Meet the man who is stepping into the top spot at FICP in September. Learn how to build a case for why you belong in the C-suite at your company. See why meeting planners continue to count on a city of firsts to impress their attendees.** Take a look at a new approach to a customer advisory board that gives junior meeting planners a seat at the table. Give your audience a break from too many screens by finding ways to add creative art to your next experience. ** A sponsored message from Visit Atlantic City.             SKIFT PICK: TRANSLATING TRAVEL TRENDS FOR MEETINGS Watermelon Sugar, High Hotel Rates. New York City has already had a wild year for demand drivers including the World Cup and a Knicks championship. Now, it has another one: Harry Styles kicked off a 30-show Madison Square Garden residency on August 26, running well into the fall as part of his "Together, Together" tour. Unlike a one-off concert or even a short multi-night stand, this is two months of sustained, concentrated demand in one city. It may not quite be the Taylor Swift bump, writes Skift’s Bailey Schulz. But the former One Direction star is pushing rates in one direction: up. If you're planning a fall meeting or conference in New York (or you’re planning to attend one, such as, you know, Skift Global Forum), this is worth checking against your calendar now, not two weeks out. A 30-show residency means elevated hotel demand isn't a single weekend spike you can route around. It’s a rolling, multi-week floor under rates for much of September and October, layered on top of a city that was already tight. Check the show schedule against your event dates, and lock your rooms in earlier than you normally would.             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

Illegal transportation companies are targeting airports and convention centers for rides.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Read online The Fake Cars Waiting for Your Attendees Illegal transportation companies are targeting airports and convention centers for rides.   David McMillin, Skift Meetings Head of Content August 25th, 2026 If you’re like me, you probably think that scams are something someone else falls for — not you, of course. The reality, however, is that scammers have gotten much more sophisticated than I’ve been willing to admit. Earlier this year, a study from Airbnb revealed that more than 40% of Americans have fallen for an online scam with an average loss of approximately $2,000. Scams aren’t always about a fake product or service, though. Today, Barbara Scofidio offers a look at the increasing number of illegal transit companies that are targeting business travelers and meeting attendees at airports. Why deal with that 35-minute wait for an Uber in Las Vegas when there’s a cheaper and faster option? Well, that option could be a company that lacks commercial insurance and fails to do any real vetting of its drivers. Head below for the full story, along with helpful tips for breaking into the C-suite and advice on writing a welcome letter that will actually resonate with attendees. — David McMillin       DON’T MISS OUT Skift Meetings Forum The scams reaching your attendees are the visible edge of a problem AI is scaling fast, and the events industry is an easy mark. At Skift Meetings Forum, Nirjary Desai of KIS (cubed) Events leads a working session on how AI now forges documents, spins up fake vendor sites, and slips past the checks planners rely on. It sits inside a full day with senior planners from Time, FIFA World Cup 26, SXSW, and Marriott Bonvoy at the Javits Center on September 22. APPLY TO ATTEND             FEATURED STORIES 4 Ways Women in Meetings Can Break Into the C-Suite By Andrea Doyle These moves tend to separate the people who get promoted from the people who deserve to be. GET THE STORY How to Write a Welcome Letter Attendees Will Actually Read By Barbara Scofidio A welcome letter is the one message every attendee is guaranteed to see — and often the one planners give the least thought. GET THE STORY Illegal Limos Are Targeting Meeting Travelers — and They Look Legit By Barbara Scofidio An early look at a study on unlicensed ground transportation providers show they now have slick booking sites and branded sedans — and they’re taking aim at convention-goers. GET THE STORY             How a City of Firsts Keeps Reinventing Itself for Modern Meetings Visit Atlantic City + Skift Meetings A century of firsts gave Atlantic City its identity. Now oceanfront venues, new hotel towers, and 500,000 square feet of exhibit space are giving it a modern meetings case. READ THE STORY             WORTH YOUR TIME Five things worth your time today. Know when and where you should be next year with a rundown of the key dates on the 2027 meetings industry calendar. Learn why emotional intelligence will carry a premium in the age of artificial intelligence. Get a closer look at how a surprising World Cup host city is gearing up for a new chapter of welcoming mega-events.** See how humans — yes, real humans — are doing a better job than AI-powered matchmaking apps. Be aware of the privacy risks of letting attendees wear smart glasses to your next meeting. ** A sponsored message from Visit KC.             SKIFT PICK: TRANSLATING TRAVEL TRENDS FOR MEETINGS Good News for Hotels: Rates Are Recovering Faster Than Expected. Bad News for Planners: You May Have Less Bargaining Power Than You’d Like. CBRE just raised its 2026 U.S. hotel RevPAR growth forecast to 2.5%, more than double its earlier call of 1.2% at the start of the year — and it's crediting the jump to a stronger-than-expected recovery in business transient and group travel. Luxury is leading the way at a projected 5.2% RevPAR growth. While the U.S. has the largest hotel construction pipeline on the planet, the pace of new construction starts has slowed for 15 straight months. And as anyone in the hotel world knows, there’s a big difference between a property that’s being talked about and a property that’s actually nearly done and ready to open its doors for your attendees. What does it all mean? Well, group and business travel demand is recovering ahead of schedule, and net new supply is only trickling in relative to the existing base, especially at the top end. If you’re negotiating a block on the higher end for 2026 or 2027, expect less flexibility on rate than you managed to score over the past couple of years, and build your budget around the increase.             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