Wednesday, October 28, 2026

Don’t miss out – a new report on the shifting global meetings landscape

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In case it got buried in your inbox: Our new report, The Reshuffling of the Consideration Set, is live, and it can help you get a better sense of where to welcome your attendees next.

The report looks at how your peers are thinking about risk in the destination selection process, how entry policies and fees are evolving and which regions are making the biggest infrastructure investments.

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This report is in sponsored by Destination Toronto and Ottawa Tourism.

Tuesday, October 27, 2026

Would You Fall for This Fake Conference?

October 27, 2026 | Read online

Would You Fall for This Fake Conference?

Real sponsors and a real hotel made this fake event look legit.

David McMillin, Skift Meetings Head of Content

October 27th, 2026

Scams used to be easy to spot. You didn’t even have to look for them; your spam filter quietly swept away all those messages urging you to claim your prize money before you had a chance to click.

That’s no longer the case. Today’s coverage of a fake life sciences conference shows how sophisticated scams have become — and how easily they slip past the filter. The scheme, which baited targets with the prestige of a speaking invitation, an impressive list of legitimate corporate sponsors and a real luxury hotel, is another reminder that cybercriminals are keeping a close eye on the meetings industry. Head below for the full story, along with a look at a new association for senior-level meeting professionals and a Canadian trade show floor without a single U.S. exhibitor. — David McMillin

NEW REPORT ON THE GLOBAL MEETING LANDSCAPE

What do your peers’ budgets look like now? How are they navigating continued geopolitical pressures? And what are they doing to define ROI to leadership? Get the answers in a new Skift Meetings research report.

This report was sponsored by Destination Toronto and Ottawa Tourism.

GET THE REPORT

FEATURED STORIES

U.S. Ski Resorts Disappear From Canadian Trade Show, but It’s Not All About Politics

By Andrea Doyle

American ski resorts began abandoning an Ottawa trade show before U.S.-Canada relations soured. Now, even as Canadian bookings show signs of recovery, some exhibitors have no plans to return. For organizers, the bigger challenge may be proving that trade shows are still worth the investment.

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SPIN Aims to Reclaim Its Place in the Meetings Industry

By Barbara Scofidio

SPIN spent years as a members-only Facebook group. Now it wants a seat alongside MPI and PCMA. Can a free, volunteer-run association of veteran planners build that kind of influence?

GET THE STORY

Cybercriminals Invented an Entire Conference — and Used a Real Hotel to Sell the Lie

By Andrea Doyle

With prominent scientists, corporate sponsors, and a Boston hotel venue, the conference website looked legitimate. The scam is a reminder that the professional credibility of speaking at a meeting can be weaponized by criminals.

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Is It Time to Say “Last Call” to the Open Bar?

Convene Hospitality Group + Skift Meetings

As alcohol consumption declines, meeting professionals are adjusting with more zero-proof options and more experiential activations that shift booze to the background.

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SKIFT PICK: TRANSLATING TRAVEL TRENDS FOR MEETINGS

Your Attendees Booked the Block. That Doesn’t Mean They’ll Stay in It.

New research from Skift and McKinsey & Company shows that 41% of U.S. travelers keep checking prices after they book, and 29% keep looking at other options in case something better comes along. They follow through, too: 51% say they’ve switched hotels after seeing a better option on social media. Flexible cancellation policies make switching easy.

The lesson for meeting planners: If the hotel drops its public rate, or a cheaper option turns up three blocks away, some attendees will cancel and rebook outside the block. The attrition hit lands on you. First things first: Check your contract for a lowest-rate clause that matches your group rate to any lower public rate the hotel offers. Then give people reasons to stay put, like perks tied to the block that a lower rate elsewhere won’t include. There’s an upside, too. Attendees keep planning between registration and arrival, so that’s a good time to offer the add-on dinner, the pre-tour or the extra night. If you don’t fill that time, another app will.

Plan Ahead: The 2027 Meetings Industry Calendar

A rundown of when the most important programs are happening around the world next year.

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