Zambian government officials postponed the event — without consulting with organizers — with less than a week go to  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Read online 🌏 Geopolitical Tensions Cancel Human Rights Summit Pressure from China appears to have made the Zambian government officials postpone the event — without consulting with organizers — less than a week before 2,600 participants were due to arrive in Lusaka.   Miguel Neves, Skift Meetings Editor-in-Chief May 5th, 2026 IN THIS EDITION CloserStill Media Sells to Searchlight for $1.8 billion. The new AI reality of job hunting in events. Why RightsCon 2026 was cancelled at the last minute. Plus, new convention hotels planned for Nashville and Detroit, rooming lists get an AI makeover, what planners get wrong when hiring entertainers and a roundup of AI and event tech news. Read on below.     FEATURED STORIES CloserStill Media Sells to Searchlight in $1.8B Deal as Providence Stays On By Miguel Neves CloserStill spent 2025 expanding in the U.S. and Europe, focused on its technology, infrastructure, and health care portfolios. Searchlight's capital is fuel for a much bigger bet on America and high-growth technology markets. View Article AI Job Hunting in Events — The New Reality By Barbara Scofidio Misleading job posts and screening tools that overlook experienced candidates are leaving job hunters frustrated and disappointed. View Article Digital Rights Group Cancels Africa Summit After Apparent Chinese Pressure By Miguel Neves The last-minute cancellation of RightsCon wasn't a procedural hiccup — it was political capitulation to foreign pressure. Organizers chose Zambia precisely for its visa-free access for 167 nationalities. It turns out a welcoming visa policy is no guarantee against foreign interference. View Article         How the Right Host City Can Reduce the Registration Risk for Medical Meetings Melbourne Convention Bureau + Skift Meetings Amid geopolitical tensions and rising costs, one destination is attracting some of the world's largest medical programs.  View Article         RECOGNITION Skift IDEA Awards final price increase is on May 8. Save $50 on your entry before it goes to full price. Submit your entry to Skift IDEA Awards in five meetings and events categories: hotels, venues & convention centers, destination marketing organizations, event technology, and cruise lines. Lock in the lowest price today, then complete your entry by July 1. SECURE YOUR ENTRY         DON’T MISS THESE STORIES Nashville's Convention Capacity Set to Grow With 817-Room Signia by Hilton By Andrea Doyle Nashville's downtown stands to get its largest hotel — and with it the ability to chase meetings and events it currently can't accommodate. View Article Rooming Lists Get an AI Makeover By Miguel Neves Managing rooming lists is the "most hated job in hotels" because much of the manual workflow involved hasn't meaningfully changed in years. Hivr and Radisson are using AI to go after a problem most others have ignored. View Article Detroit to Add Second Convention Hotel to Compete for Bigger Events By Andrea Doyle With a second Huntington Place-connected hotel in the works, Detroit is looking to close a gap that has limited its ability to compete with other convention cities, a lack of hotel inventory.  View Article Event Tech & AI News Roundup - May 2026 By Miguel Neves The event tech market is shrinking even as its capabilities expand, with every AI integration raising the bar for what planners expect out of the tools. View Article 10 Things Planners Get Wrong When Hiring Entertainers By Barbara Scofidio While planners put the most effort into education and programming, it’s the entertainers — from musicians to mentalists — who often leave a lasting impression. View Article         🧰 Skift Meetings Toolkit 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.       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 Terms of Service

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Lock in your rate today. You have until July 1 to finalize. ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­  

View in browser Unsubscribe   Lock in the Lowest Price on Your Entries PURCHASE NOW. HAVE UNTIL JULY 1 TO SUBMIT.   LAST CHANCE TO SAVE       Hi there, Prices for the Skift IDEA Awards increase to full rate this Friday. You have until Thursday, May 7 at 11:59 p.m. ET to lock in and save $50. Purchase your entry now and you won't need to submit until July 1. That gives your team time to build the strongest possible case. You can also change your category after purchase if your thinking evolves. 👉 SECURE THE LOWEST RATE BEFORE FRIDAY The Skift IDEA Awards recognize the brands, destinations, and technology companies driving meaningful change in travel. If your team has launched a standout campaign, product, initiative, or experience in the past year, this is the industry recognition that matters. Email awards@skift.com with any questions. save $50 today "The recognition reinforced a long-term, brand-led strategy rather than changing it. Equally important has been the way this work has strengthened dialogue between corporate teams and colleagues on property. That closer connection ensures innovation remains practical, intuitive, and in service of what matters most: freeing time and attention for human interaction." - Peter Norris, VP, Global Channels, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group (2025 Winner) You Can Enter the Skift IDEA Awards in Under 90 Minutes. Here’s How. Pressed for time but still want to enter the Skift IDEA Awards? You can get a strong submission within 90 minutes and come back to improve it before the deadline. LEARN MORE We also now offer downloadable sample entry forms so you can review the questions before you begin your submission. To access: → Visit https://live.skift.com/skift-idea-awards/ → Navigate to Categories → Select the category you would like to enter → Under the category title, click "Download a Sample Form" This makes it easier to prepare your materials internally and gather everything you need ahead of submitting. Defining the future of travel. Skift. 35 W 31st St., New York, NY, 10001, USA Follow Us: LinkedIn   |  X   |  Facebook   |  Whatsapp   |  Bluesky   |  Threads You received this because you are subscribed to Marketing Emails from Skift. For Gmail users: If you are using the tabbed inbox, Skift emails may be pushed to the 'Promotions' tab. To get updates from Skift direct to your primary inbox, drag and drop this email to that tab.