In an industry that is about 80% women, female event professionals still encounter challenges come at every turn.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Read online 👵 Gendered Ageism: A Chronic Issue For female event professionals, challenges come at every turn. That’s in an industry that, by most counts, is about 80% women.   Miguel Neves, Skift Meetings Editor-in-Chief June 16th, 2026 IN THIS EDITION Hotel accused of swapping conference for lucrative NBA Finals business. Forrester pivots to smaller events, hoping to reverse event revenue decline. Gendered ageism, a chronic issue in events. Plus, AI note-takers taking over virtual meetings and where to find inspiration for your events. Read on below.     FEATURED STORIES Hotel Accused of Canceling Conference for NBA Finals Business By Andrea Doyle A lawsuit over a hotel's alleged decision to replace a longstanding conference with higher-value NBA Finals business has been settled. But the dispute exposed a contract vulnerability many planners still overlook. GET THE STORY What’s Behind Forrester’s Pivot to Smaller Events By Miguel Neves The research firm is betting big on shorter, more intimate forums to reverse a 57% decline in event revenue over three years. GET THE STORY Gendered Ageism: The Events Industry’s Chronic Issue By Barbara Scofidio Women event professionals report being stereotyped, harassed, unable to balance work and family, paid less than men, and then as the ultimate insult, forced out of their jobs at the late stage of their careers. And that’s in an industry made up mostly of women. GET THE STORY         How to Break Down the Language Barrier at Your Next Meeting Wordly + Skift Meetings Are you working to ensure all attendees can access your content? See how the industry’s leading AI-powered translation and captioning service can help. GET THE STORY         WEBINAR AI is everywhere in event tech right now. Tomorrow’s Backstage Briefing webinar gives you a grounded, practical read on where AI is genuinely changing how events get planned and run — and where it isn't. Joining us to share their independent insights are: Tess Vismale, CMP Fellow, DES, Co-Founder, Event Tech Atlas and Co-Host, The Event Tech Pull Up Podcast Doug Muller, VP, Technology & Innovation, George P. Johnson Vanessa Lovatt, Founder, Event Tech World REGISTER NOW         RECOGNITION The Skift IDEA Awards features five meetings and events categories: hotels, venues & convention centers, destination marketing organizations, event technology, and cruise lines. Submit your entry by July 1. SECURE YOUR ENTRY         DON’T MISS THESE STORIES AI Stand-Ins Are Reshaping the Economics of Virtual Events By Andrea Doyle Not all attendees at virtual meetings are human. AI note-taking bots are proliferating, and although they may assist attendees with note-taking and summaries, they are posing challenges for planners. View Article 8 Places to Find Inspiration for Your Events  By Barbara Scofidio Creativity is rarely a straight line — it’s an exploration. This is where planners get fresh ideas for their events. View Article         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.       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