It might have something to do with a lack of information and a super strict cancellation policy.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Read online Why Your Attendees Are Waiting So Long to Register It might have something to do with a lack of information and a super strict cancellation policy.   David McMillin, Skift Meetings Head of Content October 13th, 2026 Remember when the early-bird savings cutoff mattered? As the deadline approached, you could expect a big bump in numbers that helped you get a good sense of how the upcoming show would perform. That big bump now feels more like a thud. Past data from Maritz has shown that roughly 45% of attendees don’t register until four weeks out from the event, and the issue appears to be getting even worse. Andrea Doyle looks at new research from Freeman today that uncovers why attendees are waiting too long to commit and what meeting marketers can do to motivate them to book flights and block the time on their calendars. Head below to get the full story, along with an interview with the new leader of FICP and a look at why planners should pay attention to the big-picture implications of a record-setting rainy Sunday before IMEX in Las Vegas. — David McMillin       FEATURED STORIES Even Las Vegas Needs a Rain Plan: Record Storm Snarls IMEX Arrivals By Andrea Doyle By the time IMEX’s show floor opens Tuesday, Sunday's record rain will be forgotten. The lesson shouldn’t be: A destination’s weather history is no longer a forecast. GET THE STORY FICP’s New President on Intentional Connection and Growth   By Barbara Scofidio Just a couple of weeks into the job, Jamie Murdock already has a strong grasp of what makes this association different from others and how to introduce change. GET THE STORY 5 Ways to Turn Attendees and Speakers Into Promoters By Barbara Scofidio Your strongest promoters are not the ones working from inside your company — they're the people already coming to your events. GET THE STORY Why Late Event Registration Doesn’t Actually Exist Anymore By Andrea Doyle Event organizers keep asking why attendees are registering late. The real problem may be that they’re asking people to commit before giving them enough information, flexibility, or value to say yes. GET THE STORY             How Planners Are Using an AI Platform to Book $100 Million in Hotels a Year  Joy + Skift Meetings Joy's AI also makes thousands of calls a day to confirm reservations and flags exceptions for humans. The platform runs in different modes, from research to drafting to acting alone, so teams can build trust one step at a time. LEARN MORE             WORTH YOUR TIME Five things worth your time today. Know these 25 essential meeting terms to speak the same language as your peers and partners. Learn how to get C-level attendees to care enough to come to your next event. Find out what’s next for the industry after the Informa-Clarion deal. Proceed with caution if you’re planning to use AI to choose your next host destination. Break up with the ballroom and use one of these tools to find a more creative venue.             SKIFT PICK: TRANSLATING TRAVEL TRENDS FOR MEETINGS Is Your Hotel on the Picket List? Today’s Skift Pick comes from my hometown of Chicago, where hundreds of Unite Here Local 1 members have walked off the job at six hotels: the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk, both Westins (River North and Michigan Avenue), Palmer House, Waldorf Astoria and the Millennium Knickerbocker. The frontline employees chose one of the city’s busiest weekends of the year — the Chicago Marathon — to make their case in a contract negotiation. And it could get bigger: more than 7,000 workers at 46 hotels have authorized a strike, and the union’s president says the rest “could be on strike at any moment.” The strike is a reminder for meeting planners to look at where a property stands with its workforce before you sign. Marriott and Hilton both say their hotels have plans to keep operating. But “operating” with a picket line at the front door isn’t the experience you promised attendees. This goes beyond the Windy City, too. Seattle just ended an 85-day strike, and before that workers walked out in LA, San Francisco and Boston. No matter where you’re thinking about heading next, ask when the hotel’s labor contract is up. Then make sure your agreement spells out what happens if workers walk out: service standards, attrition and cancellation relief, and whether a strike counts as force majeure.             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

We’ve made two changes to Skift Commerce Summit

Nov 11, NYC. A sharper program, and a lower price. ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­  

Hi there,   I wanted to come back to you directly, because two things about the Skift Commerce Summit on November 11 in NYC have changed, and both are worth thirty seconds of your time.   First, we’ve tightened the program to a focused half-day. Same four tensions the industry hasn’t settled: who owns the customer when AI mediates the booking, what comes after NDC, which payments infrastructure is worth a five-year bet, and whether to build direct now or wait - but concentrated into an afternoon of sessions with no filler. Every one is a real fight, pressure-tested by the operators actually making the call.   Second, the operator ticket is now $275, down from $550.   Early confirmed voices include Tyler Morse (Chairman & CEO, MCR Hotels), Doria Holbrook (President, Oro Mobility / Hertz), and Adam Schwab (Co-Founder & CEO, Luxury Escapes) - operators who’ve each placed a real bet on where travel commerce is going, with more to come.   If you’re making a call on AI booking, distribution, or payments in the next year, this is an afternoon in a room with people weighing the same decisions - and a chance to hear where they’re placing their bets before you place yours.   Register here: https://live.skift.com/skift-travel-commerce-summit/   Hope to see you there,   Camille Wagner Event Marketing Lead, Skift Skift, 35 W 31st St., Frnt 1, New York, NY 10001, USA Unsubscribe Manage preferences

...beware of the blind spots.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Read online Before You Ask ChatGPT Where to Host Your Meeting... ...beware of the blind spots.   David McMillin, Skift Meetings Head of Content October 8th, 2026 Right now, an account director at a DMO is waiting for your call. But there’s a decent chance you’re skipping that step entirely, typing your meeting specs into ChatGPT and asking: Where should we go next? That’s a problem for destinations, because they may be getting crossed off your list before they ever know you were looking. It’s a problem for planners, too: A destination you don’t know doesn’t have the chance to present a valuable set of financial incentives that can make the case for landing your next program. Andrea Doyle reports on how DMOs are auditing what AI says about them and rewriting their content for machines as well as people. But Destinations International’s Gretchen Hall points out that AI still doesn’t understand citywide compression or peak seasonality, which is where a human who knows the calendar earns their keep. Head below for the full story, plus a CSR idea for your next program and more insights into what’s next after the Informa-Clarion deal. — David McMillin       FEATURED STORIES After Informa-Clarion, Who Buys Next? By Andrea Doyle About $10 billion in trade show deals in six months, plus private equity firms looking to build on new platforms, means Informa-Clarion is unlikely to be the last big move. Smaller organizers and event tech companies look like the next targets. GET THE STORY What Holds Tech Week's 1,500 Events Together By Andrea Doyle A steady content feed lets attendees experience the parts they couldn't attend in person. For planners running multi-venue or community-driven events, it's a case for treating content as the infrastructure, not just the recap. GET THE STORY The CSR Activity That Started With a Handmade Birthday Card By Barbara Scofidio Jordan Lacey started Light the Candle at 17 to make birthday cards for foster children in her community. Now in the events industry, she is creating CSR activities that can be done anywhere. GET THE STORY Can AI Source Your Next Meeting Destination? By Andrea Doyle An industry built on the power of human relationships is confronting machine-produced site recommendations. What if AI gets the answer wrong? GET THE STORY             What SXSW Has Learned Without a Convention Center Visit Austin + Skift Meetings What does a program with 75 venues look like? Get a look at how SXSW has embraced the challenge of designing a decentralized experience during the $1.6 billion convention center renovation in Austin. LEARN MORE             ON DEMAND Did you miss our debrief of all the action at Skift Meetings Forum? No worries. Sign up to access the recording here and unpack all the insights from New York. Sponsored by Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Experience Kissimmee. WATCH THE WEBINAR             WORTH YOUR TIME Five things worth your time today. Know the six key lessons from Skift Meetings Forum to navigate the next year of meetings and events. See why an empty chair might be a great addition to your next program. Learn how SITE and IRF are working to introduce college students to the value of the industry. Avoid the dangers of burnout by knowing how to spot the signs one of your team members might be near a breaking point. Break up with the ballroom and use one of these tools to find a more creative venue.             SKIFT PICK: TRANSLATING TRAVEL TRENDS FOR MEETINGS Airlines Want Premium Passengers. Will They Price Out Your Average Attendee? British Airways is pulling 52 seats off each of its A380s, and the back of the plane takes the hit. Economy loses 88 seats (about 30%), premium economy grows by more than half, and premium seats go from roughly 35% of the cabin to 48%. It's not just a long-haul story, either. United is rolling out three fare tiers in its domestic first and business cabins, and Alaska is cutting main cabin seats to make room for business class and premium economy. That's great news if you can afford to sit up front. Most of your attendees can't. Fewer economy seats means the cheap fares may not be so cheap anymore, and they'll sell out faster. It’s happening just as companies hunt for line items to cut. For a corporate meeting, that means a tougher fight for the travel budget. For an association event, it's worse. When attendees need a boss to sign off (or are paying their own way), a pricier flight can turn "see you there" into "I'll just watch the recording." So start treating airfare like part of the registration fee: factor it into how you price and pitch the event, and open registration earlier so people can book before all the economy seats are gone.             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