Access over Excess
Kai Hattendorf
Former UFI CEO | Messe Frankfurt Alum | Global Business Events Industry Strategist | Board-Level Advisor to Event Industry Leaders
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This week: As Austria selects Vienna as next year's host city for the Eurovision Song Contest, Europe's marquee popular culture event is pitched to be cost-efficient yet spectacular for its 70th birthday.
And: As traditions from the U.S. post-Labour Day reset to France’s rentrée mark the shift from summer mode to fall season, I review the top main stories from the summer weeks.
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JTB Corp. , Japan’s largest travel services provider, is taking over Northstar Travel Group , a US-based provider of B2B information, events, and marketing services for the travel industry. The company is currently owned by funds managed by EagleTree Capital. Financial terms weren’t disclosed, but senior sources confirmed it as one of the largest acquisitions by an Asian buyer of an international B2B media business. Read on here for the full story and analysis.
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has launched PIF Riyadh Expo 2030, a dedicated company to oversee the planning, delivery and long-term legacy of the World Expo set to open in Riyadh in October 2030. The new entity will manage infrastructure, event operations and post-Expo site use, with the aim of creating an innovation and sustainability hub beyond the six-month event. Riyadh Expo 2030 is expected to draw more than 40 million visits, positioning Saudi Arabia as a global events destination. PIF said the company underscores its role in developing “transformative projects of global significance.”
Paris 2024 set the bar high for the legacy impact of Olympic and Paralympic Games (see my recent analysis here). So I have been waiting to see the plans for Los Angeles 2028. Organisers have now released their “Impact and Sustainability Plan” for the upcoming Games, stating an emphasis on legacy over spectacle. The “transit-first, no-build” model relies on existing venues, renewable energy and reuse of temporary infrastructure. The “PlayLA” initiative will invest $160 million to support two million youth sports enrollments, while procurement targets prioritise 75 per cent local and 25 per cent small-business spending. The plan also launches “Resilient by Nature,” focusing on wildfire resilience, ocean protection and cooling solutions, backed by a Community Resilience Fund. In this context...
...a possible activation of the "Resilient by Nature" pillar can be "ShadeLA": Los Angeles has launched this programme to expand shade ahead of the 2028 Olympics, with two universities (USC and UCLA) partnering with city and county agencies. The initiative aims to add trees, solar-powered bus shelters and water stations throughout the city, and to deploy mapping tools to target “shade deserts.” Los Angeles canopy coverage stands at 21%, below the 27% U.S. average. While active, the programme has no secured funding, with nonprofits urging city and Olympic organisers to commit budgets.
RX Global has elevated Jamie Harrison to global head of digital product development. His expanded remit now includes the broader commercial and strategic direction of RX’s digital ecosystem, with a focus on innovation, data, insights and new digital propositions. This includes supporting existing events, enabling new features, and identifying opportunities to create value beyond the traditional event model. He previously served as senior vice president of product development.
Vienna Bets on Access Over Excess for Eurovision 2026
Eurovision returns to Vienna next May having last hosted the event in 2015, and the Austrian capital is signalling it will stage the 70th edition with fiscal restraint and maximum reach. The city has set aside €22.6 million to host the contest at the Wiener Stadthalle and to underwrite free public festivities, according to officials. The shows land on May 12 and 14 for the semi-finals and May 16 for the final. Vienna’s bid prevailed over Innsbruck, with organisers citing the capital’s proven infrastructure and international connectivity...
Is the U.S. losing its status as global leading events destination?
This debate will stay with us in the coming months. In the first half of 2025, convention attendance in Vegas (1.5% up year on year) was one of the few bright spots across otherwise declining travel and tourism metrics for the city that is perennially seen as a bellwether for the state of our industry in the U.S.. For July, the city again reported a double digit drop in visitors (12% year on year). Steve Hill, LVCVA president and chief executive officer, said there are at least two factors behind the recent trend. First, people are staying home to make their money go farther. Second, federal policies are making travel much more expensive for international visitors. Generally, according to independent data, leisure travel into the country is down, business related travel is more or less on 2024 levels. Lots of voices and opinion pieces are raising the alarm for the sector, despite upcoming mega events in the country. Read below for context.
Mind the (AI) Gap!
New research published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology points at the end of the Gen AI hype, as enterprise investments don't yield the expected results - in 95% of all pilot projects! I am digging deeper into this, look at the impact on the Business Events industry, and discuss useful strategic approaches to company-level AI implementation. Click below to catch up.
When events get Too Hot To Handle
The recent FIFA Club World Cup was the latest major event severely impacted by challenging weather. The LA Games address the need to adopt to hot weather. Open air concerts and other events have to get postponed or cancelled at short notice as severe weather moves in. As the planet warms, are certain events becoming "too hot to handle"? I review the data and draw conclusions here.
Multipolar reality takes center stage at Singapore MICE Forum
I rarely report on single conference sessions, but recently in Singapore, one stood out to me, as it really showed the regional take on geopolitical developments. My take: The region is no longer waiting for Washington, as panelists shared their assessment that, while the global order is fragmenting, it is not collapsing. And U.S. leadership is no longer assumed. Read my summary here.
New htf Executive Briefing
And, following up on my trip to Singapore, I produced a new htf Executive Briefing, delving into the latest developments around changing trade patterns, and developing strategy recommendations for B2B event leaders based on three future scenarios. Contact me if you want to purchase it.
New edition of "The Iceberg" is out
This latest compilation from The Iceberg’s advocacy and event impact repository "has been selected to lift the reader's eyes up from the meetings microscope so that they can enjoy a window into the hidden patterns that can unravel the mysteries of the meetings universe", writes Martin Sirk, the platform's curator. See for yourself - click here or on the image below.
Let's meet up in person!
The summer season is officially over. Time to hit the road again...
Happy to share today that I will be back at imex Las Vegas this October. After a packed session earlier this year in Frankfurt (see the summary here), we'll bring the "State of the industry: Intention to action" to this imex as well. Join Reggie Aggarwal, Carina Bauer, Aoife Delaney, CIS, CITP and me on October 8 at 12.30pm for this.
And, later in the year, I will re-unite with the UFI community in Hong Kong at their Global Congress.
That's all for today. Until next week!