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Duty of Care and the Event Professional’s Obligation to Be Ready

March 20, 2026

It’s a dangerous world out there. That would ring true at almost any point in history — but it feels especially relevant in March 2026. Natural disaster risks are driving up insurance costs. Criminals are targeting popular resort destinations. Armed conflict has shuttered major global travel hubs. And the events industry, by its very nature, puts groups of people together in places that can be every bit as vulnerable as they are beautiful.

It’s Time for Show Organizers to ‘Own’ Exhibitor Training

March 16, 2026

Tradeshows are getting more expensive every year. Floor space, freight, drayage, labor, travel, hotels. The investment keeps climbing. Yet one thing hasn’t changed in decades: most exhibitors still don’t know how to produce measurable ROI from that investment.

Brains Behind the Bots

March 16, 2026

Last fall, we ran an experiment inside Club Ichi that scared a lot of people (that was the point).

We called it Brains Behind the Bots, a live event built as part of an AI Hackathon. The premise was simple: what happens if we let AI help build an event from the ground up, in real time, with professionals watching every decision, mistake, and course correction?

The Overhead Explosion: When Growth Infrastructure Costs Kill Margins

March 13, 2026

Your controller slides the quarterly P&L across the table after a strong run of shows. Revenue is up 42 percent. You should be smiling.

You’re not.

Gross margins look fine.

Orlando Lines Up Spring Tradeshows as Air and Mobility Options Expand

March 11, 2026

Orlando’s March calendar includes five tradeshows at Orange County Convention Center and Rosen Shingle Creek, led by Global Pet Expo and Vision Expo. Design and Construction Week will leave Orlando after its 2026 run and move to Las Vegas in 2027.

Exhibit Designer Education: The Start of Formal Exhibit Design Training

March 9, 2026

Today, an exhibit designer is required to do more than design 3-D architecture. Exhibit design is a creative and technical process of crafting immersive spaces (like museums, tradeshows, or marketing centers) to tell a story and convey a message through a blend of architecture, graphics, technology, and interactive elements, that focus on engaging visitors and guiding a visitor to become emotionally involved.

Chicago Tracks March Tradeshow Volume, Stadium Planning, and Hotel Investment

March 9, 2026

Chicago’s March docket brings a full mix of buyer-driven tradeshows, venue positioning, and big-ticket planning. McCormick Place anchors the month with The Inspired Home Show and a late-March run of healthcare and pop-culture events, while the Chicago Auto Show added an overlanding campout and its First Look for Charity gala raised $2.03 million.

Las Vegas Updates Track March Show Volume, Tourism Softening, and New Bookings

March 6, 2026

Las Vegas briefs this month run from show-floor scale to the metrics that sit behind demand. March’s calendar stacks seven tradeshows across the Las Vegas Convention Center and The Venetian Expo, led by CONEXPO-CON/AGG, HIMSS, and ISC West.

In Memoriam: Zol Bernard Harvey Jr.

March 4, 2026

Zol Bernard Harvey Jr. died February 6, 2026. He was 71. He lived in Las Vegas.

Harvey was born in Texas City, Texas, to Marion Oneta Quarantra and Zol B. Harvey Sr. He was raised in Dickinson, Texas, and moved to Corpus Christi in 1985.

A Look Back at ECN Tradeshow History: March 2026

February 27, 2026

Welcome back to “A Look Back at ECN Tradeshow History.” This month, the archive tracks how the industry kept adapting as events returned and expectations changed. From a post-COVID playbook built around contactless tools and hybrid access to the recognition, products, and parties that defined EXHIBITOR week, these clips capture what the business prioritized in the moment.

When Precedent Gets Set Quietly, Leaders Pay Loudly

February 20, 2026

Most leaders assume industry rules change in obvious ways. A new policy. A public decision. A big announcement everyone hears about.

That is rarely how it happens. More often, rules change quietly. Through small interpretations. New “requirements.” A line in a service manual that no one questions. A decision made for convenience that slowly becomes the standard.

Show me the green, not just the Money

February 18, 2026

In Exhibit City New’s Quarter 2 magazine of 2025 the article “The Sustainability Myth” (page 80) appeared. Based on several interviews with executives regarding the misperception that sustainability costs more, the myth that sustainability was difficult to achieve was refuted.

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