Imagine turning those sometimes awkward event networking experiences into more meaningful encounters that lead to valuable connections. Attendees at PCMA’s recent Convening Leaders had a chance to do just that with Braindates, an online matchmaking platform that puts like-minded people together to share knowledge face-to-face, one-on-one.

Sort of like Tinder, but for peer-to-peer networking, Braindates was created five years ago by Montreal-based E-180 with the philosophy that everyone has a story to tell and lessons to teach. 

GES had a good 2016, with the division of the parent company Viad closing out the year with $1,054.7 billion in revenues, compared with $976.9 million in 2015 – an 8-percent uptick.

Fourth-quarter revenues also saw a slight increase, up to $246.2 million from $244.5 million during the same time period in 2015, a 0.7-percent increase.

“GES delivered solid fourth quarter results to finish the year in line with our prior guidance,” said Steve Moster, Viad president and CEO, president of GES. 

Trade shows dedicated to the poultry, beef and firearms industries have been enjoying extra boosts in attendance recently. 

The Cattle Industry Convention and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Trade Show shattered its previous attendance record of 8,200 attendees by attracting 9,331 participants to its most recent event, held Feb.1-3 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, TN.

Emerald Expositions’ Outdoor Retailer has opened the door to possibly moving its show out of its long-time home at the Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City.

The show recently announced, in cooperation with Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) and Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, that it will solicit proposals for venue locations for shows and events scheduled for November 2018 and beyond.

In response to the retail fashion industry’s growing concern about how President Trump’s administration may impact global trade and apparel manufacturing, SOURCING at MAGIC will be hosting a special educational seminar, “Post Election: Trump and Trade,” at MAGIC, taking place Feb. 21-23 at the Las Vegas Convention Center and Mandalay Bay Convention Center.

As one of 13 showfloor categories at the largest biannual U.S. trade show for the global retail fashion industry, SOURCING at MAGIC is dedicated to the global supply chain.

Earlier this week, Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Howard Zemsky announced the selection of the design-build team for the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center’s $1.5 billion expansion project.

Following a rigorous evaluation process with the help of five groups of technical experts, a blue-ribbon selection panel chose LendLease Turner to coordinate and construct the massive project.

As the largest biannual U.S. trade show for the global retail fashion industry, MAGIC is known for staying ahead of trends, while continually revamping, expanding and refining its showfloor offerings.

Its upcoming event, set for Feb. 20-23 at the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, will be no exception as it unveils a new African Pavilion and a refreshed women’s fashion showcase.

One of the largest trade show companies in the U.S., Emerald Expositions, is exploring a possible sale that would value the company at $2 billion, according to a Jan. 25 news report from Reuters citing unnamed sources.

Private equity firm Onex, which owns Emerald, has brought on Bank of America to manage the sale process of Emerald, the sources said.

David Loechner, president and CEO of Emerald Expositions, declined to comment.

Make: and Reed Exhibitions are partnering up to launch Maker Faire Chicago 2017. Set for April 22-23 at McCormick Place, the two-day, family-friendly event will be collocated with the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2).

Co-founded in 2006 by Maker Media, Maker Faire festivals gather together tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers, science clubs, authors, artists, students, and commercial exhibitors to celebrate innovation, creativity and hands-on collaboration across the spectrum of science, engineering, art, performance and craft.

Want to take your trade show and turn it into a compelling, not-to-miss industry event? Try strapping a few live action cameras to some of your attendees, let them loose on the showfloor, live stream their experiences on Facebook and voila – you’ve not only given your at-home audience a glimpse of what they’re missing, you’ve also turned your event into a cutting-edge attendee marketing machine!

One Atlanta-based trade show did exactly that, and with overwhelmingly positive results.