CHICAGO — As 2024 wraps up, Trade Show Executive (TSE) looked at twelve of its most impactful and exciting days for the events industry. From TSE’s cutting-edge events to monumental acquisitions to trade show power players like RX’s JCK seeing record-breaking years, there was much to celebrate.
“This year marked a milestone of 25 years of Trade Show Executive, and our team is so grateful to continue to serve this industry,” said TSE Managing Editor Maddy Ryley. “We saw M&A activity heat up, organizers find innovative ways to provide more value and prove ROI to exhibitors and sponsors, and new trends as we shift to meet demands for more experiential moments at events, as well as our supplier community roll out much-needed solutions. From people making big moves to new ventures launching, 2024 was an exciting year to witness and be a part of. At TSE, we’re looking forward to another year of bringing this community the news, case studies, research and thought leadership that help drive conversations and decisions about the future.”
Dive into 2024’s Twelve Days of TSE based on social media and e-newsletter engagement:
1. Jan. 26, 2024: Las Vegas Positions Itself for Trade Show and Business Activity Growth
Las Vegas strengthened its position as the entertainment and conventions capital of the world in 2024, with more than $30 billion of development happening in the Southern Nevada region, including the growth of The Boring Company’s Loop, expansions at Harry Reid International Airport and the addition of the Brightline light rail project coinciding with the state’s I-15 work.
2. Feb. 29, 2024: RX Releases Sustainability Roadmap Detailing Path to Net Zero by 2040
RX released its Sustainability Roadmap, detailing the company’s path to reach net zero no later than 2040. RX’s Roadmap outlines five action areas where the company sees the most potential for meaningful impact and was guided by the Net Zero Carbon Events Roadmap that was published in 2022.
3. March 8, 2024: Six Women Leaders Reflect on the Year Ahead for International Women’s Day
Friday, March 8, marked the 2024 International Women’s Day, celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political advancements of women, during Women’s History Month. Commemorating the holiday, TSE went right to the source — six female industry leaders — to ask what they foresaw in the year ahead.
4. April 12, 2024: The 2024 SISO CEO Summit Exceeds Pre-Pandemic Numbers
The Society of Independent Show Organizers’ (SISO) annual CEO Summit brought together hundreds of executive level leaders in the trade show industry April 8-11 at The Ritz Carlton Hotel at Amelia Island, Fla., for high-level education and connection building. With more than 300 registered attendees, this year’s SISO CEO Summit was back to pre-pandemic levels.
5. May 10, 2024: Trade Show Executive’s Fastest 50 Awards & Summit Celebrates High Growth and Highlights Important Industry Trends to Watch
TSE held its annual Fastest 50 Awards & Summit at Resorts World Las Vegas May 8-10, bringing together 185 registered attendees for impactful education, meaningful networking and a whole lot of celebrating. The event capped of with the annual awards gala, where the winners of this year’s Grand Awards were revealed as the Fastest 50 and Next 50 honorees enjoyed fine dining and mingling.
6. June 24, 2024: JCK Surpasses Expectations Once Again
RX’s JCK brought more than 17,300 attendees and over 1,900 exhibitors to The Venetian and The Venetian Expo May 31-June 3, 2024. The show, which won TSE’s The Greatest Trade Show of 2022 Grand Award at the 2023 Gold 100 Awards & Summit, added new features to delight attendees and ensure safety.
7. July 1, 2024: Alan Steel to Retire from Javits Center After Historic Tenure as President and CEO
Alan Steel will retire from his role as President and CEO of the Javits Center at the end of March 2025, leaving behind a rich legacy of growth, collaboration and sustainability among much more. Under Steel’s leadership, the venue completed a $375 million renovation and a $1.35 billion expansion, and weathered Hurricane Sandy.
8. August 1, 2024: Questex Expects More Than 13% Year-Over-Year Growth and Enhances Portfolio in 2024
Questex projected a year-over-year growth of more than 13% in 2024. The company attributes this in part to Q Activate, their proprietary, first-party data platform, which was launched in 2022.
9. Sept. 19. 2024: 15th Annual TSE Gold 100 Awards & Summit Shines a Light on the Biggest and Brightest
The 15th annual TSE Gold 100 Awards & Summit celebrated the largest trade shows of 2023 with a week in sunny Santa Barbara at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara. Approximately 200 show organizers and suppliers spent time building connections, learning from other leaders at the Education Summit and enjoying experiential activities, all while celebrating the Gold 100 honorees and Grand Award winners at the Gold 100 Gala.
10. Oct. 21, 2024: Truelink Capital to Acquire GES for $535 Million
GES announced its parent company, Viad Corp, entered into a definitive agreement with Truelink Capital, a private equity firm based in Los Angeles, through which Truelink will acquire the GES businesses for $535 million. The acquisition includes GES Exhibitions, a major global exhibitions and logistics services provider; Spiro, a global experiential agency; along with onPeak, SHOWTECH and Visit, which provide event accommodation, power/lighting and registration services.
11. Nov. 27, 2024: TSE Trend Report: Exhibitor-Led Experiences
According to key players in the events industry, a growing percentage of exhibitors are providing educational opportunities and activations to attract attendees — a trend which can enrich an event overall and raise attendee satisfaction. TSE spoke with professionals from the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), IMEX and Hargrove from Encore about how exhibitor-led experiences can enhance events for all participants.
12. Dec. 20, 2024: Expo! Expo!, IAEE’s Annual Meeting and Exhibition Highlighted Innovation and the Value of Face to Face
Expo! Expo!, the International Association of Exhibitions and Events’ (IAEE) Annual Meeting and Exhibition, took over the City of Angeles and the Los Angeles Convention Center Dec. 17-19 for what is called the “show for shows.” And a show for shows it was, as 240 exhibitors and more than 1,700 attendees convened on the floor to learn more about the products, solutions and offerings of industry suppliers and the needs of trade show and event organizers.
Stay tuned to TSE for more fascinating coverage and events in 2025!
