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Opinion, analysis and expert commentary from across the exhibitions and events industry – written by organisers, suppliers, venue operators and the people shaping where the sector goes next.

Opinion · 16 July 2026

JMIC Global Manifesto edition 3 advances the case for business events as strategic economic assets

The Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC) publishes today (16 July) its third edition of the JMIC Global Manifesto, an updated…

By Paul Colston,

Opinion · 7 July 2026

AI can write the email. It cannot shake your hand

A B2B buyer costs roughly $5 per click, $50 to become a lead, $500 to speak to, and $2,000+ to meet in…

By Theo Reilly,

Opinion · 29 June 2026

The Soar Point: How trade shows and the Premier League are brothers

By Phil Soar, co-founder of CloserStill Group and Chairman of Nineteen Group Overwhelming is probably the best adjective to…

By Theo Reilly,

Opinion · 16 June 2026

How London Packaging Week has become the beating heart of the UK packaging industry

In EN’s latest opinion piece Sema Tezel Basbug, head of marketing for Easyfairs UK packaging portfolio, sheds light on…

By Max Steventon,

Opinion · 16 June 2026

How to turn £700,000 into $1.77bn in 14 easy steps

Co-founder of CloserStill Group, Phil Soar, offers a how-to on flipping an exhibition company for over a billion dollars At the…

By Theo Reilly,

Opinion · 9 June 2026

The flip has become the hold: what 20 years of private equity says about the future of events

By Dr. Barış Onay Private equity has been buying and selling event businesses for more than 20 years. But the past few…

By Theo Reilly,

Opinion · 14 May 2026

The Soar Spot: The strange story of the broken light bulbs

By Phil Soar, co-founder of CloserStill Group and Chairman of Nineteen Group I was in Warsaw in 1990 walking round a…

By Theo Reilly,

Opinion · 8 May 2026

Leading exhibition organisers champion Global Exhibitions Day 2026

The world’s leading exhibition organisers, including Clarion Events, Comexposium, Emerald, Informa Markets, Messe Frankfurt and…

By Paul Colston,

Opinion · 5 May 2026

New development does not mean we’re moving away from exhibitions

By Andy O’Sullivan, CEO of Olympia Events There’s a curious assumption that sometimes comes when a venue updates itself…

By Theo Reilly,

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PC Paul Colston TR Theo Reilly MS Max Steventon AP Adrian Pragnell