Legislative Action Day focused on three issues from the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance’s 2026 public policy agenda critical to the future of trade shows, conferences, meetings, conventions, and other business and professional events: trade and tariffs, future workforce development and the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) — all central to the industry’s ability to continue serving as a growth engine for entrepreneurs, small businesses and communities nationwide.

This new survey of event professionals shows what’s driving attendance, engagement and trust. Nearly half of planners rank attendee-to-attendee connection as the top driver of event success, yet few program enough time for it. Face-to-face networking tops the trust hierarchy, reinforcing why experience design choices matter more than ever.

The findings from the 2026 Global Socio-Political Impact Survey, led by the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers, indicate a significant increase in industry disruption compared with 2025, with 73.84% of respondents saying global conflicts have impacted their ability to plan or host international meetings, up from 53.92% in 2025. This increase shows that global instability is now a central factor in conference planning, destination selection, risk management and participation.

Companies are more convinced than ever that in-person meetings and events drive real business results, but a new survey from Global DMC Partners (GDP), a large network of destination management companies and specialized event service providers, reveals a significant gap between that conviction and the ability to prove it, one the industry will need to close in order to sustain momentum.