As an organizer of a large trade show, you know that success isn’t defined solely by square footage or registration numbers – it’s also measured by how each attendee experiences the journey. The challenge: how do you make a 250,000+ nsf event feel tailored, relevant and engaging at the individual level? In this session, Kimberly Hardcastle, Chief Strategist, mdg, will explore ways to design attendee journeys that start long before opening day and extend long after the show floor closes. We’ll examine how large-event organizers can harness data to personalize outreach, reduce friction at critical touchpoints and deliver moments of connection that make big shows feel intimate. You’ll leave with practical ideas for turning scale into an advantage and ensuring attendees walk away feeling seen, valued and inspired to return.

For years, exhibitors have been asking for reforms from show organizers. However, few have responded fully and robustly to provide a seamless and cost efficient experience. Missing from the equation is the service contractor.

In this session, Chuck Grouzard, EVP of Business Development at GES, will engage you in an interactive discussion of the concrete steps you can take to reinvent the show experience for your customers. This is not your typical vendor presentation. This is a frank reveal. Even as a professional at a large complex show, you will be surprised as you learn to think like a contractor from move-in through move-out.

Key Takeaways :

• Hear recommendations on what you, the facility and the contractor can do to make your customers feel they just won the lottery.
• Gain a better understanding of key costs that impact your contractor.
• Discover which product and service costs are rising fastest for organizers and exhibitors.

Along with developing professional connections, exploring relevant data is the cornerstone of LSR. So we’re proud to bring back the Large Show Research Report for 2025, based on a nationwide survey of large shows.

EVOLIO is conducting the research, and CEO Joe Federbush will be on hand to discuss what the data means to your show. Do you realize that fewer than 50% of shows are using AI right now? Joe will tell you where the gaps exist and what that means in a competitive market. 

You’ll discover effective attendee acquisition tactics, sponsorships that sell, and technologies that other large shows depend on. Take away insights you can use immediately for optimizing your show’s size advantage.

Take a deep dive into Trade Show Executive's benchmarking data with Managing Editor Maddy Ryley to find out how large shows are performing in the U.S. so far in 2025, and then hear the results of a survey of the largest shows' organizers about what the top concerns and opportunities for 2026 are.

The exchange is fast and furious when the day's most valued takeaways are reviewed.