Skift Meetings

1 week ago | meetings.skift.com | Andrea Doyle

When the U.S. passed the Open Payments Law in 2010, the meetings industry had yet to fully grasp the extent to which it would impact the planning of medical events. Pat Schaumann, president and CEO of Schaumann Consulting Group, not only understood the implications, but she created a playbook. Schaumann, whose career spans over 30 years in the hospitality and meetings industry, has a simple approach to leadership. “Leave things better than I found them,” she said.

1 week ago | meetings.skift.com | Andrea Doyle

In the current economic environment, business event planners are facing significant cost pressures. “A 38% cumulative increase across nearly every category of event execution, including F&B, AV, staffing, room blocks, and production from 2019 to today is a reality,” said Nicola Kastner, CEO of Event Leaders Exchange.

1 week ago | meetings.skift.com | Andrea Doyle

Meeting professionals have been navigating a landscape where access, funding, and conference attendance are no longer guaranteed, said Pat Schaumann, president of Schaumann Consulting Group. Schaumann is also the director of Meeting Professional International’s Healthcare Meeting Compliance Certificate (HMCC) program. In 2025, the U.S. was expected to host over 1.5 million medical meetings, with support from 1,800 pharmaceutical companies and 3,600 medical device companies, Schaumann said.

1 week ago | meetings.skift.com | Andrea Doyle

The Trump administration’s tariff policies are sending ripples through global trade, and in the process, they are impacting the global trade show business, said Kai Hattendorf, CEO of HTF Business Events Expertise, and the former CEO of UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry. “If permanent, this isn’t just an economic shake-up, it’s a geographic one,” said Hattendorf.

1 week ago | meetings.skift.com | Andrea Doyle

Some associations are moving events from the U.S. to Canada, where favorable exchange rates, easier visa processes, and lower costs make it an appealing alternative. As the U.S. dollar weakens under new tariffs, Canadian hotels and venues now offer added value. A hotel room priced at $300 CAD translates to about $211 USD. A major draw for budget-conscious organizations, said Heather Dow, a senior manager at Ontario-based Events & Management Plus, an association and conference management firm.