Increased Attendee Expectations vs. Rising Costs February 24, 2026 by Dave Lutz Attendee’s want unforgettable event experiences, less friction and lower costs. As margins slip, event professionals are being pressured to hold or lower event expenses. The three categories attendees value the most are also the ones that are escalating in cost faster than inflation (30%+ over the past four years). The big three expense areas include … [Read more…]
Dave Lutz Honored With the Lifetime Achievement Educator Award February 19, 2026 by Michele Frania 2026 Lifetime Achievement Honoree On May 7, the PCMA Foundation will recognize industry excellence with its annual Visionary Awards. We are proud to share that Dave Lutz will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement – Educator award. This recognition reflects the impact Dave has had on the meetings and events industry for decades—and it’s one … [Read more…]
Modernizing Your Post-Con Survey February 5, 2026 by Dave Lutz The post-con survey is key to measuring the success of your event and planning for the future, but planners continue to find it a challenge to get participants to respond to them. Unless you require them to complete the survey to earn their CE credits, your post-con survey response rate could be 10 percent or … [Read more…]
Design Conferences That Attract NextGen Attendees January 7, 2026 by Dave Lutz Attracting NextGen attendees continues to be a top priority for conference and trade show organizers. What we’ve learned is that success has less to do with age and more to do with shifting workforce dynamics and rising expectations for practical, immediate value. Conferences that emphasize relevant learning, intentional networking, and flexible engagement are seeing … [Read more…]
How to Train AI for Session Personalization October 16, 2025 by Dave Lutz Concurrent sessions are the meat and potatoes of professional conferences. Use AI to improve the recipe. Evaluating, scoring, and slotting sessions can be a monumental task for staff and volunteer peer reviewers. Here’s where AI can really help, by streamlining these processes and more importantly, raising the quality bar. To get the maximum benefit from … [Read more…]
Show-Floor Theater Best Practices October 8, 2025 by Dave Lutz Last month, I was able to experience InfoComm, billed as “The Coolest Pro AV Gathering on the Planet.” Here’s what I took away from that experience. InfoComm, held June 7-13, attracted nearly 31,000 AV professionals to Orlando. One of the events highly engaging features was the handful of large theaters on the show floor. Three … [Read more…]
