CEIR Session: Midyear Update: U.S. B2B Exhibitions Performance, Outlook & Economic Trends

Includes a Live Web Event on 10/21/2026 at 10:30 AM (CDT)

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The macroeconomic environment continues to infuse substantial uncertainty in the business environment, with on again, off again trade tariffs, launch of the Iran War that persists and driving energy costs upwards. On the upside, corporate profits and investments are up, positive signs. These and other macroeconomic shifts are impacting the environment in which trade shows operate, influencing participation from both exhibitors and attendees. Join CEIR’s economist Omneya Fahmy and Nancy Drapeau, IPC for a dynamic session that will provide a report on the state of the industry in the first half of 2026 and will explore macroeconomic factors to watch to influence the industry moving forward.

Learning Objectives:

Opportunities and challenges facing event organizers

Which sectors are poised for growth and which may face headwinds

Strategies to navigate and mitigate emerging risks

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Omneya Fahmy

Senior Economist

Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics Company

Omneya Fahmy is a Senior Economist at Tourism Economics, where she manages the CEIR Index. Since joining the firm in 2023, she has directed research programs for major industry associations, providing the analysis behind their strategic and policy decisions. Her work spans economic impact modeling, industry benchmarking, and scenario forecasting, with a particular focus on how visitor and event activity drives economic growth and community development. Omneya previously served as Research Director at Resonance Consultancy and as a Statistical Assistant at the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. She holds a Master's in Economics from Concordia University and a Bachelor's from the American University in Cairo.

Nancy Drapeau, IPC

Vice President of Research

Center for Exhibition Research

Nancy Drapeau, IPC. Is a market research veteran with more than 31 years in the business-to-business exhibitions industry. As CEIR’s Vice President of Research, Ms. Drapeau conducts industry wide studies and reports on current trends in the exhibition industry. In 2019, she was named to BizBash’s 1,000 Most Influential People in Events list. She holds a BA in Government from Georgetown University and a Master’s in Advanced European and International Studies from l’Institut Européen des Hautes Études Internationales. She is an AC Nielsen Burke Institute trained focus group moderator. She is a well-respected industry speaker and an active member of the Industry Insights Association and has served on the Event Industry Council’s (EIC) Research & Advocacy Task Force. She lives in Maine, with her husband and a border collie named Moxie.