Virtual MATSO Meets: 19 August 2026
Includes a Live Web Event on 08/19/2026 at 2:00 PM (CDT)
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The largest B2B exhibitions continue to set the pace for industry performance, but how did they fare in 2025, and what do the latest results mean for organizers planning ahead? Join your MATSO Community for an interactive review of the newest benchmarking data from large-scale trade shows. Discover where performance strengthened, where challenges emerged, and which economic, attendee, and exhibitor trends are likely to shape the year ahead. Learn which metrics matter most for setting realistic goals, how your event compares to industry benchmarks, and which indicators can help you monitor marketing and sales performance in real time.
Bring your questions, experiences, and ideas. This session is designed to spark peer-to-peer dialogue, helping organizers share strategies, compare approaches, and leave with practical insights for building a stronger event in the year ahead.
Presented by: Nancy Drapeau, IPC, Vice President of Research, IAEE/CEIR, with moderated audience discussion led by MATSO Chair Lisa Malikow, Senior Vice President, Informa Connect
Lisa Malikow
Senior Vice President and IAEE MATSO Chair
Informa
Lisa Malikow is the Senior Vice President, Restaurant Show, Informa Connect and has over 23 years in exhibitions management experience. In this role she is responsible for the strategic and operational management of The National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show® is the largest annual gathering of restaurants, foodservice, and lodging professionals in the world, from all 50 states and 110+ countries each May to Chicago, Illinois. Lisa joined the Show in October 2008 as Show Manager of the International Wine, Spirits and Beer Event focused on the adult beverage segment in foodservice. Currently, Lisa oversees a variety of critical areas for the Show, including event operations, special events, education programming, year-round digital strategies, and budget management. Prior to the Restaurant Show, Lisa began her career at SmithBucklin Corporation, primarily focused on tradeshows in the technology and business-trade sectors. Lisa is a former Chairperson of the Midwestern Chapter of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events and is currently chairperson for the Major American Trade Show Organizers (MATSO) council. Lisa is a graduate of DePauw University with a B.A. in Communications Arts & Sciences.
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.
This session is eligible for 1 clock hours towards CEM Recertification.
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