Across the MICE sector, the headline numbers still look impressive. The big shows fill vast halls and report record attendance. Post-show highlights showcase aisles crowded with delegates from all over the world. Yet behind the spectacle, many exhibitors are asking harder questions about value. Flat or tightening B2B event budgets, coupled with rising costs for travel, freight, and stand builds, put every hour on the show floor under scrutiny. When lead quality is inconsistent and measurement unclear, sheer footfall no longer feels like proof of ROI. For many brands, the question is no longer how visible a show looks, but whether it delivers measurable, repeatable value.
The frustration isn’t with size itself, it’s with how scale is managed. Self-selected meetings can produce crowded diaries but mixed relevance.
Meanwhile, commercial teams are asking for more: deeper support from sign-up to follow- up, cleaner data, and clearer outcomes, not just activity that looks busy but leads nowhere.
This is where curated formats have gained traction across B2B events: fewer, better- matched conversations, transparent reporting, and schedules built around intent rather than chance. These events may be smaller in footprint, but their precision delivers measurable impact.
Another factor influencing event strategy is sustainability. For global hotel groups, airlines, and destination brands, attending multiple expositions each year means repeatedly flying teams across continents, shipping heavy materials, and constructing elaborate stands.
In an era where ESG commitments are central to corporate strategy, such activity is increasingly difficult to justify. What if one show could replace a yearly calendar, thanks to its commitment to targeting meetings and networking precision?
Marketing leaders are now streamlining event calendars, consolidating travel, and reducing waste without sacrificing influence. Targeted, high-impact formats help meet both business and environmental goals, with smaller builds and clearer purpose for every trip.
Many brands aren’t abandoning the major trade shows, but they are rethinking how to use them. A growing number are exploring the industry’s quiet trend: reducing traditional show presence for more targeted, high-value platforms that guarantee qualified meetings and actionable post-event insights.
But what if a single event could offer both? What if a show could combine the visibility of a major exhibition with the efficiency of a curated meeting programme? If that balance were achieved, how would the legacy MICE exhibitions evolve?
We’ll soon see this evolution in action. M&I Expo will take place from 14–16 April 2026 in Abu Dhabi, in partnership with Abu Dhabi and ADNEC. The event combines the reach of a large-scale exhibition with M&I’s proven formula of curated meetings and an elite buyer network built on pre-qualified, decision-making seniority. It’s designed to help attendees maximise every moment, delivering quality over quantity for both brands and buyers who want relevance from every conversation.
The big shows will always have a place. But the industry’s most forward-thinking brands are showing us what “good” means now: relevance over volume, outcomes over optics, and accountability over assumption.
That’s the standard M&I Expo 2026 is built to meet: a smarter way to connect, where every meeting is intentional and every metric counts.
As Sara Ayele of The Kimberley explains
“I prefer to focus on two or three M&I Forums through the year, with guaranteed ROI. These Forums offer a more targeted and valuable experience, ensuring quality connections for my business rather than just exposure.”
That same assurance underpins the M&I Expo model. By extending the transparency and measurable reporting that define our Forums to a large-scale exhibition, M&I Expo provides something the legacy events have long needed: clear, quantifiable ROI that goes beyond impressions. When every connection can be tracked, every outcome assessed, and every result proven, ROI stops being a myth and becomes a metric that informs your next moves.
© M&I is part of Worldwide Events Group Ltd, which includes PLE, 1st Floor, 5-7 Marshalsea Rd, London, SE1 1EP
Affiliate company: White Label Travel
14-16 April 2026 | Abu Dhabi
American buyers
24 - 28 Feb | Austria
Foster new cross-continental business relationships
Global curators
29 Mar - 1 Apr 2026 | Italy
The ultimate event for luxury incentive travel
Open your property up to a new range of events and opportunities by taking advantage of an online assessment created by our event partner, Healthcare Venues, which will determine if your venue is capable of hosting healthcare meetings and events.
If your property passes, you’ll receive Healthcare Venue certification, verifying you to our buyer network as a specialist healthcare venue.
Tim Chudley
Managing Director, Sundial Group
