SISO
Desperately seeking‘ delayed gratification’. Stateside in 2026
Vincent Polito, CEO- SISO reviews his‘ Embracing Optimism’ article that kicked off 2025
et’ s say simply that it
L has been a bumpy year. I look back on my article that was submitted in January – and I think I’ m seeking delayed gratification in 2026. To review:
1. I expected an administration( in the US- ed) that was less tariff focused and more welcoming of global business partnerships. The cudgel masquerading as a tariff did actually result in a variety of promised investments in the US, but I think it hasn’ t delivered sustainable economic policies as I write.
2. Innovation and Technology to serve as catalysts to continue to enhance the value of trade shows was my second prediction and I’ ll give myself an A. AI and seamless digital platforms have been improving the attendee experience at all events small and large.
3. Regarding the thinking that
Vincent Polito
developments in international collaboration and trade would make the US a hub for international events, would be given a massive incomplete. 2026 is the 250th anniversary of the USA, and I expect to see significant progress being made in recasting relationships on a global business level that will provide greater ease of international delegates to engage in US hosted events. This area definitely took a hit in 2025, but not one that is unrecoverable or frankly overly surprising. I still work with many organisers seeking to enter the US market and frankly very few that are attempting to exit.
4. Sustainability can and is measured in too many different ways. Organisers agreeing on consistent agreed upon metrics is an important step and one that we take two steps forward and
“ I still work with many organisers seeking to enter the US market and frankly very few that are attempting to exit” one step backward on a regular basis. From my perspective environmental consciousness still is an area that requires more emphasis than is currently given.
5. Optimism for the Future was my final point, and I would be hard pressed to ever not be optimistic for the Future. 2025 did not exceed expectations. In many ways, didn’ t come close. But those expectations were oversized in the independent organiser community. By and large, our members experienced growth, but growth that was tempered by a variety of factors. I’ ve had better years with my crystal ball, that’ s for sure.
EW’ s Iain Stirling recently penned a compelling article‘ Is America’ s business events industry in danger of unravelling?’ I did not comment when it was posted but will share some perspectives here:
• To date the business travel sector has not experienced the declines of the leisure tourism sector.
• The drop off in Canadian travel to the US has been quite steep driving the overall numbers further downward.
• 2025 will see the first decline since 2020 in international inbound visits, but there is optimism for 2026 and expectation for growth.
• The business events industry loves certainty, and the uncertainty has been a continued challenge, but the expectation is to gain more clarity( perhaps by the time of publication) which will improve planning.
• We have not seen any migration of events leaving the US, but rather events not choosing the US on a rotation, which is a significant difference.
It is this writer’ s perspective that 2026 will not see a seismic shift and will restore any lost confidence from events of 2025. I won’ t run from my predictions and I believe the sentiment factor( ensuring that the USA is welcoming) will play as large a role as any in 2026. EW www. exhibitionworld. co. uk Issue 6 2025 49