Publishing Events

Events have become one of the most valuable things a publisher runs. For many B2B publishers they now bring in more than half of all revenue, and consumer brands are filling exhibition halls with readers who want to meet the magazine in person.

Publishers start with an advantage that pure event companies lack. They already know the audience and have the editorial credibility to build a programme people want to attend. What separates a successful show from an expensive one is mostly discipline, from planning a year ahead to securing next year's exhibitors before this year's have packed up.

Those publishers who never stopped investing in editorial now have a large competitive advantage.

Tim Willoughby Putting on successful events in 2023 and beyond

In-person is firmly back, and hybrid has settled into a supporting role. The bigger opportunity is turning a one-off event into a year-round community, with membership, content and data that earn money between shows.

Technology is changing the back office as well. emap now uses AI agents for awards feedback and for scripting that used to take a full day.

Below you'll find some of our best feature articles on events for publishers, from conferences, awards and trade shows to sponsorship, consumer shows and event technology, alongside our latest news and industry commentary.