For this fourth episode dedicated to our first year, I wanted to revisit a conviction that quickly took hold: a professional event shouldn't disappear from the media spotlight the day after it closes. With Explore in Las Vegas, Convenc'Tour aboard the Club Med 2, and now IFTMTop Resa 2026, InfosTourisme has begun to build a new way of covering major tourism events: before, during, and after.
Summary
A trade show shouldn't only last three days
I've covered many professional events in the tourism industry: trade shows, conventions, conferences, workshops, press trips, partner meetings. Each time, the same observation came up: the event concentrates enormous energy for a few days, then quickly disappears from the media radar.
We publish a few announcements, a few interviews, a few photos, sometimes a report, then everyone moves on to the next appointment.
I'm not criticizing this logic. It reflects the reality of the media's pace. News moves quickly, teams are often small, budgets are tight, and professionals themselves move rapidly from one subject to another.
But I found that frustrating.
Because a professional event is never just what happens on site. It starts well before, with the expectations of the participants, the stakes for the organizers, the partners, the market topics, the expected speeches and the weak signals that we seek to capture.
And most importantly, it shouldn't stop the moment the lights go out.
A good event generates ideas, encounters, trends, quotes, images, decisions, and sometimes even changes in strategy. All of this deserves better than a simple, hastily published report.
According to the trade press, B2B events remain a strategic lever
According to the trade press, trade shows and conventions remain key moments for B2B sectors, because they concentrate in a few days what digital technology sometimes struggles to replace: meeting, trust, demonstration, networking and informal conversation.
In tourism, this dimension is even more pronounced. Our industry relies on human relationships, partners, destinations, suppliers, networks, sales representatives, managers, and field teams. While video conferences can be organized year-round, something different happens when professionals meet physically in the same place.
For a B2B media outlet like InfosTourisme, the question is therefore not simply about covering an event. The real question is: how to extend its value not only for those who participate, but also for those who were unable to attend?
It is this reflection that has gradually transformed our way of working.
I no longer wanted to simply publish "since" an event
Traditional event coverage often involves producing content from a location: an interview in a corridor, a photo of a booth, an article about an announcement, a conference summary.
These formats remain useful. They allow us to capture the moment, give immediate visibility to the actors present, and document what is happening on site.
But I quickly wanted to go further.
I no longer wanted to simply publish from an event. I wanted to build around the event.
Build a dedicated page. Prepare topics in advance. Identify key issues before the event. Publish during the event. Afterwards, revisit what the event reveals about the market. Organize the content. Add interviews. Compile analyses. Create an accessible archive. Provide professionals with a resource they can consult long afterward.
Ultimately, the idea is quite simple: to transform a one-off cover into a digital memory.
Explore in Las Vegas was a real game-changer
Explore 2026, the global event organized by Expedia Group in Las Vegas, played an important role in this development.
On site, I saw a concentration of what tourism is becoming: artificial intelligence, APIs, personalization, advertising, distribution, new traveler uses, the role of platforms and the growing place of technology in tourism decisions.
I could have come back with a few standalone articles. One on AI. Another on Expedia Group's announcements. A mood piece. An interview. That would have been useful enough.
But that wasn't enough.
Explore wasn't just reporting on the news of one group. The event reflected a much broader transformation of global tourism. Therefore, coverage had to be created that maintained this coherence.
That's why we've built a dedicated page, analyses, interviews, angles on artificial intelligence, APIs, distribution, advertising and even an editorial on B2A, Business to AI Agent.
This format confirmed one thing for me: when an event concentrates so many strategic signals, a media outlet shouldn't just publish quickly. It must also organize the reading experience.
Convenc'Tour demonstrated the importance of the terrain
Convenc'Tour 2026, organised by Cediv Travel aboard the Club Med 2, brought another dimension to this reflection.
With Explore, we were at a major international, highly technological event, supported by a global player. With Convenc'Tour, we were in direct contact with agencies, partners, and engaged in on-the-ground discussions about trust, balance, distribution, and the transformation of professions.
It wasn't the same energy. It wasn't the same pace. It wasn't the same type of content to produce.
And that's precisely what interested me.
Good event coverage shouldn't apply the same format to every event. It should understand the nature of the event, its audience, its atmosphere, its stakes, and what participants are really looking for.
On board the Club Med 2, it wasn't just about reporting on a convention. It was about understanding what the agencies could really gain from it: concrete ideas, weak signals, concerns, avenues for work, feedback from the field and a certain vision of the future of the network.
That's when I understood that InfosTourisme needed to adopt a more personal approach to coverage. Not just "what was said", but "what it reveals".
IFTM Top Resa 2026 will be our next step
With IFTM Top Resa 2026, this logic takes on yet another dimension.
For the first time, InfosTourisme will have its own dedicated booth. This is significant. Until now, we've covered events as a media outlet. This time, we'll also be physically present as a recognized player in the sector, with a team, a dedicated space, scheduled meetings, and a clear ambition: to meet the professionals who are building the tourism of tomorrow.
I don't want our presence at IFTM to be limited to a few LinkedIn posts and a few photos of the booth.
I want to turn it into a genuine editorial tool.
Before the event, to prepare for the challenges. During, to capture the encounters, announcements, signals, and conversations. After, to analyze what the trade show has truly revealed about the state of the market.
A trade show like IFTM shouldn't be treated as just a professional agenda. It's a revealer. It shows which destinations are accelerating their growth, which companies are seeking visibility, which innovations are trying to establish themselves, which are the concerns of agencies, which are network strategies, which are exhibitors' expectations, and which are the major trends for the fall season.
Our role will be to transform all of this into useful content.
The method we want to install
1. Prepare the event before it opens
Good coverage starts before the first day. You need to identify the issues, the players involved, the hot topics, the companies to meet, the editorial angles and the questions that professionals are already asking.
2. Create a dedicated page
An event page allows you to group articles, interviews, videos, galleries, practical information, and analyses. It prevents content from getting lost in the site's flow and gives the event a lasting presence.
3. Publish during the event without confusing speed with haste
Publishing quickly can be useful, but publishing useful content is more important. The goal isn't to release the first piece of content at all costs, but to capture what truly deserves to be remembered.
4. Give the floor to the professionals present
An event does not belong solely to its organizers. It also belongs to the participants, exhibitors, visitors, partners, agencies, destinations, and businesses that bring it to life.
5. Analyze after closure
It is often after the event that the real lessons emerge. With hindsight, we better understand the trends, recurring messages, absences, weak signals, and topics that deserve attention.
6. Transform the cover into a useful archive
Event content shouldn't disappear after a few days. If well-organized, it can become a resource that professionals, partners, exhibitors, and those who couldn't attend can consult months later.
What our approach changes for tourism professionals
| Classical approach | Tourism Information Approach | Value for professionals |
|---|---|---|
| Some articles published during the event | Coverage before, during and after | A better understanding of the long-term challenges |
| Content scattered throughout the site's feed | A dedicated page for each event | Easier access to articles, analyses and interviews |
| A quick summary | Dispassionate analysis and interpretation | More actionable insights for professional decisions |
| Limited visibility at the time of the trade show | A lasting digital memory | A record that can be viewed after the event |
| Isolated interviews | A structured editorial system | A more coherent reading of trends and public statements |
A concrete example: Explore 2026
Explore 2026 perfectly illustrates what we want to do.
The event could have been summed up as a few technological announcements from Expedia Group. But in reality, it revealed something broader: how major platforms are preparing the future of tourism around artificial intelligence, APIs, personalization, and new booking journeys.
We therefore treated Explore as a dynamic dossier. A central page. Supplementary articles. Analyses. Different perspectives. A strategic read for tourism professionals.
For a reader who was not in Las Vegas, the objective was simple: to understand what happened, but above all what it might change for their profession.
The questions I'm asked about our event coverage
Why create a dedicated page for an event?
Because an event produces much more than a single article. A dedicated page allows you to gather the content, organize the reading, and create an archive accessible after the event has ended.
Does this replace live coverage?
No. Live broadcasting remains useful for capturing the moment. But it must be complemented by analysis, perspective, and a structured approach to content.
Why cover before, during and after?
Because the stakes begin before the opening, and the lessons are often understood afterward. Limiting oneself to the days of on-site presence reduces the event to its most visible part.
Does this approach only apply to large trade fairs?
No. It can also apply to a convention, workshop, study trip, forum, congress, or brand event. What matters is not just the size of the event, but its ability to reveal something about the industry.
What is the difference between this and a simple communication operation?
The difference lies in the editorial angle. Our goal is not just to promote an event, but to extract what is useful to professionals: trends, signals, ideas, debates, figures, strategies and concrete lessons.
What I take away from this new way of working
- A professional event should not disappear from the media spotlight after its closure.
- The value of a salon begins before it opens and extends well beyond.
- A dedicated page allows the creation of a digital memory useful to professionals.
- Live coverage is important, but cold analysis is just as important.
- Each event must be treated according to its nature, its audience, and its stakes.
- InfosTourisme wants to transform event coverage into sustainable resources.
Next week, I will talk about our international shift
After the tools, the team and the events, the fifth episode of this series will be devoted to a choice that might have seemed unreasonable for such a young media outlet: making InfosTourisme accessible in 21 languages and launching a first mobile application in the first year.
I will explain why we wanted to go beyond the traditional French-language site, what this says about our vision of B2B tourism, and why internationalization is not just a matter of translation, but of strategy.
Six weeks. Six stories. A first year.
Are you organizing a professional tourism event and would like to plan editorial coverage before, during and after? You can write to me at contact@infostourisme.com.
Sources
https://infostourisme.com/explore-2026
https://infostourisme.com/a-la-une/ce-que-explore-2026-revele-sur-le-futur-du-tourisme-mondial/2026/
https://infostourisme.com/a-la-une/convenctour-2026-ce-que-je-retiens-du-cediv/2026/
https://infostourisme.com/a-la-une/convenctour-2026-je-viens-dembarquer/2026/
