The accelerating use of AI to measure ROI; engaging a multi-generational audience and designing memorable moments—these are among the top trends for 2026 identified by Maritz and they'll all take center stage at Exclusively Corporate this May.
The dedicated event for corporate event planners takes place at Melia Frankfurt City on Monday May 18, the day before IMEX Frankfurt opens its doors (May 19-21).
Moderated by Patrick Delaney and Padraic Gilligan from SoolNua, the afternoon program brings together voices from across business sectors, including finance and design, to share their in-depth research, bold ideas and practical tools for the year ahead.
Exclusively Corporate highlights
Christoffer Sapienza, SVP Creative at Norway’s largest bank, DNB, will share how a single event series helped influence women’s investing behavior. Since launching the “girlsinvest” campaign in 2019—when men held the majority of private equity in Norway—DNB’s nationwide events have driven a surge in female shareholders and owners of mutual funds in the country.
By 2026, the audience had transformed from low confidence beginners to a highly informed, highly engaged community. Christoffer says: “Our job isn’t to ‘sell’ the benefits of investing anymore—it’s to show them how to do it.” The “girlsinvest” event series, once a supporting element of a broader campaign, has now become its driving force—a clear example of how well-designed events can inspire lasting, measurable change.”
Maritz’s Senior Design Studio Strategist, Claire Lester joins Padraic to unpack the question many event planners are wrestling with: “what does Gen Z actually want?” With Millennials and Gen Z projected to make up 75% of the workforce by 2030, their session reveals findings from a landmark new study comparing how Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z perceive and respond to incentive travel and reward strategies—and its implications for event design.
As a “provocative optimist”, futurist Henry Coutinho-Mason is confident in AI’s potential to reshape the attendee experience and turn events into sources of strategic insight for leadership teams. He'll share case studies as well as his own first-hand experience of AI-accelerated innovation.
Henry explains: “So much of the narrative around AI is about automation and efficiency. But we shouldn't overlook its power to help people be more creative too.”
- Exclusively Corporate is sponsored by Messe Frankfurt with AV provided by Encore.
- Corporate planners are invited to contact [email protected] for more information.
