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Thousands of smiles, countless new experiences, and the start of what is sure to become a new Riga tradition.

Created and organized by our member @sponsorking , @tradi_riga welcomed thousands of families to a festival designed around curiosity, discovery, and quality time together. From trying out professions and sports to live music, performances, attractions, and hands-on activities, there was something for every generation to enjoy.

With more than 60 activities across 11 themed areas, TrādiRīga shows the power of creating experiences that bring communities together.

Congratulations to the entire SponsorKing team on an incredible first edition! 🥳 ...

48 hours at @imex_group Frankfurt in 48 seconds 💨
This year was a first for us: experiencing IMEX together as a group. There was a lot to take in. People, places, sights, sounds, smells, schedules. Slightly overwhelming but in the kind of way that reminds you why you love this industry ❤️

We loved not only sharing sessions (our members took part in several presentations, in addition to presenting our updated EEX learnings), but actually getting to sit in the audience too, learn from others, and see what’s shaping our industry right now. We particularly enjoyed the sessions with @tojulius, Amanda Armstrong of @encoreemea, and Henry Coutinho-Mason.

Another highlight? Exploring the show floor through a “Wonder Walk” with @robert_dunsmore, who gave us new perspectives on design that had our 🧠 buzzing.

We’ll be sharing more over on LinkedIn soon. Stay tuned!

A big thank you to Maria and the IMEX team for the invite and support in all aspects of the organization!

#27names #imexfrankfurt #imex2026 #eventindustry ...

Why do Portuguese people take so long to finish lunch?

According to the team at @uppartner.pt , it’s because lunch was never meant to be rushed.

It’s about conversation. About enjoying each other’s company. About making time to sit together, connect, and stay a little longer at the table.

That idea sits at the heart of this year’s 27Names Community Day theme: More Than a Meal.

For this year’s Community Day, uppartner is turning that cultural tradition into action by joining chefs in the kitchen to prepare meals for Comunidade Vida e Paz, an organization supporting people experiencing homelessness and addiction.

A powerful reminder that sharing food is also about sharing dignity, care, and human connection.

#27Names #MoreThanAMeal #CommunityDay ...

During our “Why Networking Is Failing Us” session at @techchill , we asked social anthropologist Mārtiņš Daugulis of @powerhouse_latvia a question that feels increasingly relevant: “𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧?”

His answer wasn’t about numbers. It was about humanity.

He spoke about a kind of renaissance around human experience. After years of optimizing for efficiency, automation, and quantifiable outcomes, there’s growing value again in conversation, instinct, emotion, presence, and actually talking to people

“We live in a time where we feel the need to measure everything,” he said. “But decisions are often irrational. With all the data and technology we have, it’s time to bring humanity back.”

That tension also surfaced in the EEX® 2025. Nearly half of clients admitted they still struggle to effectively measure ROI and impact, while most feedback is still gathered informally through conversations rather than standardized systems. At the same time, audiences continue to place growing value on experiences that feel human, emotional, participatory, and real.

The contradiction is clear: the industry wants measurable outcomes, but many of the things that make experiences meaningful, like trust, chemistry, belonging, emotional resonance, don’t fit neatly into Excel sheets.

Research for the next edition of the EEX begins soon, and these are exactly the kinds of shifts and contradictions we’ll continue exploring across Europe’s live experience industry.

Download the EEX 2025 report here: https://27names.com/inspiration/#index ...