mdg | Event Marketing Agency for Trade Shows and Associations

Insights

Why More Events Should Be Inviting Creators as Press

By Sara Fellows, group director, communications

Wimbledon made headlines recently when it announced that it does not plan to introduce a dedicated accreditation category for influencers and content creators in 2027. The decision followed a much louder conversation at this year’s US Open, where roughly 100 creators received media credentials and players raised concerns about distracting behavior in the stands, including filming and the use of ring lights during play.

The reaction has quickly turned into a debate about whether influencers belong at major events at all. But there is an important distinction to make: Some of the most publicized disruptions at the US Open reportedly involved creators who were not actually part of the official credentialed program.

For trade show organizers, that makes the conversation especially relevant. The question is less about whether creators should have access and more about how that access is structured. There can be enormous value in inviting the right creators to attend and cover an event, particularly when those creators are not influencers in the traditional sense, but people who already work in the industry and happen to have built an audience along the way — chefs, welders, contractors, equipment operators, retailers and other practitioners whose peers genuinely listen to them.

When that access is managed well, the impact can be significant. 

Look at the Restaurant Association Show

At the 2026 National Restaurant Association Show, 82 digital content creators were approved to attend. We tracked 248 posts from those creators, generating approximately 1.74 million impressions and more than 85,000 engagements.

Participation also improved year over year. Sixty-six percent of registered creators published feed content promoting the Show, up from 48% the year before. One Instagram post generated nearly 600,000 views, while another TikTok surpassed 246,000.

That’s hundreds of pieces of content from real restaurant industry professionals who already have communities that trust them — and now, trust the show. That kind of trust is critical for any event looking to grow its audience.

This Is Where Credentialing Matters

The Wimbledon conversation is a useful reminder that creator access works best when it’s managed with the same level of intention as traditional media access.

Press programs have always had criteria around who receives a credential, and creator programs should too. That means evaluating audience relevance, industry connection, content quality and whether someone is actively creating — not just follower count. It also means being clear about what comes with complimentary access.

For the National Restaurant Association Show, creators are qualified based on their audience and industry content, and the credential comes with defined posting expectations before and during the event. There are also guidelines around how the credential can be used and what happens if those expectations aren’t met.

The goal is not to over-engineer the experience. It is to create a clear value exchange and make sure access is going to creators who are likely to contribute meaningful coverage.

The Number of Badges Isn’t the KPI

FABTECH is another show that demonstrates why this matters. In 2025, 41 content creators registered and 35 attended. Sixteen inbound creators ultimately produced 146 posts, generating 2.42 million impressions and more than 23,000 engagements.

But 78 of those 146 posts came from one creator.

That’s an important reminder that program success should not be measured by credential volume alone. The stronger indicator is whether the event is attracting creators who will actively participate and produce content that reaches the right audience.

The On-Site Experience Matters, Too

Once the right creators are there, the opportunity becomes making the event easier to discover and cover.

At SUPERZOO 2026, mdg worked with the organizer to ensure the creator experience was designed more intentionally — helping creators find interesting exhibitor moments, connect with one another and explore parts of the show that naturally lent themselves to content. This led to a significant increase in both content and value for exhibitors.

The Bigger Takeaway From Wimbledon

The Wimbledon conversation is a good reminder that creator access is becoming a much more formal part of event strategy.

Eliminating a creator credential does not necessarily solve the underlying issue, particularly when disruptive behavior can come from people outside the official program. At the same time, giving creators event access without clear qualifications or expectations comes with its own risks. That kind of expectation-setting is already happening at major events like Wimbledon, which has said it plans to more strictly enforce rules around distracting equipment, such as ring lights.

For trade shows, there is also a productive middle ground:

The goal should not be more creator credentials for the sake of having more creators on-site. It should be a program that brings credible industry voices into the event in a way that adds to the experience for the creator, the organizer and the audience following along from somewhere else.