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The Art Basel and UBS Survey of Global Collecting 2026 reveals Gen Z as the highest-spending generation

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This year’s survey explores how high-net-worth collectors begin building their collections, highlighting the influence of family, rise in younger generations’ purchasing activity, evolving attitudes toward privacy, and the growing use of digital and AI-enabled tools for researching their purchases

NEW YORK, Oct. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Art Basel and UBS Survey of Global Collecting 2026 by Arts Economics, reveals fresh insights into the evolving behaviors and motivations of high-net-worth (HNW) collectors. Conducted by Arts Economics in collaboration with UBS, the survey draws on responses from 3,100 HNW individuals across 10 key markets: the US, UK, Mainland China, Hong Kong, France, Australia, Germany, Japan, Brazil and Singapore.

Dr Clare McAndrew, Founder, Arts Economics: “This research let us look beyond what high-net-worth collectors buy to how they use their collections and what really matters to them about owning art. Attitudes towards privacy and access varied widely, challenging some established assumptions. Many purchases are driven less by the conspicuous consumption traditionally linked to the market than by a desire to build connections within close networks, where status comes less from price than from rarity, provenance, originality, and discovery. Restricting access does not remove a collection’s signaling power; exclusivity can be part of the signal. Perhaps surprisingly, the youngest collectors were the most private, both in person and online. Gen Z collectors were the least likely to share details of their collections publicly online, preferring invitation-only spaces, with privacy central to their personal and cultural identity.” 

John Mathews, Head of Private Wealth Management for the Americas at UBS: “The Art Basel and UBS Survey of Global Collecting 2026 by Arts Economics  highlights how collecting is becoming increasingly connected to broader family and wealth planning in the United States. With 86% of US collectors having inherited artworks and significant numbers planning family gifts and charitable donations, collections are increasingly being viewed through a multi-generational lens. Collectors are thinking not only about what they acquire today, but about the cultural, philanthropic and family impact those collections can have in the future.”

Key findings of the survey:

Gen Z emerges as the highest-spending generation of HNW collectors: In 2025 and the first half of 2026, Gen Z spent more on fine art than any other generation surveyed, with spending levels more than twice as high as those of older generations. Gen Z also made up nearly half of all collectors buying artworks priced above USD 1 million in 2026.Family remains an important foundation for collecting: The survey offers the first dedicated analysis of how HNW collectors begin building their collections and finds that family is the most common route to starting a collection. While 28% of collectors reported family as their primary route into collecting, the share rose significantly to 40% among Gen Z. Almost 90% of Gen Z collectors who inherited works retained them, underscoring the enduring role of family legacy in shaping collections across generations.Uniqueness and rarity stands out as the leading priority in owning art: Across generations, uniqueness and rarity ranked as the most important aspects of ownership (43%), ahead of owning works respected by experts (23%) or owning something admired in collector circles (22%). Uniqueness mattered more to Gen Z collectors (48% versus 38% of Baby Boomers).Collectors have become strongly research-driven in their purchasing decisions: 72% of HNW collectors conducted moderate or significant independent research before purchasing art, up from 62% in 2025, and  rising to 80% among Gen Z collectors.Digital sources and AI-enabled research tools continue to gain ground: 58% of HNW collectors used online resources for advice and recommendations, while the use of apps and AI tools rose to 22%, up from 4% in 2024.Collectors continue to diversify their interests across art and collectibles: Fine art accounted for 33% of total spending across art and collectibles categories in 2026. Gen Z collectors were the highest spenders across virtually every category and, together with boomers, displayed the broadest collecting interests, with 42% of Gen Z collectors and 39% of Baby Boomers purchasing across at least two additional collecting categories outside of fine and decorative art in the last year.Philanthropy and legacy planning remain important priorities: The report found that 23% of HNW collectors said they planned to donate works to museums in the coming year, while many others said they intended to support artist prizes, residencies, foundations, or private museums. Family legacy continues to play a central role in both building and preserving collections, with many collectors focused on passing collections to future generations.  

Links
www.ubs.com/artmarket

About UBS and contemporary art
Global Lead Partner of Art Basel, UBS has a long history of supporting contemporary art and artists. UBS seeks to advance the international conversation about the art market through its global lead partnership with Art Basel, and as co-publisher of the Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report and the Art Basel and UBS Survey of Global Collecting. UBS also supports some of the world’s most important arts institutions, events, and fairs. The firm also has one of the world’s most significant corporate collections of contemporary art. The UBS Art Advisory supports the firm’s UHNW and family offices clients with impartial advice across the lifecycle of collecting. To meet growing client demand in the US, UBS has expanded its specialty lending capabilities to include dedicated art lending services for select Ultra High Net Worth clients, complementing its Art Advisory offering.

About UBS
UBS is a leading and truly global wealth manager and the leading universal bank in Switzerland. It also provides diversified asset management solutions and focused investment banking capabilities. UBS manages 7.3 trillion dollars of invested assets as per the second quarter 2026. UBS helps clients achieve their financial goals through personalized advice, solutions and products. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, the firm is operating in more than 50 markets around the globe. UBS Group shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
www.ubs.com/media

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SOURCE UBS Business Solutions AG

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Best AI Visibility & GEO Agency (2026): Nicely Network Awarded by Software Experts

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NEW YORK, Oct. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Software Experts has named Nicely Network the Best AI Visibility & GEO Agency for 2026. The editorial assessment examined the agency’s work across organic Reddit campaigns, AI-SEO article placements, Google rankings and generative search. It also reviewed reported outcomes across ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Google AI Overview and Perplexity.

Nicely Network uses two publishing channels to create source material for search engines and AI platforms. Its team develops Reddit discussions around high-intent buyer questions and produces expert-authored content for high-authority editorial placements. Campaign reporting covers views, rankings, AI citations, clickthroughs and tracked sales.

How the Best AI Visibility & GEO Agency Review Assessed Performance

Software Experts based its assessment on four areas documented in Nicely Network’s service model and campaign reporting:

Search presence: Whether discussions and editorial articles rank for the queries buyers use when researching products and services.AI visibility: Whether ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Google AI Overview and Perplexity reference the resulting source material.Commercial measurement: Whether campaigns report traffic, conversions and tracked sales alongside visibility metrics.Delivery model: Whether campaign volume, monitoring and publishing channels can be adjusted for different markets and objectives.

Nicely Network reports generating more than 15,000 AI citations and 200 million views on ranked discussions. The agency has worked with more than 300 brands, including Fortune 500 companies, across software, travel, beauty, consumer products, home, health and wellness, and cybersecurity.

A Dual-Channel Model for Generative Engine Optimisation

Generative Engine Optimisation, or GEO, requires material that can be discovered, indexed and retrieved when an AI platform assembles an answer. Nicely Network addresses that process through Reddit marketing and editorial publishing.

On Reddit, the agency develops organic discussions around questions that prospective customers are already asking. Campaigns target suitable communities, introduce brand information within the conversation and support published threads through monitoring. Posts are structured around search terms that can also appear in Google results.

The editorial program provides a second source type. Nicely Network produces articles based on each brand’s keyword map and publishes them through high-authority editorial placements. These pages can appear in Google Search and Google News while giving answer engines additional published material to assess.

For Software Experts, this dual-channel structure helped distinguish Nicely Network as the Best AI Visibility & GEO Agency. It treats LLM optimisation as a publishing and distribution discipline, rather than limiting the work to changes on a company’s own website.

Why Reddit and Editorial Sources Matter to AI Engines

Reddit threads preserve questions, responses and community feedback in a format that search and retrieval systems can process. When a discussion ranks for a buyer query, it can supply an AI platform with language drawn from the way people research and compare products.

Editorial articles serve a different purpose. They provide structured coverage of a category, service or purchasing question on established publishing domains. When Reddit discussions and editorial pages address related queries, an AI engine has multiple source types available when preparing a response.

Nicely Network reports that more than 2,000 of its discussions have ranked at the top of Google. Its published article program has earned more than 2,000 AI citations and generated more than $100 million in tracked sales through AI-SEO optimised placements.

This measurement framework connects the work of a Reddit marketing agency with that of an AI-SEO agency. Rankings and AI citations establish whether the material is being discovered, while views, clickthroughs and tracked sales provide evidence of what happens after discovery.

Case Studies Connect GEO Work With Traffic and AI Citations

The media kit includes campaign results from several industries without disclosing client names.

For a global B2B software company, Nicely Network produced 24 buying guides published through high-authority editorial placements. The articles generated more than 60,000 views and more than 12,500 clickthroughs. AI citations for the company tripled, with references appearing across four AI engines.

A finance campaign used an always-on Reddit and editorial program over 14 months. The work generated more than 400 AI citations and was designed to compound into a long-term AI search asset.

In health and wellness, a four-month program reached the number-one level for AI visibility within its category. AI mentions grew by 200% during the campaign period.

These cases cover different timelines and publishing mixes, but each uses the same reporting principle. The agency tracks the source material it publishes, where that material ranks, whether AI engines reference it and whether users proceed to a website or purchase.

Engagement Plans Scale From Initial Testing to Category Coverage

Nicely Network offers three engagement levels based on campaign duration and publishing volume.

The Starter plan ranges from $5,000 to $15,000 per month for one to three months. It includes five to 15 Reddit discussions, two to five AI-SEO articles and standard monitoring. At the $5,000 level, brands choose either five Reddit discussions or two articles. Larger budgets can include both channels.

The Growth plan ranges from $15,000 to $30,000 per month for three to six months. It includes 15 to 40 Reddit discussions, five to 10 AI-SEO articles and advanced monitoring. The media kit lists this as the recommended plan for sustained results.

The Leadership plan ranges from $30,000 to $60,000 per month with a custom duration. It includes 40 to 80 Reddit discussions, 10 to 30 AI-SEO articles and pro monitoring. Enterprise engagements are also available for agencies managing multiple brands and companies operating across several categories or markets.

Why Nicely Network Was Named Best AI Visibility & GEO Agency

“AI visibility is most useful when a marketing team can show where an answer came from and what happened after a reader clicked,” said the Software Experts editorial team. “Nicely Network’s reporting framework connects generative discovery with rankings, traffic and tracked revenue.”

Software Experts concluded that Nicely Network provides a measurable GEO agency model for companies that want visibility across conventional search, community discussions and AI-generated answers. Its use of Reddit and editorial publishing creates multiple forms of retrievable source material, while its reporting covers both visibility and commercial outcomes.

On that record, Software Experts named Nicely Network the Best AI Visibility & GEO Agency for 2026.

About Nicely Network

Nicely Network is an AI visibility and Reddit marketing agency serving companies across software, travel, beauty, consumer products, home, health and wellness, cybersecurity and other industries. The agency creates organic Reddit campaigns and expert-authored editorial placements designed to support Google rankings, AI citations, reputation and conversions. More information is available at nicelynetwork.com.

To read the full report on Software Experts, click here: https://softwareexperts.org/nicely-network-awarded-best-ai-visibility-geo-agency/

About Software Experts

Software Experts provides editorial coverage of software, digital services and technology providers for business audiences. Its reports examine service models, use cases and available performance evidence to help readers compare providers.

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SOURCE SoftwareExperts.org

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Discover Deakin 2026 Begins in India – Deakin University’s flagship annual student engagement brings a sharper focus on confident future choices

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NEW DELHI, Oct. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Deakin University’s flagship student engagement initiative, Discover Deakin, returns to India this October with a renewed focus on helping students and families make informed and confident decisions about their university journey, careers and future in Australia.

Held under the theme ‘Decide your uni with confidence at Discover Deakin,’ the 2026 edition brings together Deakin academics, current students, alumni and specialist support teams to give prospective students a comprehensive view of the Deakin experience, from choosing the right course and understanding career pathways to accommodation, employability, student support and life in Australia.

This year, Austrade has joined the program to give students and parents a broader perspective on Australia as a study destination and the opportunities available to international students. As Australia’s trade and investment promotion agency, Austrade supports Australia’s international education engagement. Study Melbourne, which supports international students with a lens on Melbourne as a study destination, will join the Bengaluru session, further enriching the conversation around studying and living in Australia.

Here is a look at the schedule for Discover Deakin 2026 sessions:

3 October (Sat) – Chandigarh | Hyatt Regency, Satluj7 October (Wed) – New Delhi | Le Méridien, Inspire10 October (Sat) – Bengaluru | Conrad, Junior Ballroom10 October (Sat) – Kochi | Holiday Inn, Periyar13 October (Tue) – Mumbai | Novotel Mumbai, Burgundy15 October (Thu) – Hyderabad | Hyatt Palace, MP-1 & 217 October (Sat) – Chennai | Pullman, Vana

To register for a Discover Deakin Session in your city, please visit Discover Deakin 2026

Ravneet Pawha, Vice President (Global Engagement) and CEO (South Asia), Deakin University, said, “Choosing a university is an important decision for students and families. At Deakin, we want students to have the confidence that comes from asking the right questions, hearing directly from those who have experienced university life and understanding where their education can take them.”

“Discover Deakin 2026 brings that experience to life. With Austrade and Study Melbourne joining us this year, students and parents can gain a broader perspective on studying in Australia while connecting directly with our faculty, students, alumni and support teams. Our aim is simple. We want to help every student make an informed choice and take their next step with confidence.”

What can students and families expect

Discover Deakin is designed to bring the university closer to students, giving them and their families a clearer window into what lies ahead and the information they need to make informed decisions about international study. From understanding Australia as a study destination and experiencing life at Deakin to exploring courses, careers, employability and student support, students can hear directly from the people who can help them understand what their university journey could look like.

More than an opportunity to gather information, Discover Deakin is about helping students ask the right questions, explore what is possible and find the pathway that is right for them. Through conversations with current students, alumni, faculty and specialist teams, they can gain practical insights and personalised guidance on courses, careers, scholarships and life in Australia, leaving with greater clarity about their choices and confidence about taking their next step.

A key strength of Discover Deakin is the opportunity for prospective students and parents to hear directly from those who have experienced the Deakin journey.

Students at the Discover Deakin session in New Delhi yesterday looked forward to information and valuable conversations with the Deakin faculty to make better course choices. Samnik Ahlawat is currently pursuing humanities and aims to explore higher studies in either nursing or psychology. Present at the New Delhi session, he said, “I am at this session to learn more about my options and what will suit me best if I want to study abroad. A successful pathway to studying in Australia is what I am seeking.”

Samnik’s family attended the session along with him. They said, “Nowadays children decide what they want to do in future. We are just here to support them. I am here to find out details about safety, security, accommodation and opportunities. I look forward to speaking to a Deakin Student Services representative to clear my doubts.”

By bringing together academic expertise, first-hand student and alumni perspectives, personalised admissions guidance and a broader Australia-focused conversation, Discover Deakin 2026 aims to provide students and families with the information, connections and confidence to make informed choices about their future.

The initiative builds on Deakin University’s long-standing engagement with India and its commitment to supporting Indian students through every stage of their international education journey, from choosing the right course to building skills, networks and experiences for global careers.

About Deakin University

Established in 1974, Deakin University has grown to become one of Australia’s most progressive and globally connected institutions. Deakin is recognised for its balance of excellence in education and research with a clear focus on creating real-world outcomes that benefit communities locally and globally.

Deakin has maintained a strong relationship with India since 1994, with its engagement spanning students, alumni, academic partnerships, research, industry and broader Australia–India connections.

With four campuses across Australia, Deakin offers over 300 industry-relevant courses, designed to equip students with the skills and experiences they need for future success.

To know more, please visit www.deakin.edu.au.

 

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HIZENERGY Presented Full-Stack C&I Energy Storage Solutions at Two European Exhibitions in September

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HEFEI, China, Oct. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In September, HIZENERGY took part in two influential energy exhibitions across Western and Southeast Europe, showcasing its self-developed commercial and industrial (C&I) battery energy storage portfolio to local EPC contractors, distribution partners and end customers.

At the Sustainable Solutions Kortrijk exhibition, HIZENERGY featured core products including the PCS-125K and PCS-460K power units, together with the liquid-cooled ES125kW-261/313kWh-LE storage system. Compliant with IEC and VDE European grid connection codes, the hardware supports wide-temperature operation from -30 °C to 60 °C, alongside VSG grid-forming capability and black-start functions. The products also meet European GDPR and NIS2 data security requirements. The EnerBox liquid-cooled cabinet occupies only 1.7 m² of floor space, utilising long-life LFP cells with over 8,000 charge-discharge cycles and multi-level fire safety mechanisms. HIZENERGY addressed two distinct market requirements: compact, rapidly deployable equipment for small and medium-sized commercial sites, and high-power, cluster-expandable systems for large industrial parks. On-site teams analysed real-world return-on-investment models based on operational overseas projects and secured multiple letters of intent for cooperation.

From 24 to 26 September, HIZENERGY attended the Romania ENERGY EXPO. Dr Wang Fei shared insights during an industry roundtable, stating that C&I BESS serves as a flexible strategic asset to boost energy security, unlock economic benefits and accelerate local decarbonisation for factories, agricultural sites and industrial zones. Driven by mandatory local energy storage policies in Romania and neighbouring regions, HIZENERGY delivers customised, field-proven solutions instead of generic standard packages. Its systems support flexible capacity expansion via parallel-connected PCS units and fast on-site commissioning, suitable both for retrofits of existing facilities and new industrial park developments.

Multiple HIZENERGY storage systems are already in operation across Europe, covering PV-storage-charging integration at building material plants, agricultural microgrids and power arbitrage use cases. Following its “technology-driven product plus localised service” strategy, the company offers 24/7 online technical support, resident regional engineers, local spare parts inventory and custom warranty packages to provide end-to-end full lifecycle support for European partners.

For more information, visit: https://en.hizenergy-ess.com/

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