Why should a hotel professional attend hospitality events and trade shows?
Hotel professionals should attend hospitality events and trade shows to help grow their business by connecting with other industry professionals who are also looking to expand their properties. This creates opportunities for synergies that can ultimately lead to increased revenue. These events also offer a chance to learn about the latest hospitality technology to support your hotel team and gain insights from competitors.
Additionally, attending trade shows provides valuable networking opportunities and enhances brand exposure in the sector.
Best hotel conferences and events in EMEA
In Europe, the Middle East and Africa there are many important conferences and trade shows that are worth attending. Let’s take a look at the most popular ones.
1. FITUR
Location: Madrid, Spain Date: January 2025
One of the world’s leading tourism trade fairs, FITUR is a great trade fair for inbound and outbound markets in Ibero-America. With 8.5K companies and more than 136K participants, FITUR proves a great way to promote your brand, learn about new products and to network with industry professionals.
2. ITB Berlin
Location: Berlin, Germany Date: March 2025
One of the biggest tourism trade shows in the world, ITB Berlin attracts a global audience of hoteliers, travel tech providers, tour operators and destinations. Already in its 60th year, it’s a great event for networking and big-picture trends.
3. Independent Hotel Show Amsterdam
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands Date: March 2025
Tailored for boutique and independent hotels, this show focuses on innovation and guest experience. It’s more intimate than the larger expos, making it ideal for meaningful conversations.
4. International Hotel Technology Forum
Location: Algarve, Portugal Date: March 2025
This South of Portugal event is perfect for hoteliers and hotel operators looking to put innovation front and center. Attendees can participate in interactive sessions, panel discussions, workshops, and speeches.
5. International Hospitality Investment Forum EMEA
Location: Berlin, Germany Date: March 2025
Bringing together investors, owners and developers, IHIF is all about the business of hospitality. Expect panels on finance, M&A and future-proofing your hotel portfolio.
6. Arabian Travel Market
Location: Dubai, UAE Date: May 2025
Part of the WTM convention group, the Arabian Travel Market is one of the most significant events for travel buyers in the Middle East. It showcases hotels, travel agencies, DMOs, tech, and airlines, offering excellent networking opportunities.
7. Phocuswright Europe
Location: Barcelona, Spain Date: June 2025
Phocuswright Europe brings together technology providers, travel agencies, tour operators, hotels, and other tourism professionals. Attendees will have the chance to engage in discussions led by expert analysts and decision-makers in the hospitality sector.
8. HSMAI Europe
Location: London, UK Date: June 2025 HSMAI Europe is a must-attend trade show for hospitality professionals looking to learn about the latest trends and technologies in the industry. Held in London, this event features workshops, conferences and networking opportunities.
9. Hotel 360 Expo
Location: London, UK Date: September 2025
Hotel 360 Expo provides a platform for successful hoteliers to share their success stories. With seminars addressing various industry topics, it’s a great opportunity to network and learn more about the hospitality industry.
10. The Hotel Show Dubai
Location: Dubai, UAE Date: September 2025
The Hotel Show Dubai is an essential event for the Middle East region, attracting over 7,000 attendees, exhibitors, and speakers. It’s an excellent opportunity to explore technology and forge new partnerships with local vendors.
11. Annual Hotel Conference
Location: Manchester, UK Date: October 2025
AHC focuses on UK hospitality investment, ownership and operations. It’s a good fit for decision-makers looking to scale or refine their offering.
12. Hospitality & Travel Technology Innovation Summit
Location: Dubai, UAE Date: October 2025
This summit is designed for professionals in the hospitality and travel sectors who can learn from well-renowned keynote speakers and other industry leaders. Hospitality professionals can gain insights and learn from peers, as well as keep ahead of the latest technology.
13. WTM London
Location: London, United Kingdom Date: November 2025
World Travel Market (WTM) is one of the leading international travel events for both inbound and outbound tourism. Running for 3 days, it’s a place where ministers meet and global travel teams come to build their networks.
14. TIS Tourism Innovation Summit
Location: Seville, Spain Date: November 2025
The TIS Tourism Innovation Summit in Seville features masterclasses and an exchange of success stories aimed at fostering innovation and digitalization in the tourism industry.
Hospitality events in North America
Let’s now turn our focus to some of the top hospitality events in North America.
15. Hotel, Motel & Restaurant Supply Show of the Southeast
Location: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA Date: January 2025
This trade show connects hoteliers in the Southeastern U.S. with a variety of hospitality professionals, vendors, and suppliers. Attendees can access the show for free, providing an excellent opportunity for networking and sourcing products for their businesses.
16. HEDNA North America
Location: San Diego, USADate: January 2025
HEDNA North America is the go-to event for hospitality distribution professionals. Attendees can explore strategies, trends, and new technologies shaping the industry, all while networking with experts in the field.
17. AAHOA
Location: New Orleans, USA Date: March 2025
The Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) hosts a major annual event for its 20,000 members across the U.S. This conference focuses on networking, education, and connecting with other Asian American hotel owners.
18. BCHA Summit
Location: Vancouver, Canada Date: April 2025
The BCHA Summit in Vancouver is an event where hospitality professionals come together to discuss key issues, from technology to sustainability, in the ever-evolving hotel industry.
19. New England Inns & Resorts Association (NEIRA)
Location: New England, USA Date: April 2025
NEIRA brings together independently owned and operated lodging properties from across New England. This event is an excellent opportunity to network and form partnerships with industry leaders in the region.
20. IPW
Location: Chicago, USA Date: May 2025
IPW is a premier event where hospitality brands can showcase themselves to travel journalists and industry leaders. With over 500 reporters invited, it offers ample opportunities for media coverage, industry insights, and brand exposure.
21. Women Leading Travel and Hospitality Summit
Location: Atlanta, USA Date: June 2025
This event is an important gathering for women in travel, tourism, and hospitality. It provides valuable networking opportunities for women across all hotel departments to meet suppliers and other industry professionals.
22. HAC Conference
Location: Ottawa, Canada Date: June 2025
The HAC Conference in Ottawa is a vital event for Canadian hoteliers, vendors, suppliers, and industry experts. It offers networking opportunities, sessions, and workshops designed to address the latest trends in the hotel industry.
23. Direct Booking Summit
Location: Varies Date: June 2025
The Direct Booking Summit focuses on helping hoteliers maximize their direct bookings. This conference offers expert-led workshops and sessions on marketing, revenue strategies, and distribution, helping attendees improve their direct booking strategy.
24. GBTA
Location: Varies Date: July 2025
The GBTA conference is a key event for business travel professionals, bringing together travel buyers, suppliers, and vendors. Attendees have the opportunity to network and engage in discussions on business travel trends and data.
25. Hotel Data Conference
Location: Nashville, Tennessee, USA Date: August 2025
The Hotel Data Conference is an essential event for anyone interested in hospitality data. The conference provides valuable insights into market trends and best practices, helping professionals stay ahead of industry developments.
26. The Lodging Conference
Location: Phoenix, Arizona, USA Date: September 2025
The Lodging Conference is a laid-back event where leaders from various hospitality sectors – development, finance, franchising, management, design, and operations – come together to discuss and network in an informal setting.
27. Skift Global Forum
Location: New York City, USA Date: September 2025
Planned for September in New York City, the Skift Global Forum is a thought leadership conference where executives, CEOs, entrepreneurs, and professionals explore pressing topics within the travel industry.
28. INDIEConfab
Location: Nashville, Tennessee, USA Date: September 2025
INDIEConfab, hosted by the Independent Lodging Congress, focuses on innovation, creativity, and collaboration among leaders from the independent lodging sector. It’s an excellent event for networking and sharing insights into independent hotel operations.
29. Cultivate
Location: Nashville, Tennessee, USA Date: September 2025
Cultivate is a fantastic event for independent hotel owners, operators, investors, and designers. Attendees can learn about brand identity, investment strategies, and future trends in the hospitality industry, all while networking with industry leaders.
30. Navigate by Revinate
Location: Austin, Texas, USA Date: October 2025
Navigate brings together hospitality professionals, from revenue managers to marketers and tech experts. The event features keynote speakers, pre-conference training, and ample networking opportunities, making it a must-attend for anyone in the hospitality industry.
31. Boutique Design New York
Location: New York City, USA Date: November 2025
Geared towards hospitality designers, Boutique Design New York provides a platform for designers to meet vendors, discover new trends, and purchase niche products for their hotel projects. This event is essential for anyone in hotel design.
32. Mountain travel symposium
Location: Varies (Mountain destinations across the U.S.) Date: Winter 2025
The Mountain Travel Symposium attracts mountain travel professionals from over 35 countries. The event offers two days of skiing and networking, with the conference held in a different mountain destination each year during the winter season.
33. The Hotel Experience
Location: New York City, USA Date: November 2025
This trade show is a prime opportunity for hoteliers and procurement teams to meet vendors, purchase supplies, and explore new products for their properties. If you’re also attending Boutique Design New York (BDNY), one ticket grants access to both events.
34. HOLA (Hotel Opportunities Latin America)
Location: Varies (Latin America) Date: November 2025
HOLA is one of the most important hotel investment conferences in Latin America, focusing on hotel development and investment opportunities. Attendees can network with finance and hotel industry experts and participate in panel discussions about the future of hospitality in the LATAM region.
Events and trade shows in LATAM
Below are some of the must-attend events in the Latin America region.
35. WTM Latin America
Location: São Paulo, Brazil Date: April 2025
The World Travel Market (WTM) Latin America attracts over 20,000 attendees, bringing together travel brands, travel buyers, and suppliers. With 600 different exhibitors, this event is essential for discovering new products and services in the travel and tourism sector.
36. Tianguis Turistico Mexico
Location: Baja California, Mexico Date: May 2025
Tianguis Turístico is a prominent event in Mexico’s tourism industry. Hosted over three days, it features leading exhibitors and allows attendees to schedule 15-minute meetings with industry professionals. The event offers a unique opportunity to learn about Mexico’s tourism offerings.
37. ILTM Latin America
Location: São Paulo, Brazil Date: May 2025
ILTM Latin America is the luxury travel trade show where, thanks to pre-scheduled meetings with suppliers, you can learn about everything relating to travel and luxury. It’s designed for travel brands, travel advisors, and travel press for the luxury market. This is an invitation-only travel expo.
38. North American Hostel Association Conference
Location: Playa del Carmen, Mexico Date: June 2025
This conference brings together hostel owners and operators to network, share ideas, and explore new trends in the hostel industry. Attendees can benefit from a mix of networking opportunities and educational sessions.
39. Digital Travel Summit APAC
Location: Singapore Date: June 2025 The Digital
Travel Summit APAC focuses on helping hoteliers improve business performance through case studies, facilitated networking, and interactive sessions. It’s an essential event for hospitality professionals in the Asia region.
40. IBTM Americas
Location: Mexico City, Mexico Date: August 2025
IBTM Americas is ideal for event organizers, planners, and professionals from various destinations, hotels, and event spaces. It’s a prime venue for networking with suppliers and discovering new opportunities in the meetings and events sector.
41. ABASTUR
Location: Mexico City, Mexico Date: September 2025
ABASTUR is one of the largest hospitality trade shows in the region, featuring over 550 exhibitors, educational programs, conferences, and training. It offers an excellent opportunity for networking with hospitality professionals and discovering the latest industry trends.
42. Equipotel
Location: São Paulo, Brazil Date: September 2025
Equipotel is a key trade show in the LATAM market. It provides hotel, spa, and restaurant owners with the opportunity to meet specialized vendors and purchase new products for their businesses.
43. REMOTE Latin America
Location: Varies (Latin America) Date: September 2025
REMOTE Latin America highlights independent Latin American tourism, bringing together hoteliers, local experts, and travel designers. This event shines a spotlight on innovative tourism ideas and offers great networking opportunities for independent hoteliers.
Hotel conferences in APAC
Now, let’s take a look at some of the top trade shows and conferences in the APAC region.
44. Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific
Location: Sydney, Australia Date: March 2025
This conference is a prime opportunity for hotel owners, operators, developers, and investors in Australia and New Zealand to explore trends in hotel investment and discover current market opportunities.
45. Travel Tech Asia
Location: Singapore Date: May 2025
Travel Tech Asia explores the latest technologies and trends in travel, tech, and hospitality. It’s a vital conference for those in the APAC region looking to stay ahead in the fast-evolving tech-driven travel industry.
46. Digital Travel Summit APAC
Location: Singapore Date: June 2025
The Digital Travel Summit APAC focuses on helping hoteliers improve business performance through case studies, facilitated networking, and interactive sessions. It’s an essential event for hospitality professionals in the Asia region.
47. Philippines Hotel Industry Summit
Location: Manila, Philippines Date: September 2025
The Philippines Hotel Industry Summit is perfect for those looking to network, engage in panel discussions, and discover the latest trends and innovations in the hotel industry. It attracts a range of attendees, including CEOs, directors, and hotel operators.
48. No Vacancy Hotel & Accommodation Expo
Location: Sydney, Australia Date: October 2025
No Vacancy is one of Australia’s most significant hospitality conferences. It features new brand launches, networking opportunities, and the latest technology trends, as well as insights into design trends and best practices in revenue generation and distribution.
49. IHIF Asia
Location: Singapore Date: October 2025
IHIF Asia is a key investment conference for the hospitality sector, bringing together stakeholders from private equity firms, institutional investors, and other funds to explore opportunities, challenges, and trends in the Asia-Pacific region.
50. ACE Hotel Tech Summit
Location: Hong Kong Date: November 2025
The ACE Hotel Tech Summit is a great opportunity for professionals in the hospitality space to explore various tech solutions tailored to the industry, from property management systems to guest engagement technologies.
Conclusion
With this essential list of hotel conferences, it’s clear that the hospitality industry offers plenty of opportunities to network, gain insights, and stay informed about the latest trends. As event planners, it’s important to choose the right event that aligns with your goals and market segment. Doing so will ensure you take full advantage of networking opportunities, raise brand awareness, and stay ahead of the curve in the rapidly evolving hospitality industry.
