Greater Fort Lauderdale takes center stage.
Credit: Visit Lauderdale
Greater Fort Lauderdale will soon become the center of the international travel industry as it hosts IPW 2026 for the first time ever. Running May 17 through 21 at the newly expanded Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center, the massive tourism marketplace is expected to draw more than 5,000 travel buyers, media members and tourism executives from more than 60 countries.
For locals, the event may quietly become one of the biggest economic stories of the year.
IPW is considered the leading international travel trade show in the United States, connecting destinations, hotels, airlines, cruise lines and attractions directly with the people who shape global travel itineraries and tourism spending. Visit Lauderdale says hosting the event is projected to generate more than $14.2 billion in economic impact over the next three years.
Though IPW itself is closed to the public, attendees will fan out across Broward County throughout the week, visiting restaurants, attractions, hotels and neighborhoods while experiencing Greater Fort Lauderdale firsthand. The conference’s event lineup includes an opening-night celebration on Fort Lauderdale Beach, a media brunch at The Fort and a closing-night event at the Convention Center Plaza.
“Visit Lauderdale is proud to have brought the world’s leading travel buyers and media directly into Greater Fort Lauderdale for IPW,” Stacy Ritter, president and CEO of Visit Lauderdale tells Browardist. “This moment puts our destination directly in front of the industry’s most influential decision-makers and will drive meaningful visitation, global visibility, and lasting economic impact for our community.”
Landing the event was years in the making. Greater Fort Lauderdale secured hosting rights in 2023 through a competitive bid process led by Visit Lauderdale, with the expansion of the Broward County Convention Center helping position the destination for a global-scale gathering.
For more information, visit visitlauderdale.com/IPW.
