Top Hospitality Events & Conferences 2020

The new year is full of events designed to help hospitality professionals learn about cutting-edge solutions, network with like-minded colleagues and stay in the loop with the latest industry news. To help you get a sense of what the year has to offer, here are 50 of the best trade shows happening in 2020.

1. HITEC San Antonio (June 15-18, San Antonio, Texas): The world’s largest hospitality technology show puts the hotel industry’s most notable tech vendors in the same room as hoteliers from the country’s top properties.

2. HFTP Annual Convention (October 14-16, Minneapolis, Minnesota): Also presented by Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals, this convention has education sessions, featured vendors and networking opportunities with hundreds of hospitality finance and technology experts.

3. Direct Booking Summit (September 22-23, San Diego): North American hoteliers gather to discuss how they can drive more direct bookings. Past topics have included Google’s plans for the industry and UX best practices for website design.

Related: How to Design a Customer-Friendly Hotel Website

4. Urban Living Festival (July 1-2, London, UK): This leadership and investment conference welcomes urban innovators and stakeholders at the cutting edge of contemporary hospitality and real estate.

5. ITB Asia (October 21-23, Singapore): Asia’s leading travel trade show lets travel professionals establish customer contacts and conduct business in person. Travel agents, tour operators and hoteliers make up approximately half of the event’s attendees.

6. HX – The Hotel Experience powered by AAHOA (November 10-11, New York City): First opening in 1915, the largest hospitality show in North America provides and information and product resources for every aspect of hotel operations, from rooms to restaurants.

7. Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (October 21-23, Hong Kong): For 30 years, HICAP has been the annual gathering place for Asia-Pacific’s hotel investment community, attracting influential owners, developers, lenders, executives, and professional advisors from the Asia Pacific region and around the globe.

8. To the Table Europe (April 21-23, Vienna, Austria): A B2B conference hosting Europe’s leading hospitality food and beverage decision makers and innovative, capable suppliers.

9. HFTP Regional Conferences (Various dates): Network & learn with others at one of the many regional conferences hosted by HFTP. The first event runs February 19-21 in Asheville, North Carolina while others are hosted in Wisconsin, Texas and Florida.

10. Independent Hotel Show (October 5-6, London, UK): This show presents a wide range of products and services from over 350 suppliers that are of interest to luxury and boutique hoteliers. 

11. APacCHRIE 2020 Conference (May 27-30, Kaohsiung, Taiwan): Academics and researchers in the hospitality field gather to discuss the future of the industry, and issues facing tourism, hospitality and design.

12. Australasian Hospitality and Gaming (AHG) Expo (March 18-19, Brisbane, Australia): Hospitality workers from all over Australia converge at this event which covers every aspect of hospitality and gaming, including food and beverage, furniture, design and entertainment.

13. HFTP Club & Hotel Controllers Conference (June 15-17, San Antonio): Happening during HITEC San Antonio, these two full days of education on industry best practices and how to handle complex challenges in hospitality.

14. HITEC Europe (POSTPONED – Originally planned for April 21-23, Palma de Mallorca, Spain): This conference brings together experts in hospitality technology to provide hoteliers with a resource to help their bottom line. IBM iX innovation leader and author of Digital Transformation Lindsay Herbert is set to deliver the keynote speech.

15. HFTP Club Summit (March 23-24, Atlanta, Georgia): Club and hotel pros are given access to innovative products and advanced-level education addressing industry strategy, trends and engagement.

16. Food & Beverages Kenya (February 28 – March 1, Nairobi, Kenya): Food, beverages, processing, and packaging technology are the focus of this event, hosted in one of Africa’s top business hubs.

17.  BC Hospitality Summit (April 6-7, Kelowna, BC): Last year’s speakers included author and podcaster Amber MacArthur and customer loyalty expert Chris Malone.

18. Hoteliers European Marketplace (February 10, Seville, Spain): The one-day B2B workshop dedicated to the European hotel industry, giving representatives of hotels and hotel chains a chance to meet contractors from all around the world.

19. World Travel Market – Latin America March 31 – April 2, Sao Paulo, Brazil): The leading global event for the Latin American travel industry makes personal and business development easy with global networking opportunities.

20. Mountain Travel Symposium (March 29 – April 4, Squaw Valley, California): Establishing itself as North America’s premier event for the mountain travel industry, representatives from over 35 countries around the world establish relationships, build their business, and create a stronger mountain business community.

21. International Luxury Travel Market Africa (April 2-4, Cape Town, South Africa): Launched in 2013, this invitation-only event teaches individuals across the world about Africa’s most spectacular luxury travel experiences.

22. HD Expo (May 5-7, Las Vegas, Nevada): Showcasing the best in hotel design, including industry leaders in flooring, furniture, kitchen and bath.  

23. Canadian Hotel Investment Conference (May 4-5, Toronto, Canada): For senior executives from across North America, this business conference delivers outstanding insight into the Canadian hotel market and where the industry is heading.

24.  The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia (March 31 – April 2, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia): Saudi Arabia’s premier hospitality event provides hundreds of global suppliers from laundry equipment and security to food and beverage with the unique opportunity to promote their products to thousands of buyers and decision makers.

25. Meet the Money: National Hotel Finance And Investment Conference (May 4-6, Los Angeles, California): The 30th anniversary of this investment conference provides networking opportunities for owners, managers, investors and operators.

26. Global Restaurant Investment Forum (February 11-13, Amsterdam, Netherlands): GRIF showcases the hottest restaurant concepts from around the globe and gives attendees a place of focus to connect with investors, owners, franchisors and senior hospitality pros. This year’s guest speakers include The Guardian food critic Grace Dent and AmRest founder Henry McGovern.

27. HSMAI Digital Marketing Strategy Conference (January 22, New York, NY): This year’s event focuses on the customer journey, exploring the efforts of hotel marketers to engage with guests in the increasingly complicated digital age.

28. Hotel Investment Conference – South Asia (April 1-2, Mumbai, India): In its 16th year, HICSA offers attendees a chance to learn about key trends in the South Asian market.

29. The Lodging Conference 2020 (September 21-24, Phoenix Arizona): 85% of attendees are CEOs, presidents, or business owners, making this event a great opportunity to make influential connections and get deals done.

30. MURTEC (March 9-11- Las Vegas, Nevada): The Multi-Unit Restaurant Technology Conference provides restaurant professionals with over 75 of the hottest tech solutions to help their business.

31. Hospitality Vietnam Conference (April 14-15, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam): This 2-day networking platform brings together industry leaders to discuss hotel and resort investment, asset management, new tourist destinations and more.

32. Arabian Travel Market (April 19-22, Dubai, United Arab Emirates): Tourism destinations from around the world showcase a diverse range of accommodation options, breathtaking tourist attractions, travel technology and key airline routes.

33.  International Hospitality Investment Forum (RESCHEDULED – May 4-6, Berlin, Germany): The 23rd edition of this forum will see hospitality leaders from all around the world travel to Berlin for a light-hearted atmosphere and networking opportunities.

34. TTRA 2020 Annual International Conference (June 16-18, Victoria, British Columbia): The 51st edition of the conference and the final event of TTRA’s 50th anniversary year will look back at past accomplishments in travel marketing and planning research, along with exploring what the future has in store.

35. TOPHOTELWORLDTOUR London (February 6, London, UK): Network with hospitality professionals from all sectors, including design, supply, operations and development.

36. Young Hoteliers Summit (March 16-18, Lausanne, Switzerland): “Building roadmaps for the future leaders of hospitality,” this annual event looks at how the industry is changing and informs the hotel professionals who will play a key role in changing it.

37.  Alternative Ownership Conference Asia Pacific (March 18-19, Singapore): This conference is for investors, owners or developers looking to reach their market potential.

38. Alberta Hotel & Lodging Association Convention and Trade Shows (April 20; September 21-22): Aspire, a one-day workshop on housekeeping, front office, human resources, and hotel administration will take place at DoubleTree by Hilton West Edmonton, and Ascend, for senior managers, vice presidents, owners and investors, at the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge.

39. NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference (June 1, New York City): Join global leaders in lodging development, investment, and finance at the 42nd Annual NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference.

40. Hotel, Motel & Restaurant Supply Show of the Southeast (January 28-30, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina): The show’s exhibits offer a full range of products and services for all areas of the foodservice and lodging industries. Featuring the 2020 Culinary Chef’s Challenge.

41. Future Guest Experiences (September 28-29, Las Vegas, Nevada): Innovation, personalization, and guest engagement are the major topics covered in this peer-to-peer networking event aimed at CX, tech and operations professionals.

42. HAC Conference (February 24-25, Toronto, Ontario): The country’s largest gathering of industry professionals is the place for answers on the information and trends in Canadian lodging.

43. North American Global Distribution Conference (January 27-29, Los Angeles, California): For over 25 years, HEDNA has been bringing together the best professional minds in the hospitality industry to explore and influence the world of electronic distribution, providing clarity and insight on the issues that matter.

44. Hawaii Hotel and Restaurant Show (April 15-16, Honolulu, Hawaii): Hawaii’s largest trade expo covers design, environmental services, equipment and best practices.

45. The Restaurant Show (September 28-30, Dubai, United Arab Emirates): The Middle-East’s premier event for the restaurant industry covers build, design, equipment & technology. Featuring a dedicated zone for coffee and tea.

46. Hunter Hotel Investment Conference (March 18-20, Atlanta Georgia): This conference is designed for hotel owners and investors, designed for networking and learning from other experienced industry professionals.

47. BITAC Independent (May 12-14, Miami, Florida): Any product that can improve guest experiences will be present at this tradeshow, where decision makers come to learn about innovative products and services to help their hotels.

48. National HR in Hospitality Conference & Expo (April 27-29, Miami Beach, Florida): This conference is designed specifically for human resources professionals in the hospitality industry, providing expertise from seasoned industry veterans.

49. Lakes Hospitality Trade Show (March 25-26, Crooklands, UK): Entering its 45th year, the LHA connects vendors and hotels in the Lakes District and strives to keep local businesses strong.

50. Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo (August 9-11, Anaheim, California): This event demonstrates food, technology and equipment, helping hotels keep their menus fresh and exciting. Co-located with Coffee Fest and Healthy Food Expo West.

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