Trade Show News

SXSW 2026 saw numerous brand activations and events spread across Austin, utilizing hotels such as the Hilton Austin Downtown, JW Marriott, and Omni Austin Hotel Downtown as key session anchors. This highlights the significant role of hospitality venues in accommodating major city-wide events and their associated business activities.

Houston's convention and hotel industry is experiencing a boost, attracting events that might typically go to Dallas or Austin. This is due to both cities' convention centers undergoing significant renovations or complete closures, positioning Houston to capture displaced convention business.

Hyatt has expanded its portfolio with the acquisition of 21 hotels, including the Hotel Saint Cecilia in Austin, Texas. This strategic move adds approximately 2,000 rooms to Hyatt's offerings and aims to leverage its global infrastructure and loyal customer base. This hospitality news is relevant to the broader trade show and convention market in Austin.

Austin's hospitality sector is expanding with new offerings, including the 1 Hotel Austin opening this summer in the Waterline tower with 251 rooms and dedicated event space, and Hotel Trinity, a Marriott Autograph Collection property, opening by year-end with 6,000 square feet of meeting space.

Austin's growing hospitality sector is seeing new developments that will enhance its capacity for meetings and events. The 1 Hotel Austin is set to open this summer in the 74-story Waterline tower, offering 251 rooms, a rooftop pool, and dedicated event space. Additionally, Hotel Trinity, a 13-story Marriott Autograph Collection property, is expected to open by year-end with 258 rooms and 6,000 square feet of meeting space.

Visit Austin and the Austin Convention Center are presenting the PCMA Foundation's 2026 Visionary Awards, a black-tie event recognizing business events industry changemakers. While the awards ceremony will be held in Washington D.C., Austin's involvement highlights its leadership and commitment to advancing the industry.

Visit Austin and the Austin Convention Center are set to present the PCMA Foundation's 2026 Visionary Awards on May 7 in Washington, D.C., a black-tie event celebrating industry changemakers. The awards ceremony supports the PCMA Foundation, which annually invests over $1 million in the business events community through scholarships, research, and education. This highlights Austin's active role and support within the business events industry.

Freeman has launched its new AI-powered 3D venue visualization platform, Freeman Blue Echo, which utilizes scans of convention centers to create fully navigable environments for event design and planning. This tool aims to provide organizers, designers, and brands with the ability to explore floor layouts and attendee journeys in a photorealistic 3D setting before the event.

An article in Trade Show Executive by Ashleigh Cook of RainFocus discusses strategies for boosting event retention through personalization in 2026, highlighting that only about 30% of attendees typically return to the same event despite the global events industry's projected growth to $2.1 trillion by 2032.

Visit Austin and the Austin Convention Center are presenting the PCMA Visionary Awards, an annual event recognizing changemakers in the business events industry. Proceeds from the black-tie event benefit the PCMA Foundation, which supports the advancement of the business events community.

This listing from Encore EventNow highlights upcoming events at the Fairmont Austin, including various SXSW 2026 Expo components like XR Experience, International Innovations, and Emerging Tech, scheduled for March 2026. It also lists the 2026 Intuitive Connect event for April 2026.

SXSW 2026 adapted to the demolition of the Austin Convention Center by scattering its events across downtown Austin, utilizing hotel ballrooms, pop-up venues, and brand activations. The festival felt more like a city-wide trade show, with many attendees engaging with the events without purchasing a badge. This year's setup highlighted the festival's ability to transform the city into its venue, even in the absence of its traditional central hub.

The Commerce Roundtable, a trade show focused on the DTC and e-commerce ecosystems, is scheduled for Spring 2026 in Downtown Austin. The event anticipates over 350 attendees and more than 18 keynote speakers, offering high-impact, actionable insights.

SXSW 2026 navigated the absence of the Austin Convention Center by scattering events across downtown hotels and pop-up venues, creating a city-wide trade show experience. The article also notes leadership changes at SXSW, with Hugh Forrest stepping away.

SXSW 2026, held March 12-18, saw Austin transformed by immersive brand experiences and activations despite a condensed schedule. Major sessions were anchored at hotels like the Hilton Austin Downtown, JW Marriott, and Omni Austin Hotel Downtown, as the festival adapted to the absence of its traditional convention center hub.

The Austin Convention Center is undergoing a complete demolition and rebuild, known as the Unconventional ATX project, with a planned opening in September 2029. The $1.6 billion investment, funded by Hotel Occupancy Tax and convention center revenue, will nearly double the rentable space to 620,000 square feet and aims to be the world's first zero-carbon certified center. The project is expected to boost the annual economy by $285 million and create over 1,600 new jobs in hospitality and tourism.

Austin is undertaking a $1.6 billion project to demolish its old convention center and build an entirely new, larger facility, "Unconventional ATX," set to open in September 2029. The new center will nearly double in size to over one million square feet, with rentable space growing to 620,000 square feet, and aims to be the world's first zero-carbon certified center.

The Austin Convention Center is undergoing a $1.6 billion demolition and rebuild project, 'Unconventional ATX,' set to open in September 2029. The new facility will nearly double in size to over one million square feet, funded by the Hotel Occupancy Tax, and is projected to boost the annual economy by $285 million and create over 1,600 new jobs.

The Austin Convention Center is undergoing a comprehensive $1.6 billion redevelopment and expansion project, aiming to nearly double its rentable space to 620,000 square feet and reopen in early 2029. The project is designed to create a more efficient, community-friendly, and sustainable facility, with an estimated annual economic impact projected to increase from $468 million to $750 million.

The Austin Convention Center is undergoing a $1.6 billion expansion, which will nearly double its size to over 620,000 square feet. The project aims to make it the world's first zero-carbon certified convention center, with a focus on public space and walkability.