Agenda

The 2026 Women to Watch winners will join together for a day of glam and a professional photoshoot by Oscar & Associates on Monday, September 21 onsite at the luxurious property of the Terranea Resort.

Nominations are now open for the 2026 Women to Watch Program by July 20th! Women to Watch – Trade Show Executive’s Gold 100 Awards & Summit 

2026’s TSE Women to Watch are announced on August 3rd, 2026, and awarded at our Gold 100 Awards Gala on September 23rd at the Terranea Resort in Palos Verdes, CA and featured in the November Issue of Trade Show Executive magazine. The deadline to submit is July 20, 2026. For any questions, please reach out to Gold100@tradeshowexecutive.com

Thank you to our Sponsor, Connections Housing.

Don’t miss this unforgettable evening by the sea!

Tee off with your peers at the stunning Links at Terranea.

Enjoy a refreshing breakfast buffet.

Attendees will enjoy a restorative wellness experience at Terranea Resort beginning with a guided, beginner-friendly Tai Chi session overlooking the ocean, focused on mindfulness, movement, and breathwork.

Please note: Space is limited, and separate confirmation is required. Reserve your spot early!

The Gold 100 Awards & Summit will officially kick off at the Palos Verdes Meadows at Terranea Resort. Our Welcome Reception offers breathtaking sunset coastal views of the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island, making it the perfect location for an unforgettable evening. Join us for the sunset with cocktails, company, and award-winning food as we celebrate the start of one of the industry’s most prestigious events.

Sponsored by Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

Get ready for an educational day program featuring the latest news, trends, and innovations in the exhibition industry. The Educational Summit, a popular event at TSE, will cover growth strategies and include case studies from successful show organizers. Join us for peer-led discussions and gain insights into achieving successful results.

Peter Rupert, Ph.D., returns to the Gold 100 stage to give industry leaders an outlook on the economic landscape for the final months of 2026 and into 2027. Rupert, a professor of economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), and the Associate Director of the Laboratory of Aggregate Economics at UCSB, will share what he sees on the horizon for various sectors and what signals leaders should watch to make business decisions of their own.

Operating in international markets requires a playbook of its own, from understanding market conditions to cultural norms, to be successful. To learn more about what’s required to make the jump into new markets, and build and scale events around the world, leaders from various businesses explore what they’ve learned as they launch and operate across international borders.

One of the hottest trends in 2026 has been the growth of meetings programs at large-scale events. These intimate, often one-to-one meetings provide high value for exhibitors and sponsors who participate to meet quality buyers, and they provide a strong revenue stream for organizers who are inviting key audiences to the table. Hear from industry pros who have helped build and scale successful meetings programs about what makes them top priority for organizers and their customers alike.  

In a live Power Lunch interview, TSE’s September cover star, Ken McAvoy, talks about the industry’s evolution toward relationship-driven partnerships, delivering value for all event stakeholders, operational best practices that have led to success throughout his career, and what has him more excited for the future of the industry than ever before.

“If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu,” is an infamous phrase in the U.S. capital, where industry sectors lobby for policies that benefit their businesses. In effort to keep the trade show and live events industry off the plate, the Exhibitions and Conferences Alliance (ECA), led by President and CEO Tommy Goodwin, has been consistent in its efforts to advocate for business-friendly policies — but they need our help. In this session, Goodwin provides an update on where things stand in the political arena for events businesses and shares ways that organizers can aid the efforts.  

Join exhibitor-training pro Robyn Davis, CPTD, CEM, of Exhibitors WINH, as she talks with leading show organizers about how they’re providing exhibitors with the information, training and expertise needed to supercharge their ROI. Learn how organizers are navigating working with newer exhibit managers, providing continuing education for exhibitors, and ensuring booth staff are engaging and targeting the right attendees before the show even opens.  

In this knowledge sharing and idea exchange session, two TSE Trailblazers sit down for a candid conversation about their own career journeys, the challenges and opportunities they see for the industry around workforce development and trends they think organizers should be leaning into.  

At the end of 2025, TSE, Lippman Connects and EVOLIO Marketing began conducting periodic joint surveys around attendee acquisition and exhibitor/sponsorship sales in the trade show industry. Over the last 10 months, the data has been compiled, and it tells a compelling story about what tactics are yielding strong results around sales and marketing, where opportunities and challenges lie, and how organizers are leveraging AI. Join Joe Federbush of EVOLIO Marketing, as he dives into the findings. 

Join us for a wrap-up of the day’s education and get important details about the Awards Gala to follow.

The Gala Reception, held in the Catalina Terrace, promises an opportunity to walk the red carpet in a glamorous style. Photo ops abound as honorees take their plaques and mingle with industry colleagues from the nation’s largest shows before the Gold 100 Awards Gala begins.

Dress code: Cocktail, Black Tie Optional

The winners of the coveted Gold 100 Grand Awards will be revealed and take to the main stage in Ballroom to collect their glorious crystal trophy in front of their peers. Enjoy fine dining while we reward the hard work and achievements of your teams.

Dress code: Cocktail, Black Tie Optional

Don’t stop the fun, with the Afterglow for some more music, drinks and good company!

Thank you to our Sponsor of this event, LVE!

Before you go, don’t forget the most important meal of the day! Come together for one last breakfast before your departure or take it to go.