(FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.) – Nearly 5,000 attendees from over 60 countries gathered at the Greater Fort Lauderdale Broward County Convention Center in Greater Fort Lauderdale, May 17–21, for IPW 2026, generating $1 billion for the host city over the next three years.
However, that immediate economic impact represents only a fraction of the long-term value to Broward County and the South Florida hospitality industry.
Hosted by the U.S. Travel Association, IPW is the travel industry’s leading international travel trade show, bringing together more than 600 exhibitors from every corner of the United States, more than 1,400 international and domestic buyers and media representatives, and facilitating over 75,000 prescheduled appointments over the course of the five-day event. The conference connects U.S. destinations, hotels, attractions, and tourism organizations with global travel buyers who influence travel decisions for millions of visitors each year.
The national reach of IPW is extraordinary: each conference drives nearly 11 million international visitors to the United States over three years, generating an estimated $26.1 billion in travel spending. Locally, the long-term economic impact tied to future travel bookings generated through IPW 2026 is estimated at approximately $340 million annually, or more than $1 billion over the three years following the event.
For Greater Fort Lauderdale and the Broward County Convention Center, serving as first-time hosts of this globally recognized event represented a transformational opportunity. Research underscores just how meaningful that exposure is: more than 60% of buyers who attend IPW reported that they plan to book destinations they had not previously considered, making the concentrated, face-to-face access Greater Fort Lauderdale secured among the most valuable events a destination can achieve.
“Hosting IPW 2026 was a defining moment for Greater Fort Lauderdale. This event gave us an unparalleled opportunity to showcase our newly expanded convention center, our hospitality community, and the experiences that make this destination so special to the global travel industry,” said Stacy Ritter, President and CEO of Visit Lauderdale. “The relationships built and business generated here this week will create meaningful economic impact for our hotels, restaurants, attractions, and local businesses for years to come.”
The Broward County Convention Center, in collaboration with Visit Lauderdale, hosted IPW’s full slate of daily business sessions, activations, as well as the conference’s opening and closing celebrations, welcoming thousands of delegates, exhibitors, and international media representatives against the backdrop of one of South Florida’s most iconic destinations.
“From start to finish, our hospitality partners, tourism leaders, local businesses, and community stakeholders played an integral role in delivering a world-class event experience,” said Ron King, General Manager of Broward County Convention Center for Legends Global, which manages the venue. “The relationships and exposure created through IPW will generate lasting benefits for the convention center, hotels, attractions, restaurants, and the broader local economy for years to come.”
About the Broward County Convention Center
Now open after a landmark billion-dollar expansion, the Broward County Convention Center brings more than 1.2 million square feet of event space to the waterfront — including a 350,000-square-foot contiguous exhibit hall, a 65,000-square-foot waterfront ballroom, enhanced water taxi access, new dining concepts, an iconic waterfront plaza, and a connected Omni headquarters hotel.
About Visit Lauderdale
Visit Lauderdale is the official destination marketing organization for Greater Fort Lauderdale and serves as the tourism department for Broward County, Florida. Visit Lauderdale promotes the area’s 31 municipalities to a global audience of leisure and business travelers and books conventions into the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center and area hotels and resorts. Find more information at visitlauderdale.com and follow @VisitLauderdale on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.
About Legends Global
Legends Global is the premier partner to the world’s greatest live events, venues, and brands. We deliver a fully integrated solution of premium services, including feasibility & consulting, owner’s rep, sales, partnerships, venue management, hospitality, merchandise, and content & booking. Through our white-label approach, we keep our partners front and center while leveraging the power of our global network: over 450 venues, 20,000 events, and 165 million guests annually. To learn more, visit us at www.LegendsGlobal.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.
