(image from ExhibitorLIVE)
by Danelle Dodds, Exhibit City News
Saddle up! EXHIBITORLIVE is riding into the heart of San Antonio from March 16 – 20, and it promises to be a barnburner. This isn’t EXHIBITORLIVE’s first rodeo as 2025 will be the 36th installment of the event. The convention is corralling thousands of tradeshow and event marketing professionals for a week of education, networking, and innovation. With a hearty schedule boasting more than a hundred sessions and workshops and the industry’s only university-affiliated professional certification program, EXHIBITORLIVE is the professional development conference for the field. This year’s programming offers some exciting twists for attendees.
New Horizons
After years of calling Las Vegas home, EXHIBITORLIVE explored new horizons last year. Planners took the show on the road in 2024, hosting the event in Nashville. The convention’s decision to move to a new location every year is perfect for exposing planners to different destinations. New cities enable returning participants to experience a variety of convention centers, offsite venues, and refreshing changes of scenery. This is not their first rodeo as the event returns to San Antonio. As the nation’s twelfth largest city, San Antonio has 6,500 guest rooms within one block of the Henry B. González Convention Center. With an easily walkable downtown and non-stop flights from 45 destinations, the city’s accessibility and convenience are a growing hot commodity for planners. But the vistas and venues aren’t the only new things planned for the convention.
A Reshoed Exhibit Hall Experience
A cornerstone of EXHIBITORLIVE is the innovation on the exhibit floor. Exhibit hall hours are revamping this year to maximize attendees’ time. Education sessions and hall hours will no longer overlap, allowing attendees dedicated time to engage with the latest products and solutions. Nearly 150 exhibitors will be on hand to showcase emerging technology, new trends, experiential exhibits, and much-needed resources for a constantly evolving market. Several exhibitors are expanding their 2025 show floor footprint, which promises increased options for showgoers. A few surprises also await guests, including hands-on engagement, interactive tours, and whispers of a wellness zone.
Trailblazing Workshops and Speakers
The backbone of EXHIBITORLIVE is education, providing attendees with the latest industry trends and best practices. This year’s workshops and sessions will lasso hot topics including AI and sustainability. Attendees must register for classes in advance, which means the Certified Trade Show Marketer (CTSM) credit courses will fill up quickly.
Tipping Hats and Shaking Hands
Recognition is also amping up this year. The Welcome Reception will spotlight graduates and CTSM upgrades. An Exhibitor Awards celebration will recognize standout booths before the exhibit hall opens on the second day. Both commemorations will draw visibility to deserving recipients throughout the convention. Returning events like the popular Women in Experiential is also heavily anticipated. The promised line-up of powerhouse women leaders will drive meaningful and heavy-hitting conversations.
Registration for the event is open now. Time is running out to hitch your wagon to the tradeshow and event marketer bonanza event of the year. Saddle up for another year of industry innovation.
This story originally appeared as a truncated version in the Q1 2025 issue of Exhibit City News, p. 92. For original layout, visit https://issuu.com/exhibitcitynews/docs/ecn_q1_2025/92.
