In today’s events, audiences rarely remember a specific slide or a particular sentence from a presentation. What tends to remain is the experience surrounding that moment: the atmosphere in the room, the visual energy of the stage, the rhythm created by light and sound, and the way the environment supports the story being told.
In keeping with Texas’ expansion and redevelopment of convention centers (see our Dallas CC Spotlight) Austin is revamping the Austin Convention Center (500 E. Cesar Chavez Street), but in a typically Texas big way: the old Austin Convention Center was demolished to make way for an entirely new venue due to open in September of 2029 (just in time for South By Southwest). The project’s named Unconventional ATX and plans to create a bigger, newer convention center with the latest in tech, amenities, and more.
Laying in the heart of downtown Houston, George R. Brown Convention Center (GRB) (1001 Avenida de las Americas) was named after Houston entrepreneur, philanthropist, and civic leader, George R. Brown. The Texas Eastern Transmission Company (of which Brown was an investor) donated over half the real estate needed to build the center, which opened in September of 1987. It replaced the old Albert Thomas Convention Center.
William P. Hobby Airport
Airport Code: HOU
Location: 7800 Airport Blvd, Houston, Texas
It’s a dangerous world out there. That would ring true at almost any point in history — but it feels especially relevant in March 2026. Natural disaster risks are driving up insurance costs. Criminals are targeting popular resort destinations. Armed conflict has shuttered major global travel hubs. And the events industry, by its very nature, puts groups of people together in places that can be every bit as vulnerable as they are beautiful.
Last fall, we ran an experiment inside Club Ichi that scared a lot of people (that was the point).
We called it Brains Behind the Bots, a live event built as part of an AI Hackathon. The premise was simple: what happens if we let AI help build an event from the ground up, in real time, with professionals watching every decision, mistake, and course correction?
Orlando’s March calendar includes five tradeshows at Orange County Convention Center and Rosen Shingle Creek, led by Global Pet Expo and Vision Expo. Design and Construction Week will leave Orlando after its 2026 run and move to Las Vegas in 2027.
Chicago’s March docket brings a full mix of buyer-driven tradeshows, venue positioning, and big-ticket planning. McCormick Place anchors the month with The Inspired Home Show and a late-March run of healthcare and pop-culture events, while the Chicago Auto Show added an overlanding campout and its First Look for Charity gala raised $2.03 million.
Las Vegas briefs this month run from show-floor scale to the metrics that sit behind demand. March’s calendar stacks seven tradeshows across the Las Vegas Convention Center and The Venetian Expo, led by CONEXPO-CON/AGG, HIMSS, and ISC West.
In Exhibit City New’s Quarter 2 magazine of 2025 the article “The Sustainability Myth” (page 80) appeared. Based on several interviews with executives regarding the misperception that sustainability costs more, the myth that sustainability was difficult to achieve was refuted.
Chicago opened 2026 with a mix of large-scale tradeshows, fan events, and hospitality updates across the city and nearby suburbs. February brings major draws at McCormick Place and downtown hotels, led by automotive and dental meetings.
Orlando entered late January with steady convention activity and a growing pipeline of consumer, trade, and fan-focused events across the Orange County Convention Center and resort-area venues. Recent shows underscored the market’s draw for large-scale exhibitions, while ticket demand signaled strong consumer interest heading into spring.
