GBTA Convention 2027 runs 2–4 August at the San Diego Convention Center. Buyer and supplier rates, member pricing, the expo, education and who can attend.
Cover image: An aerial view of the San Diego Convention Center on the waterfront, venue of the GBTA Convention 2027 (file photo) — photo by Redideo, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
GBTA Convention 2027 runs from Monday 2 to Wednesday 4 August 2027 at the San Diego Convention Center, and registration opens on 19 November 2026. Book early: in 2026 the buyer member rate rose by more than 70% between February and mid-July, from $1,545 to $2,645. The convention is the annual US meeting of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), where corporate travel buyers meet the airlines, hotels, travel management companies and payment and technology firms that sell to them.
It is a paid, registration-only event for the business travel trade, with no public access. Details for 2027 are as of 1 November 2026.
Who exhibits and who attends GBTA Convention?
The 2026 edition, held at McCormick Place in Chicago from 3 to 5 August 2026, drew more than 5,500 attendees from 47 countries, according to GBTA. They included almost 1,200 buyers from 681 companies, representing more than $46 billion in self-reported annual travel spend, plus nearly 400 exhibitors.
GBTA's 2025 convention profile says 82% of buyer attendees select or recommend travel vendors and 82% set travel policy; most buy air (93%), hotel (92%) and car rental (87%) services. Banking, financial services and insurance is the leading buyer industry.
Exhibitors include airlines, hotels, car rental firms, travel management companies, payment providers, software firms, travel risk specialists and convention bureaus. Themed areas in the 2027 prospectus include an AI & Innovation Pavilion, an Independent Hotel Pavilion, a New Entrant Pavilion for first-time exhibitors and Sustainability, Destination and Government rows.
As of 1 November 2026, 2027 exhibit space costs $59 per square foot for GBTA members and $66 for non-members if booked by 8 January 2027, rising in steps to $65 and $73. A pavilion booth costs $9,400 and a tabletop $4,500 by the same date. Booths include free exhibitor registrations and an appointment tool for meetings with buyers. The prospectus promises about 11 hours of expo time, subject to change; Chicago's floor was open for 10.5 hours.
How to register for GBTA Convention: buyer and supplier rates
Rates depend on who you are and whether you are a GBTA member. A buyer (the Direct, Government, Educator or Nonprofit category) is employed directly by an organisation to manage, negotiate or direct its own business travel or meetings programme. A supplier (Allied, non-exhibitor) sells to those buyers. Exhibitor staff register through their booth administrator. 2027 rates are not yet published; the 2026 rates show the structure.
| 2026 category | Member rate | Non-member rate |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer (Direct, Government, Educator or Nonprofit) | $1,545 in February 2026, rising to $2,645 by mid-July | $3,195 |
| Supplier (Allied, non-exhibitor) | $1,995 in February, rising to $3,095 | $5,999 |
| Student | $295, with valid credentials and approval | |
| Press | Complimentary, subject to approval | |
Member rates rose in tiers while non-member rates stayed flat, archived copies of the registration page show. You need not be a member already: add a GBTA membership in the registration flow and the member rate applies. Every registration covers the Main Stage, education, the Welcome Reception, the expo, the app and three months of post-event session content; the buyer rate adds six hours of buyer-only Braindate sessions. A non-refundable 3% fee applied to card and PayPal payments in 2026.
In 2026, under the Corporate Travel Team Program, a company that bought four buyer-member registrations got the next four free, then every second one; all had to be Direct members.
Is it open to the public? No. GBTA's convention FAQ, still written for the 2025 Denver edition, says registration is not available for friends, guests or children, no one under 18 is admitted, and there is no Expo-only pass, so every attendee needs a full registration.
Education, the expo hall and networking at GBTA Convention
In 2026 GBTA ran almost 90 education sessions across 17 tracks, with more than 250 peer-reviewed speakers, on the Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, covering strategy, sourcing, sustainability, technology, transport and mobility, and leadership. Seats are first come, first served, and the programme carried 12 GTP credits. GBTA's course page says the Advanced Principles of Business Travel Management course does not require convention attendance.
Main Stage sessions run daily; 2026 keynotes included Frances Frei, Anne Morriss and chef José Andrés. GBTA also uses the convention to release its annual Business Travel Index; the 2026 edition forecast a record $1.71 trillion in global business travel spending.
Buyers pick the exhibitors they want to see in advance, then request and confirm one-to-one expo meetings in the GBTA app. Buyer-only formats in 2026 included Braindate peer discussions and the Buyer Buzz lunch on the opening day; first-timers can join the Connect First orientation breakfast, and networking lunches follow the Main Stage on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Non-exhibiting suppliers should note the 2025 FAQ's ban on "suitcasing" (soliciting in the aisles, hotel lobbies or other booths) and on hospitality events during official hours; breaches can bring ejection from the expo and a minimum $2,500 penalty.
Getting to the San Diego Convention Center and where to stay
The San Diego Convention Center is at 111 W Harbor Drive on the downtown waterfront, beside the Gaslamp Quarter. San Diego International Airport is about three miles away, 10 to 15 minutes by car or shuttle, according to the venue. By public transport, MTS Route 992 stops at both airport terminals every 15 minutes from 4:15 a.m. to midnight, according to the airport, and runs to downtown, where it connects with the Trolley; the venue says the Trolley has two stops in front of the building. Santa Fe Depot, for Amtrak and COASTER trains, is about a mile's walk.
GBTA uses one official housing provider (in 2026, EvolveCon powered by HotelMap) and warns that other resellers are not affiliated with it, and has run shuttles from selected hotels. It had not published San Diego hotel details as of 1 November 2026; book through the convention site's official link when it does.
How does GBTA Convention compare with GBTA Europe, IMEX America and IBTM World?
GBTA's European event is separate, with its own registration: the GBTA + VDR Europe Conference 2026, in partnership with ABTA, runs from 2 to 4 November 2026 at the Austria Center Vienna. 2027 dates had not been announced as of 1 November 2026.
IMEX America (28 to 30 September 2027, Las Vegas) is free to attend and flies in qualifying hosted buyers, while IBTM World (17 to 19 November 2026, Barcelona) sells trade-visitor passes from €100 plus VAT; both serve the meetings and events trade. GBTA Convention is a paid convention built around managed corporate travel. All three appear in our travel trade show calendar.
Frequently asked questions
When is GBTA Convention 2027?
GBTA Convention 2027 runs from Monday 2 to Wednesday 4 August 2027 at the San Diego Convention Center, 111 W Harbor Drive, San Diego, California. Registration opens on 19 November 2026. GBTA has also announced the 2028 edition, from 25 to 27 July 2028 in Philadelphia, but has not yet named the venue.
Is GBTA Convention open to the public?
No. It is a registration-only event for business travel buyers, suppliers, exhibitors, students and approved press. GBTA's FAQ, written for the 2025 Denver convention, says friends, guests and children cannot register, no one under 18 is admitted and there is no Expo-only pass, so you need a full convention registration even to walk the expo hall.
How much does it cost to attend GBTA Convention?
2027 rates are not yet published; registration opens on 19 November 2026. In 2026, buyer members paid $1,545 in February, rising to $2,645 by mid-July, against $3,195 for non-members. Supplier members paid $1,995, rising to $3,095, against $5,999. Students paid $295 and approved press attended free.
What is the difference between a buyer and a supplier registration?
A buyer works directly for a company, educational institution or government agency and manages its own travel or meetings programme. A supplier sells travel products or services to buyers. Buyers pay lower rates and get buyer-only Braindate sessions; exhibitor staff register through their booth administrator instead.
Is the GBTA Europe Convention the same event?
No. GBTA's European event is the GBTA + VDR Europe Conference, held in 2026 in partnership with ABTA, with its own registration. The 2026 edition runs from 2 to 4 November 2026 at the Austria Center Vienna. GBTA Convention is the association's annual US event, held each summer.
Sources
- GBTA Convention, Homepage (2027 dates and venue)
- GBTA, GBTA Convention 2026 wrap release (6 August 2026)
- GBTA Convention, 2026 registration rates (archived 9 February and 16 July 2026)
- GBTA Convention, Buyer Access+ and buyer definition
- GBTA Convention, 2027 Exhibitor Prospectus
- GBTA Convention, Frequently asked questions
- GBTA, GBTA + VDR Europe Conference 2026, Vienna
- San Diego Convention Center, Getting here and around
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