The Phocuswright Conference 2026 runs 17–19 November at the Diplomat Beach Resort, Hollywood, Florida. Ticket prices, Launch, the schedule and getting there.
Cover image: The Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Florida, venue of The Phocuswright Conference 2026 (2015 file photo) — photo by Mk17b, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The Phocuswright Conference 2026 runs from Tuesday 17 to Thursday 19 November at the Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Florida, and on the organiser's published price schedule the general ticket moved to its final price of $4,199 after 30 October. The organiser bills the location as Fort Lauderdale; the beachfront resort sits between Fort Lauderdale and Miami.
This is the annual travel technology, distribution and innovation conference of Phocuswright, the research firm owned by Northstar Travel Group. With 16 days to go, this page covers tickets, the schedule, Launch and venue as of 1 November 2026.
Who attends The Phocuswright Conference?
The audience is senior. On its Attend page the organiser says 65% of attendees are C-level or vice presidents, 19% are directors or senior directors and 12% are senior managers and managers, and that 45% of speakers are chief executives or managing directors. It promises "no sponsored content", with discussions moderated by analysts. We found no total headcount published for the 2025 edition, held from 18 to 20 November 2025 at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego.
Speakers listed on the organiser's site as of 22 September 2026 included the chief executives of Intrepid Travel (James Thornton), Travelport (John Mangelaars) and Priceline (Brigit Zimmerman). Line-ups change; check the speakers page.
The 2026 theme, "Pressures. Power. Pivots.", centres on AI agents, platform power and regulators' scrutiny of large platforms (see our tracker of how AI is changing travel in 2026). The roundtables show who is in the room: OTAs, tour operators, TMCs, metasearch and GDS companies, hotels and bedbanks, tours and activities providers, destination marketers and corporate travel buyers. One table, "The Intermediary Dilemma", asks where the middleman's value lies; our guide to how online travel agencies work has the background. Sponsorships, from kiosks to Wi-Fi and roundtables, are sold by the organiser's team.
How to attend: tickets and prices
Registration is online. The general ticket rose in steps: $3,599 until 31 July, $3,699 until 31 August, $3,899 until 30 September, $3,999 until 30 October, then $4,199.
| Ticket | Price | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| General attendee | $4,199 (from 31 October) | Anyone registering at the standard rate |
| Startup | $2,299 | Startups and innovators; by application, restrictions apply |
| Young Leaders | $3,099 | Those accepted into the Young Leaders Summit |
| Hotelier Access Program | Discounted, some free | Hoteliers, subject to approval |
| Additional sponsor ticket | $3,099 | Staff registering with a sponsoring company's email address |
| Press and media | Free | Editorial media covering the event, subject to approval |
The ticket covers the programme sessions, innovator demonstrations, roundtables, the Networking Showcase, meals, receptions, the app and access to the Phocuswright room-block rate. Flights and rooms are not included.
Is it open to the public? There are no public days or consumer sessions. The organiser publishes no trade-only rule for the general ticket, but the content and price are aimed at travel companies and their executives.
Launch and the startup programmes
Innovation: Launch runs on Wednesday 18 November from 14:00 to 16:00, between the two Center Stage blocks. The organiser calls it "the stage for companies of any age" with innovations that are changing travel. Its application summary calls Launch a pitch competition for startups, scaleups and established companies and puts the cost of presenting at about $25,000.
The latest Launch page we could read, for 2024, set out the format. Candidates are interviewed by Phocuswright analysts, and each accepted presenter gets a 10-minute segment with a demo and feedback or Q&A, two conference tickets, a kiosk on the exhibit floor and a PhocusWire interview. The prizes were a Travel Innovation Award, with a runner-up, and a People's Choice Award. We could not confirm the 2026 presenter line-up as of 1 November 2026.
Earlier-stage founders have a cheaper route. The Startup Program, on Tuesday 17 November from 9:00 to 12:00, connects startups with corporates and investors and requires a conference registration. The startup ticket and the Startup Program share one Phocuswright Innovation application.
Networking and the 2026 programme
Tuesday is the networking day. A morning yoga session and trail run start at 7:00. The Young Leaders Summit runs from 9:00 to 11:30, and the Cruise Summit, on cruise market insights and AI, from 10:00 to 12:30. Off-record Industry Roundtables, moderated by industry experts and Phocuswright analysts, start at 11:30, 14:15 and 15:50, with breakout sessions in between. A welcome outdoor party sponsored by Visit Lauderdale runs from 17:30 to 19:00.
Center Stage runs on Wednesday from 9:00 to 13:00 and 16:00 to 18:00, with Launch in between and a networking reception from 18:00 to 19:30. On Thursday an early 8:00 session on leading AI precedes Center Stage from 9:00 to 13:30, followed by lunch. The Networking Showcase opens at 9:00 on Tuesday and 8:00 on the other days, closing at 14:00 on Thursday. The programme is "subject to change".
The attendee app and web platform were due to open at the end of October, with log-ins emailed to registered attendees. Use them early: roundtable places are limited and reserved in the app beforehand.
Getting to the Diplomat Beach Resort and where to stay
The Diplomat Beach Resort, which now trades as Signia by Hilton Diplomat Beach Resort, is at 3555 South Ocean Drive, Hollywood, Florida 33019. The resort says it is about 9 miles from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and 21 miles from Miami International Airport (MIA). Parking is valet only, at $45 to $75 a day under demand-based pricing.
Registered attendees get access to the Phocuswright room-block rate; the organiser's venue page has the booking details. International attendees should note that, as of 1 November 2026, everyone on a flight to the US from abroad departing from 23:59 US Eastern time on 3 November must sign a CDC Ebola attestation, whatever their nationality (see our report on the rule).
How does it compare with IBTM World and WiT Singapore?
IBTM World runs on the same dates, 17 to 19 November 2026, in Barcelona, so anyone covering both distribution and the meetings trade must choose. WiT Singapore, run by Northstar's WiT, returns from 29 September to 1 October 2027, and People's Choice winners of the Global Startup Pitch at WiT Singapore receive presentation spots at The Phocuswright Conference, according to the organiser. Phocuswright Europe, a separate event, is next held in London from 24 to 26 May 2027. All are listed in our travel trade show calendar.
Frequently asked questions
When is The Phocuswright Conference 2026?
The Phocuswright Conference 2026 runs from Tuesday 17 to Thursday 19 November 2026 at the Diplomat Beach Resort, 3555 South Ocean Drive, Hollywood, Florida 33019, which the organiser bills as Fort Lauderdale. Tuesday carries the side programmes and roundtables, Center Stage runs on Wednesday and Thursday, and the event closes with lunch on Thursday from 13:30.
Is The Phocuswright Conference open to the public?
It is not a consumer event. The Phocuswright Conference is a paid-registration conference for the travel industry, and its programme has no public days or consumer sessions. The organiser publishes no trade-qualification test for the general ticket, but discounted startup, Young Leaders and hotelier passes and free press passes are all subject to the organiser's approval.
How much does it cost to attend The Phocuswright Conference?
The organiser's pricing page listed the general attendee ticket at $3,999 until 30 October 2026 and a final price of $4,199 after that, so on that schedule $4,199 applies from 31 October. Startup tickets cost $2,299 and Young Leaders tickets $3,099, both by application, and press passes are free for approved editorial media. Travel and accommodation are not included.
What is Launch at The Phocuswright Conference?
Innovation: Launch is the conference's pitch stage for startups, scaleups and established companies unveiling a new product. In 2026 it runs on Wednesday 18 November from 14:00 to 16:00. The organiser's application summary puts the cost of presenting at about $25,000, and on its 2024 Launch page it listed a Travel Innovation Award, with a runner-up, and a People's Choice Award.
When is Phocuswright Europe 2027?
Phocuswright Europe is a separate event from The Phocuswright Conference. Its next edition is in London from 24 to 26 May 2027, according to the organiser's pricing page, which listed Europe tickets at £750 in October 2026. The Europe venue page, as shown in search results on 1 November 2026, names the Novotel London West in Hammersmith; check it before booking.
Sources
- The Phocuswright Conference, Register: tickets and prices
- The Phocuswright Conference, 2026 Program Overview
- The Phocuswright Conference, Attend
- The Phocuswright Conference, 2026 Speakers
- The Phocuswright Conference, Industry Roundtables
- The Phocuswright Conference, Innovation: Launch
- Phocuswright, Innovation application: programme summary
- The Phocuswright Conference, 2025 program announced
- Phocuswright Europe, 2027 venue
- Signia by Hilton Diplomat Beach Resort, FAQ
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