WTE Miami Announces Panel Topics and Featured Speakers for 4th Annual Global Travel Trade Show and Summit

There are many good reasons to visit Miami in October — fewer crowds, lower hotel rates and a continuation of perfect beach weather. For those in the travel industry, there’s one more to add to the list. WTE Miami will arrive at the Miami Beach Convention Center October 27 to 28. Marking their fourth consecutive year, this year’s program is focused on what a travel professional needs to know right now to prepare for and stay ahead of where the industry is going in 2027.

Organized by Fairfest Media, the two-day trade event will connect destinations, airlines, hospitality brands and travel technology companies with qualified buyers from the United States, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean. This year’s edition is expected to bring together more than 7,000 travel trade professionals and approximately 500 hosted and VIP buyers, while facilitating more than 10,000 pre-scheduled meetings. All of this will be happening across a floor of more than 500 exhibitors representing upward of 70 countries.

“WTE Miami is bringing together voices from across the travel industry to address the changes happening right now and the opportunities that are coming next,” said Javier Pérez-Palencia, director of WTE Miami, in a press release. “Our goal is to give travel advisors, suppliers and industry professionals practical knowledge, new relationships and ideas they can put to work in their businesses.”

The 2026 speaker roster reflects the issues and trends at the forefront of the travel industry right now. IATA’s Regional Vice President for the Americas, Peter Cerda, will present a Latin America Travel Outlook for 2027, speaking to the air connectivity questions that have grown more pointed as U.S.-Latin America routes have become increasingly competitive. Ignacio Borbolla, General Manager for South Florida at Delta Air Lines, will address the same landscape from the carrier’s side. Emir Pineda, Director of Air Service Development at Miami International Airport — a sponsor of the event — rounds out the connectivity picture from the infrastructure angle.

On the demand side, Rose Mary Cortes, Vice President of International Marketing and Communications at MMGY, will present findings from the firm’s Portrait of American Travelers annual study, which tracks shifts in where Americans want to go and how they want to get there. Dorothy Calba of Euromonitor International will address the European market specifically, with a session titled “How American Travel to Europe Is Changing.” Naledi Khabo, CEO of the Africa Tourism Association, takes on a different geography with “Selling Africa: What American Travelers Want in 2026.”

Artificial intelligence, a topic on the minds of many in the travel industry, will get significant attention in the two-day program. Grace Van Hollebeke, Head of Marketing at Tern, will cover AI and emerging travel technology solutions. Tim Luepke, Director of MPI Academy, will offer sessions on AI for travel professionals on the mechanics of contracting and pricing group travel.

The host agency model gets its own session through Shayna Zand, Managing Director of Host Agency Reviews, presenting “The Host Agency Playbook: Finding the Right Fit for You” — useful material for independent advisors weighing affiliation options in a market that has seen consolidation accelerate over the past several years. Elizabeth Chin, Executive Director of the PATA New York Chapter, will speak to opportunities in Asia, with a specific focus on experiential travel, wellness and medical tourism. Eva Mossberg of the Adventure Travel Trade Association will address the growth of adventure travel, a category that has moved steadily from niche to mainstream.

Beyond the main stage, workshop sessions will cover luxury travel, solo travel, culinary travel, sports tourism and family and multi-generational travel. Confirmed exhibition floor participants include Jamaica Tourist Board, South African Tourism and Royal Jordanian, alongside a broader mix of destinations, hospitality brands and technology providers.

WTE Miami 2026 takes place Oct. 27-28 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Registration and full program details are available at wtemiami.com.