It's a wrap: IPW 2026 in Fort Lauderdale

 

It's over, on the right photo the Conention Center, where we spent quite a bit of time in the last days. Boy, it was intense and we are tired. After five full days of appointments, networking and events in the humid-hot Fort Lauderdale, IPW 2026 is history, but one IPW we'll certainly not forget!

Over 5,000 attendees from 70 + countries, among them around 1,700 international travel buyers and 400+ media representatives attended IPW 2026 in Fort Lauderdale (official numbers still to be announced). The convention takes place in another U.S. city ever year, and, it was a first for Greater Fort Lauderdale, considered the "Yachting Capital of the World" and the "Venice of America".

Overall attendance might have been down across international travel buyers and media and US suppliers compared to previous years, but general mood was quite good. Our German media group, invited by the US Travel Association, consisted of around 20 members only this year. 

While on Sunday only registration took place (see previous post), Monday started early with the "German breakfast" and  Press Brunch at The Fort, an outdoor venue on a lake with pickleball fields and other entertaianment. 

Best item on the agenda for us was the announcement of the winners for the Travel Writers Awards. Though the ceremony itself on the lawn in front of the stage was a bit expedited by an aproaching thunderstorm, it felt fantastic to hold the award in hands again after our first win 2018 in Denver. 

Three awards are given for "Best U.S. Travel Destination", two more for Best Trade publication and Best IPW Host City. We won one of the first mentioned.

It was like walking on clouds for the rest of the day. Several press tours were offered after brunch and award ceremony and we had chosen sort of a neighborhood tour in the upcoming suburb/town of Oakland Park, with a couple of microbreweries, destilleries and restaurants, e.g. the Funky Buddha (below) or ChainBridge Destillery (further below).

The IPW 2026 Opening Party on Fort Lauderdale Beach, so-to-say in front of our hotel, followed. Unfortunately, this open-air event with food and beverage tents, live music, DJs and activities took place really early and the sun was still burning down hot.

 

Tuesday: Media Marketplace. A day filled with pre-arranged appointments in a separate hall (right photo). A reception afterwards followed, then the NYC Center Stage event and the "famous" Buckle Club Party" organized by the Western states of ND, SD, WY and ID.

Wednesday/Thursday: Several press conferences in the morning (below), appointments in the big hall where the suppliers and destinations have set up their boothes. Wine in the Oregon section in the evening (a tradition!), and afterwards again supplier-hosted parties in different venues.  Lunches on both days were hosted from Visit California and Royal Caribbean Group, including presentations and speeches. 

 View from the Convention Center towards the Plaza where tables for another lunch are set up:

 Lunchtime,,,

The IPW 2026 Closing Party yesterday (Thursday) took place from 4:30-7 pm (!) in front of the Broward County Convention Center, including a DJ, live music, entertainers, food trucks, carnival rides and arcade games, snacks and drinks. Lots of efforts put in. On the right photo part of our German delegation, below some funny "Amphicars" performing for the congress participants.

It's been a good show. Interesting conversations, idea gathering, and, meeting new people and old friends (below), from ND, Colorado, the Navajo Nation and the Choctaw tribe. Wished I had taken more photos, but with all the hustling and bustling, luggage carrying and set itineraries, mostly forgot about it.

See you all again next year, in New Orleans! 

But, first, need to get home. Long layover here in Houston to catch our direct flight to Munich, scheduled arrival tomorrow (Sat.) morning.

Floridian Vibe - Fort Lauderdale

 

 

 

Left photo: approaching Fort Lauderdale - far in the smoggy background: the highrises of Miami! We are here for IPW, the premier U.S. trade show with thousands of buyers, suppliers and media. We are part of the German media delegation, and, taking part for the 14th time! 

We took the public bus from the airport to the hotel, which was a bit of an adventure, but only cost $ 2 per person and didn't took thaaat long. 

 

Our delegation's hotel: TheFort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa. Pretty fancy, and, first-row location on the beach!

After arrival - we got our room on the 10th floor at 1:30 pm already! - we checked out the surroundings and offerings before we took the public bus again into town to have dinner at Tarpon Brewery in downtown.

Nightview from our balcony towards the city

Above: a morning view. We woke up early, as usually, and went for a walk along the beach. Though, I have to admit that I am not a big fan of Florida, it was quite pleasant, though plastic garbage along the beach was sort of disturbing ,,,  Interesting: along the beach the Florida sea turtles are nesting. At night they lumber onto the coast to lay their eggs and in the morning we noticed some "fresh" nests, tracks of big turtles coming from the water to dig them in the sand.

After having registered at the Convention Center in downtown for IPW and met a couple of friends and colleagues there, we took the bus again, passing downtown Lauderdale (below), with all its canals and fancy yachts. It took us a good hour - FL is really spread out, a huge conglomeration of different cities and suburbs -  to get to Sawgrass Outlet Mall. This Simon designer luxury outlet mall is one of the largest in the U.S. A little "overwhelming" for us, especially since it was crowded on this Sunday afternoon, mostly with South American people, some Germans inbetween,,, But, we got what we wanted (Sketcher shoes) and after 1.5 hours we were on the public bus again.

Again, we were almost 1 1/2 hours on the bus (many, many stops on the way, and, the majority of riders were black), to get back to the beach and our next destination: The Bonnet House Museum & Gardens. A little culture won't hurt we thought,,, This is three things in one: a private home, an art collection and an arboretum. Bonnet House’s history began in 1911 when Hugh Taylor Birch purchased the land. His daughter Helen married Chicago artist Frederic Bartlett in 1919, and Frederic designed and started building Bonnet House soon thereafter. Beautiful property!

Beautifully blooming Cordia Sebestena below and an almost hand-large Banana spider on the right:

From Bonnet House we walked back "home" in the evening, around 5 km, along the beach, passing many beach hotels. Had sandwiches on the balcony, feet tired, but sort of inspired,,, work will start tomorrow,,,

Atlanta Day 3 - books & more

We spent a bit of a lazy last day in Atlanta: Took the train up to Buckhead, another conglomeration of highrises to the North of Atlanta, inspected the shopping mall Lenox Square (without buying anything) and lacking better ideas decided to go on an excursion to the only known used bookstore, far out of town, in Brookhaven, Atlanta Vintage Books. One bus an hour and even this not very reliably, a run-down strip mall and a busy highway. But,,, the bookstore itself was well worth the trip!

 

 

 

In the late afternoon we visited Decatur, more attractive and a city on its own, only about four stops away from our accommodation. Some nice shops, restaurants, bars and breweries. Went to "Twains Brewpub" and from there back "home" to have dinner in our apartment and to get packed for tomorrow's trip to Fort Lauderdale.

Well, currently sitting at Atlanta's Airport waiting for boarding our plane to Fort Lauderdale. Got up early, took the train (with one change) and the rest went quickly and uneventfully. Now work is awaiting us, tomorrow only registration, but, on Monday the convention (IPW) will start and we'll be hustling and bustling around all day, early morning until late night. Good news: we are nominated for the IPW's Travel Writers Award - one of seven finalists, three of them still being selected to get the prize ($ 1,000). Small hopes,,, though, it would be nice,,,