Are you looking for more ways to catch up with the vacation rental industry changes? Then attending vacation rental events in 2026 is one of the most effective ways for property managers, hosts, and professionals of the hospitality sector to gain insights, build relationships, and future-proof their businesses.
From global short-term rental conferences to regional property management events, 2026 is coming packed with a calendar of opportunities to learn, network, and grow.
Why Vacation Rental Events Are Essential for Property Managers
Competition keeps intensifying, global travel rebounds, and the short-term rental industry continues expanding. The worldwide vacation rental market is projected to grow from an estimated $134.5 billion to over $256 billion by 2030. Talk about strong long-term demand and sustained industry momentum!
Still, with this growth comes greater complexity. As you may be aware, regulations vary widely by city and country; there are more STR technology options out there, and guest expectations are high. These are some of the reasons why it is difficult for property managers to stay informed, compliant, and competitive. The solution: to actively engage with the broader community.
This is where the benefits of vacation rental events become clear.
Vacation rental events and short-term rental conferences bring together key industry stakeholders, from technology providers and experienced operators to legal experts and market leaders, under one roof. These conferences offer contextual, actionable insights that can’t be replicated through podcasts, blogs, or webinars alone.
For example, more than half of vacation rental properties are now professionally managed, a notable increase from just a few years ago. Professionalization means managers need to understand everything from regulatory compliance to automation tools. Where is this knowledge often best shared? In structured and interactive environments like conferences.
In addition, with short-term rental listings now in the millions worldwide, the sheer scale of competition means that who you know and what you know can directly impact revenue and occupancy. It is exactly these industry events that create the kind of peer-to-peer networking and collaboration that can help you discover new solutions, compare tools, and share strategies that drive growth.
Rather than relying solely on digital content or isolated research, attending vacation rental and property management events provides professionals with:
- Real-time regulatory updates
- Case studies from top performers
- Hands-on demos of emerging technology
- Market insights that can immediately influence strategy
The only constant is change. So, the expertise and connections provided by vacation rental conferences in 2026 will help you stay ahead of the curve.
What You Can Learn From Industry Conferences
Go beyond theory and enjoy direct access to real-world insights that only industry conferences can provide. You can learn what’s actually working for other operators managing tens, hundreds, or even thousands of properties. Don’t miss the panels and behind-the-scenes breakdowns of their systems.
Events also offer early visibility into emerging trends, new technologies, and regulatory shifts before they become mainstream. What does this mean for you? The opportunity to adapt faster than competitors, validate strategic decisions, and avoid costly mistakes by learning from peers who have already tested and refined their approaches.
At vacation rental conferences in 2026, attendees can expect practical, real-world insights such as:
- Best practices for scaling short-term rental portfolios. This is not only about acquiring more properties, but it’s also about building repeatable, efficient systems. Conferences often highlight best practices around standardizing operations, centralizing data, and creating scalable SOPs for cleaning, maintenance, onboarding, and guest communication.
- Revenue optimization and pricing strategies: Revenue optimization sessions focus on maximizing profitability, not just occupancy. Move away from static pricing models and learn to respond quickly to market changes thanks to experts who will share strategies around minimum stay rules, seasonal adjustments, and channel mix optimization based on demand signals and market conditions.
- Automation tools for operations and guest communication: Conferences are often where property managers discover new automation tools or learn advanced ways to use existing PMS platforms, channel managers, smart messaging tools, and integrations for cleaning, maintenance, and smart home devices.
- Regulatory updates affecting short-term rentals globally: Conferences provide critical updates on evolving laws across cities, countries, and regions. Legal experts and industry leaders often break down new licensing requirements, tax obligations, and enforcement trends. If you operate in multiple markets, or plan to expand, staying informed helps you remain compliant and protect your revenue streams.
- Marketing strategies to drive direct bookings: Sessions on marketing focus on reducing dependency on OTAs by building stronger direct booking channels. Topics often include website optimization, SEO, email marketing, loyalty programs, and leveraging guest data for repeat stays. Property managers learn how to strengthen their brand, improve conversion rates, and own your guest relationships to create long-term revenue stability.
As you can see, these short-term rental conferences are designed to help property managers make smarter decisions and improve efficiency.
Trends You’ll Discover at 2026 Vacation Rental Events
One of the biggest advantages of attending STR events in 2026 is early access to industry trends, including:
AI-powered property management tools that help you work faster and smarter by taking over repetitive, time-consuming tasks while improving accuracy. AI also helps identify patterns that you might miss, such as booking trends or common guest complaints, allowing you to proactively fix issues before they escalate.
Smart automation to improve the guest journey from booking to check-out without requiring constant human intervention. Automated check-in instructions, digital guidebooks, scheduled messages, and smart locks ensure guests receive timely information exactly when they need it, without burning out the team or increasing headcount.
Increased focus on compliance and tax reporting to reduce the pressure property managers are under to stay compliant with local laws, licenses, and tax requirements. Modern property management systems now include automated tax calculations, reporting tools, and compliance alerts that simplify complex reporting processes.
Sustainability and eco-friendly rental practices as a competitive advantage, such as energy-efficient appliances, smart thermostats, waste reduction, and eco-certifications appeal to environmentally conscious travelers. Find out how to operate sustainably, lower utility costs, reduce maintenance expenses, and highlight eco-friendly listings, so your properties stand out and attract longer-staying guests.
Data-driven decision-making for portfolio growth and informed decision-making. Learn how to gain clear visibility into what’s working and what’s not through performance dashboards, revenue reports, occupancy trends, and channel analytics.
Understand these trends early and adapt before they become industry standards.
Networking Opportunities That Drive Growth
Networking for property managers is one of the most valuable aspects of attending industry events. Conferences create opportunities to:
✓ Connect with other property managers facing similar challenges – Your solution might be one conversation away, shared over coffee, or a hallway chat.
✓ Build partnerships with technology providers and service vendors – Meet the people behind the tools and services that can simplify operations, reduce costs, and support your long-term growth.
✓ Exchange ideas with industry leaders and experts – Gain the know-how from those who’ve already navigated growth, regulation, and market shifts, and lived to tell the tale.
✓ Discover new markets and expansion opportunities – Spot emerging destinations, untapped demand, and investment trends.
Many long-term partnerships and business opportunities start with a single conversation at a conference. 2026 can be the year that happens for you.
Top Vacation Rental and Short-Term Rental Events in 2026
2026 will feature a wide range of vacation rental events across Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, and beyond. While specific dates and locations are not all confirmed, key event categories to watch include:
- Global vacation rental summits
- Regional property management events
- Technology-focused short-term rental expos
- Industry trade shows for hospitality and STR professionals
Vitur Summit
International summit focused on innovation, investment, and professionalization within the vacation rental and short-term rental industry in Southern Europe.
Dates: May 13–14, 2026
Location: Málaga, Spain
SCALE Rentals
Eastern Europe: A conference bringing together short-term rental operators, property managers, and technology providers to explore regional market trends, operational challenges, and growth opportunities across Eastern Europe.
Dates: March 27, 2026
Location: Sofia, Bulgaria
SCALE Madrid: International conference for short-term rental professionals, offering expert-led sessions, industry insights, and valuable networking opportunities focused on scaling operations in global markets.
Dates: April 28–29, 2026
Location: Madrid, Spain
SCALE UK (AI Edition): Special SCALE edition focused on artificial intelligence, automation, and emerging technologies, highlighting how innovation is transforming short-term rental management and guest experiences.
Dates: June 9–10, 2026
Location: Brighton, United Kingdom
SCALE Middle East: Regional short-term rental conference exploring market expansion, regulatory frameworks, and investment opportunities across the rapidly evolving Middle Eastern hospitality landscape.
Dates: September 30 – October 1, 2026
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
SCALE Barcelona: Flagship European SCALE event bringing together industry leaders, operators, and innovators to discuss market trends, operational strategies, and the future of short-term rentals.
Dates: October 24–25, 2026
Location: Barcelona, Spain
SCALE France: Industry-focused conference dedicated to the French short-term rental market, covering regulations, operational best practices, and strategies for sustainable and compliant growth.
Dates: November 25–26, 2026
Location: Paris, France
Vacation Rental World Summit (VRWS)
Global vacation rental conference bringing together industry leaders, property managers, and technology providers to discuss trends, innovation, and the future of short-term rentals worldwide.
Dates: October 8–9, 2026
Location: Lyon, France
FITUR Madrid, Spain
One of the world’s leading tourism trade fairs, connecting global travel, hospitality, and accommodation professionals to explore innovation, partnerships, and emerging industry trends.
Dates: January 21–25, 2026
Location: Madrid, Spain
STRA – Short Term Rentals Asia
Asia-focused industry conference bringing together short-term rental professionals, operators, and technology providers to discuss regional trends, challenges, and growth opportunities.
Dates: February 11–12, 2026
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
STRIVE to Thrive Conference
STRive Melbourne: Business and leadership conference designed for short-term rental professionals, focused on scaling teams, strengthening operations, and driving long-term business growth.
Dates: March 11–12, 2026
Location: Melbourne, Australia
STRive Auckland: Leadership and strategy-focused event for short-term rental professionals, centered on business development, operational excellence, and meaningful industry collaboration.
Dates: March 17–18, 2026
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
STRive Bali: Destination-based short-term rental industry event combining strategic discussions, peer networking, and industry insights in a relaxed and collaborative environment.
Dates: September 20, 2026
Location: Bali, Indonesia
VRMA USA
Global vacation rental conference covering key industry trends, education sessions, and networking opportunities. Attendance planned for media coverage only.
Dates: October 4-6
Location: Nashville, TN, United States
Expo Renta Vacacional
Latin America–focused vacation rental event connecting operators, service providers, and technology partners through education and networking.
Dates: TBV
Location: Mexico
ExpoHost
Hospitality and short-term rental event designed for property managers, hosts, and industry professionals, showcasing tools, solutions, and market insights for operational growth.
Dates: TBC
Location: Colombia
Here to Stay – ASTRA
Conference focused on the future of short-term rentals in Australia, addressing regulation, sustainability, and long-term industry development.
Dates: 23-24 October 2025
Location: Gold Coast, Australia
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How to Get the Most Value From Vacation Rental Events in 2026
Attending events is not “going to cool places” for the sake of it. They are an investment of your time and resources, which are limited. That’s why to maximize ROI, you need to prepare and follow-up.
Preparing Before the Event
Before attending vacation rental events in 2026, make sure to:
- Review the agenda and prioritize relevant sessions. You don’t want to sprint across the venue only to miss the session you booked months ago. Trust us, been there, done that!
- Set clear goals (learning, networking, partnerships). Know whether you’re there to learn, meet peers, or build deals, otherwise the days will blur together and you might not notice opportunities slip by.
- Schedule meetings in advance with vendors or partners. Calendars fill up fast during conferences, so pre-booked meetings will guarantee meaningful conversations instead of rushed booth chats.
- Research exhibitors and speakers you want to connect with. Showing up informed makes conversations more valuable and memorable, and helps you ask the right questions right from the beginning.
This may sound boring or too structured, but a clear plan ensures you get the most value from every day of the events.
Post-Event Follow-Up Strategies
Don’t forget that the real value of short-term rental conferences often happens after the event ends. This is how you can effectively follow-up:
- Connecting with new contacts on LinkedIn. Send connection requests while the conversation is still fresh. Add a short note so they remember who you are and why you connected.
- Sending personalized follow-up emails. Reference something specific you discussed to stand out and turn a quick hallway chat into a professional relationship.
- Reviewing notes and applying key takeaways. Don’t let insights sit on your notes app, turn them into action while the ideas are still clear.
- Booking demos or meetings with solution providers. Momentum matters, scheduling next steps quickly helps turn initial interest into measurable improvements.
Consistent follow-up can turn a one-time event connection into long-term growth opportunities.
Meet the Hostify Team at 2026 Events!
We must admit that our favorite part of events is actually getting to know property managers and hosts. Nothing like face-to-face conversations, listening to your stories, and the energy of showing demos live! Hostify will be attending several vacation rental events in 2026, and we’d love to meet you in person.
Where You Can Find Us
Our team will be present at major vacation rental conferences and STR events in 2026, connecting with property managers across different regions and markets. Check out our events page for announcements and locations.
What We’ll Be Showcasing in 2026
Although we cannot give away all the changes and surprises we have for 2026, we can definitely share a sneak peak of what we will be showcasing at 2026 events:
- Our all-in-one property management platform
- More automation tools for scaling operations
- Compliance-ready invoicing and tax integrations
- The latest solutions designed for global property managers
Whether you manage 5 properties or 500, our team will be ready to show how Hostify can support your growth and remove headaches.
Book a Meeting With the Hostify Team
Planning to attend any vacation rental events in 2026?
Book a free demo with the Hostify team and see how our platform can help you streamline operations, stay compliant, and grow your short-term rental business, no matter where you operate.
