The Best Short-Term Rental Events to Attend in 2026

The world of short-term rentals is constantly evolving, with new opportunities and challenges requiring hosts and owners to stay up to date. Whether for first-time rental managers or experienced property managers seeking new tools and networking opportunities, attending industry events is often essential.

At Smoobu, it is important to us that our hosts have all the tools they need to succeed in their businesses. That’s why we have compiled this list of the most important events for short-term rental managers in 2026. Each event offers a unique opportunity for growth, learning, and connection with other industry professionals. Whether you want to acquire new skills, get updated on the latest market trends, or simply network with others, this article will guide you toward the most relevant events of the year.

Why Participate in Industry Events in 2026?

Participating in events in 2026 is fundamental for managers of alternative accommodations who want to remain competitive and up to date. These events offer valuable training opportunities to discover new management strategies, innovative tools, and marketing techniques. Furthermore, workshops and conferences are ideal for acquiring practical skills directly applicable to your business.

Events also represent a unique platform for networking with other hosts and industry professionals. This allows you to share your experiences, solve common problems, and create strategic collaborations.

Finally, participating in events dedicated to short-term rental hosts allows you to analyze emerging trends and news in the tourism market, including new technologies, regulatory changes, and guest preferences.

To learn more: Take a look at our article "Booking.com 2026 Travel Predictions: 5 Strategies for Hosts".

Top International Events for Short-Term Rental Managers in 2026

Here is a selection of unmissable international appointments, listed in chronological order.

Short Term Rental Winter Forum 2026 – Aventura, Florida, USA

• When: 📅 January 22-23, 2026
• Where: 📍 Aventura, Florida, USA

The Short-Term Rental Winter Forum is an unmissable event for short-term rental managers in the United States, offering a comprehensive overview of North American market trends and the most innovative operational solutions. During the forum, you can participate in international networking sessions, discuss new technologies, and discover techniques to optimize property management. It is also an occasion to explore new regulations influencing the sector in North America.

• Ideal for: Short-term rental managers interested in staying up to date on US market trends and networking with other industry professionals.

ITB Berlin 2026 – Berlin, Germany

• When: 📅 March 3-5, 2026
• Where: 📍 Berlin, Germany

ITB Berlin is the world’s leading travel trade show, bringing together all major players in the tourism sector, from tour operators to hotels and short-term rental operators. While not exclusive to the short-term rental market, ITB offers a global showcase for networking with international tourism operators, exploring the latest technologies, and discovering new business opportunities. The ITB Convention sessions cover themes such as sustainability, the future of tourism, and the use of new technologies in the sector, including artificial intelligence, advanced robotics, and more.

• Ideal for: Hosts and property managers who want to grow, expand their business in multiple directions (e.g., with local collaborations and upselling opportunities), and are interested in large-scale trends.

Short Stay Summit 2026 – London, UK

• When: 📅 April 22, 2026
• Where: 📍 London, United Kingdom

The Short Stay Summit is one of the most anticipated events for short-term rental managers in Europe. This event focuses on market trends, dynamic pricing strategies, and new technologies to optimize property management. With participation from industry experts and the chance to network with other European tourism operators, the summit is a unique opportunity to catch up on best practices and build new connections.

• Ideal for: Hosts and property managers who want to expand their European network and discover new solutions for managing their vacation homes.

Vacation Rental World Summit 2026 – Lyon, France

• When: 📅 October 8-9, 2026
• Where: 📍 Lyon, France

The Vacation Rental World Summit is one of the most renowned events internationally for short-term rental managers. It is a global conference that brings together experts, service providers, and tourism operators to discuss the latest trends, growth strategies, and technological innovations. During the summit, participants will have the opportunity to listen to successful case studies, discuss new management techniques, and interact with industry leaders.

• Ideal for: Short-term rental managers looking to improve their management, expand their business, and keep pace with market news.

Scale Fest 2026 – Barcelona, Spain

• When: 📅 October 24-25, 2026
• Where: 📍 Barcelona, Spain

Scale Fest is an exclusive event for short-term rental managers and property managers looking to scale their businesses and improve property management. It is a new format designed to connect short-term rental hosts from around the world. The event will focus on emerging technologies, automation, and upscaling strategies, with practical sessions on optimizing management processes and increasing bookings. Additionally, it offers ample networking opportunities with international industry experts.

• Ideal for: Short-term rental managers who want to expand their business rapidly and adopt new technologies to optimize daily operations.

Events for Hosts in the UK: Where to Participate in 2026

Not every host has the budget or desire to attend global conferences. Local and regional events are often a smarter alternative, especially if you need to master specific UK regulations and market trends. The UK hosts a variety of focused events dedicated to the short-term rental and hospitality sectors. These gatherings offer practical training, valuable networking, and the insights needed to grow your business domestically.

Here are the most relevant UK events for 2026.

SCALE UK – Brighton

• When: 📅 June 10, 2026
• Where: 📍 The Corn Exchange, Brighton

Moving to the seaside for 2026, SCALE UK is dedicated exclusively to professional property managers managing 10+ units. The content skips the basics and dives straight into advanced "scaling" strategies, covering acquisition, profitability, and operational efficiency, with a strong peer-to-peer learning focus.

• Ideal for: Professional managers and agencies looking for actionable strategies to grow their portfolio and revenue.

The Book Direct Show – Manchester

• When: 📅 November 13, 2025
• Where: 📍 Manchester Hall, Manchester

Held alongside SCALE UK, this is the only event solely dedicated to direct booking strategies. The curriculum is laser-focused on reducing reliance on OTAs (Online Travel Agencies) like Airbnb and VRBO. Sessions cover website optimization, SEO, email marketing, and building a brand that guests want to return to directly.

• Ideal for: Hosts and managers tired of high commission fees who want to build an independent brand and own their guest data.

Events for Hosts in the US: Where to Participate in 2026

Regional and state-level events are often more accessible and practical, particularly for navigating complex local ordinances and operational shifts. The US offers a busy calendar of conferences dedicated specifically to the vacation rental industry. These events provide targeted education, peer networking, and the tools to scale your business within the domestic market.

Here are the key US events for 2026.

Level Up Your Listing Summit – Phoenix

• When: 📅 March 29–31, 2026
• Where: 📍 Phoenix, Arizona

Designed "by hosts, for hosts," this summit focuses heavily on design, hospitality, and the guest experience. Unlike broader industry trade shows, this event is perfect for those looking to build a unique brand, improve their interior design game, and create "Instagrammable" stays that command higher nightly rates.

• Ideal for: Creative hosts and boutique operators who want to stand out through design and exceptional guest experiences, and modern marketing tactics in their business.

VRMA International Conference – Denver

• When: 📅 April 28–30, 2026
• Where: 📍 Downtown Denver, Colorado

Downtown Denver, Colorado Known for its high energy and forward-thinking approach, VRNation moves to Denver for 2026. The event focuses on bold growth strategies and modern marketing, attracting a mix of independent hosts and property managers who want to inject creativity and fresh tactics into their business models.

• Ideal for: Hosts and managers feeling stuck in a rut who want to learn innovative marketing and "bold" growth tactics.

VRMA International Conference – Nashville

• When: 📅 October 4–6, 2026
• Where: 📍 Nashville, Tennessee

The "Super Bowl" of the vacation rental industry moves to Music City in 2026. As the largest global gathering of professionals, it features a massive vendor hall with the latest tech tools alongside dozens of educational tracks covering everything from executive finance to housekeeping safety.

• Ideal for: Everyone from new hosts to enterprise CEOs who want to see the full scope of the industry, vet new software, and network on a massive scale. longer-stay corporate guests.

How to Choose the Right Event for Your Short-Term Rentals

With so many events available, choosing the right one is fundamental to maximizing your return on investment (time and budget). Here are some useful criteria:

• Level of experience: If you are at the beginning of your management activity, prioritize events with practical workshops and introductory content. If you are a professional host, focus on networking and advanced strategies, perhaps even at an international level.
• Geographic focus: Local and national events are ideal for understanding regulations and dynamics specific to your area.
• Main objective: Training, networking, technology, or marketing? Each event has a different focus.
• Format: Large conferences for inspiration and overviews; smaller events for practical discussions and direct relationships.

👉 The Smoobu Tip: Every year, choose 1 or 2 strategic events aligned with your goals, rather than participating in many events without a clear strategy.

Digital Events for Short-Term Rental Managers

Alongside in-person events, digital events (or virtual events) have become an increasingly important tool for hosts and property managers who want to stay on top of things but do not have the time to participate in offline events. Webinars and online events allow access to quality educational and informational content from anywhere, easily adapting to the operational rhythms of those managing short-term rentals.

Virtual Events and Webinars for Hosts and Property Managers

Webinars and virtual events dedicated to short-term rentals today cover a wide range of topics: from travel trends to strategies for increasing revenue, to the use of new technologies to simplify daily management. They are particularly appreciated for offering targeted content, often accompanied by practical examples and Q&A sessions.

In this context, Smoobu's webinars are designed to support hosts and property managers with concrete, up-to-date content. The webinars are available in Italian, English, German, French, and Spanish and address the most relevant issues in short-term rental management, including strategies to increase revenue, the use of key features such as electronic invoicing, and tourism market news.

Some online events are held in collaboration with experts from Airbnb and Booking.com to help hosts improve their online visibility and platform performance. Other webinars are dedicated to increasing direct bookings, with practical demos of the Smoobu website builder that show you how to create a professional site and reduce your dependence on OTAs.

Thanks to their flexibility, virtual events are an ideal complement to in-person events, enabling hosts to train year-round and grow their businesses consistently.

How to Best Prepare for an Industry Event

Participating in an industry event is an investment of time and resources. Therefore, it is important to arrive prepared and make the most of every opportunity, especially when talking about conferences, trade fairs, and workshops dedicated to short-term rentals. With a little planning, even a single event can have a concrete impact on your business.

Here are some practical tips to get the most out of your participation:

1. Define a clear goal before leaving: Do you want to network, find new tools, improve a specific area of your management, or simply get updated on trends? Setting a goal helps you choose the right sessions.
2. Plan talks and meetings in advance: Consult the event program, select the sessions and workshops most relevant to your business, and, if possible, organize meetings with other hosts, property managers, or service providers.
3. Network in a targeted way: Don't just collect business cards. Present your business clearly, ask questions, and listen to others' experiences. Often, the true value of an event comes from informal conversations.
4. Bring the essentials: Digital or paper notes, updated contacts, any presentation materials for your business, and a list of questions you want to ask speakers or partners.
5. Take note of key ideas: During the event, write down strategies, tools, and ideas that can be applied to your short-term rentals, and avoid putting everything off until "later."
6. Apply what you learned immediately: Once home, choose at least one or two concrete actions to implement, such as optimizing prices, improving communication with guests, or testing a new management tool.
7. Maintain contacts over time: After the event, write to the people you met, connect on LinkedIn, and continue the discussion. Networking only truly works if it is cultivated.

By following these simple steps, every event can turn into a real opportunity to improve the management of your short-term rentals and grow your business.

Conclusion: Grow Your Business with Events

In 2026, staying updated is no longer an option, but a necessity for those managing short-term rentals. The sector evolves rapidly, driven by new technologies, regulatory changes, and increasingly high guest expectations. Participating in events, both in-person and online, is one of the most effective ways to anticipate trends and continue to grow consciously.

The right event can truly make a difference: it can help you improve daily management, find new strategies to increase revenue, discover useful tools, and create valuable connections with other hosts and property managers. Even a single idea or contact can turn into a concrete advantage for your business.

👉 We at Smoobu will be present at many of the events mentioned in this article, ready to meet hosts and property managers, share experiences, and discuss concrete solutions for short-term rental management.

To find out which events we are participating in and not miss updates and practical advice, follow us on Instagram!