Held at ExCeL London from September 21 to 25, the trade show once again brought to the forefront some of the issues that will shape the sector’s evolution in the coming years: the digitization of the visitor experience, multichannel distribution, system connectivity, artificial intelligence, and the need to efficiently operate increasingly complex businesses.
For Experticket, this edition also marks the continuation of our presence at one of the industry’s leading international events, following our participation in IAAPA Expo Europe 2025 in Barcelona.
The data from this year’s event reflects the scale the attractions sector is reaching.
IAAPA Expo Europe 2026 recorded 16,530 verified attendees out of a total of 18,719 registrants. Among them were 11,710 qualified buyers representing 8,956 companies from 118 countries.
The exhibition space exceeded 22,800 m², with more than 870 exhibitors. This is the largest exhibition space IAAPA Expo Europe has ever achieved and represents a 50% increase compared to the last edition held in London in 2022.
But beyond the attendance figures, there is one key fact for any company operating in this market: the industry is growing while simultaneously becoming more technologically and operationally complex.
Operators are managing more sales channels, more partners, more products and experiences, and, increasingly, a digital relationship with visitors that begins long before they arrive at the venue.
This evolution makes technology a business imperative: the ability to connect systems, data, inventory, and channels has a direct impact on operational efficiency, distribution, and scalability.
This year, Jorge Mira, Commercial Director at Experticket, represented the company in London, holding meetings with clients, partners, and professionals in the fields of technology, ticketing, and distribution.
For a SaaS company specializing in large entertainment venues, participating in IAAPA is not just about presenting a solution.
Above all, it means listening to the operators who are facing these challenges on the front lines.
The conversations held during the trade show provided insight into new needs, allowed for the sharing of experiences with other industry professionals, and offered an opportunity to analyze how sales, distribution, and venue management strategies are evolving.
This proximity to the market is particularly important in an industry where technological needs are constantly changing. Every new channel, product, partner, or business model places new demands on the operator’s technological ecosystem.
One of the most significant changes in the sector is that ticketing can no longer be viewed as an isolated tool.
For many operators, the current challenge lies in coordinating an increasingly broad ecosystem encompassing sales, distribution, inventory, access, CRM, experiences, groups, lodging, food and beverage, and data.
The issue is not merely having more features. It is ensuring that these areas work together seamlessly and that business growth does not entail a proportional increase in operational complexity.
From this perspective, technology must contribute to three very specific business objectives:
This evolution directly impacts revenue, costs, and growth potential.
The trade show also highlighted that the industry’s transformation is not limited to the commercial sphere.
The IAAPA Expo Europe 2026 program included more than 70 educational sessions and 190 speakers, with content related to the visitor experience, artificial intelligence, security, sustainability, leadership, and operations.
This combination is significant. Technology is shifting from being an issue exclusively tied to the IT department to becoming a cross-functional tool for enhancing the visitor experience, optimizing resources, and making more informed decisions.
Artificial intelligence is a good example. Its potential impact lies not only in incorporating new tools but also in how it can transform visitor service processes, data analysis, personalization, operations, and decision-making.
For operators, the challenge will be to integrate these capabilities into a coherent technological architecture, while avoiding the addition of new layers of complexity.
IAAPA Expo Europe 2026 brought together professionals from virtually every segment of the industry in London: theme parks and amusement parks, water parks, family entertainment centers, zoos, aquariums, museums, resorts, and cultural attractions, among others.
It has also demonstrated that the industry’s evolution can no longer be understood through the lens of a single market.
Operators are seeking new ways to attract visitors, expand their reach, and generate revenue, while technology providers must develop solutions capable of adapting to different business models and markets.
For Experticket, maintaining this international connection is part of our growth strategy and, at the same time, part of how we evolve our product: first understanding the market’s challenges and then turning them into scalable technological solutions.
IAAPA Expo Europe 2026 wraps up in London, but the discussions it sparks will continue over the coming months.
The attractions industry is growing, becoming more international, and undergoing digital transformation. For operators, this opens up new revenue opportunities, but it also requires a greater ability to manage complexity.
Technology will play an increasingly important role in striking that balance: growing without increasing operating costs, expanding distribution without losing control, and improving the visitor experience without fragmenting the technological ecosystem.
At Experticket, we will continue to work closely with operators and the industry to understand how these needs are evolving.
The next edition of IAAPA Expo Europe will be held in Vienna, Austria, from September 20 to 24, 2027.