NoVacancy 2026

Australasia’s biggest hotel and accommodation industry expo

NoVacancy is the definitive annual gathering for the hotel and accommodation industry, bringing owners, operators, suppliers and industry leaders together under one roof at ICC Sydney on 23 and 24 September 2026. Organised by Terrapinn, a global events and exhibitions company with a track record running large-scale industry conferences, NoVacancy has grown into the single largest annual meeting point for hotel and accommodation professionals in the region, with 6,000 plus attendees expected across the two days.

The event runs nine dedicated summit programs alongside a packed expo floor: Revenue & Distribution, Hotel Leaders, Small Hotelier, Hotel Marketing, Hotel Technology, Hotel Sustainability, Design Talks, People & Culture and Future Leaders. Together they cover every corner of the industry, from AI, robotics and connected-room technology through to OTA strategy, sustainable design and workforce culture. More than 190 speakers take the stage across 100 plus free sessions, alongside 200 plus exhibitors representing 500 plus brands showcasing the latest products and innovations shaping hotels and accommodation.

For suppliers, NoVacancy solves a problem that trade shows rarely solve well: getting genuine, qualified face time with the people who actually specify, purchase or influence purchasing decisions. Admission is open only to qualified attendees, so the room is filled with owners, general managers, revenue and distribution teams, marketers, purchasing managers, IT leaders, interior designers, architects, developers and investors, not casual browsers. Registered attendees receive a complimentary two-day pass including free access to every educational session, which keeps the floor busy and the conversations substantive across categories spanning access control and security, guest-facing technology, revenue management, furniture and design, sustainability, marketing technology and hotel support services.

What sets NoVacancy apart is breadth combined with credibility. No single competing event in the ANZ hospitality space matches its combination of nine dedicated summits, 190 plus speakers and 250 plus suppliers in one place. AHICE remains the closest comparable event in the region, but it doesn’t offer the same scale of exhibitor floor or the same density of specialist programming. For a supplier, that breadth means the audience walking the floor isn’t limited to one job title or one segment of the industry. Chain hotels, resorts, independent properties, serviced apartments, student accommodation and boutique operators are all represented, which means a single stand can reach buyers across very different parts of the accommodation sector in the same two days.

The 2026 event carries a strong sponsor line-up, led by Shiji Group as title sponsor, with Mews, Shift4, Oracle Hospitality and Amadeus Hospitality at platinum level, and Canary Technologies, PayPal, Technogym, Agilysys, SiteMinder and others confirmed at gold and silver tiers. That calibre of co-exhibitor signals the standard NoVacancy holds its suppliers to, and it gives partners strong company to be associated with.

Beyond the expo floor, NoVacancy’s Design Hub and Design Talks program taps into a significant opportunity in hospitality design, with AU$1.1 billion plus in FF&E spend in the pipeline to 2028 and more than 7,000 hotel rooms currently under construction nationally. For suppliers in furniture, fixtures, fittings, textiles or interiors, this is a direct line to architects, interior designers and FF&E specifiers actively planning new-build and refurbishment projects.

Attendees consistently point to the same reason for coming back: efficient, face-to-face access to suppliers in one place. As Jason Morrow, Co-GM of Chifley Apartments Newcastle, put it, having face-to-face interactions with suppliers is absolutely paramount, and NoVacancy helps the industry do this in a very efficient way. Damien Murphy, Enterprise Architect at Star Entertainment Group, echoed the same point: everything under one roof, from carpet and tiles through to technology, it’s all here.

NoVacancy is positioned around three value pillars: sourcing next-generation solutions through hands-on product launches and property technology, acquiring high-value intelligence through actionable data and operational strategy from industry experts, and streamlining procurement by putting premium suppliers in front of buyers equipped to reduce overheads and boost efficiency. For a supplier, that framing matters, because it means the event is actively positioning exhibitors as the answer to attendees’ operational and strategic priorities rather than as a side attraction to the education program.

Networking is built into the event’s DNA rather than left to chance. Alongside the expo floor and summit stages, NoVacancy runs structured networking through its event app, facilitated meetings and informal social moments, giving suppliers multiple channels to build relationships beyond a single stand conversation. Aida Merdovic, Director of Digital at Hamilton Island, called it her favourite event of the year, noting it has everything a digital marketer needs in one place, while Wayne Taranto, Director of Operations Australia at Ovolo Hotels, said the event is a great forum to meet suppliers when the goal is staying ahead of competitors on technology.