Build connections — and have fun doing it — with your professional community at Pool Spa Patio Expo.

Each year, PSP Expo empowers attendees with a variety of networking opportunities so they can meet new friends, connect with colleagues, and rub shoulders with industry experts and suppliers. With this incredible lineup of connection-inspiring activities, there's never a dull moment. And that's not all—our keynote speakers will bring even more inspiration to the event! Stay tuned as we finalize the program and unveil the full details. Be sure to stay connected for all the latest updates!

• Date: Monday, November 16, 2026
• Time: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

This is the final day of pre-conference and the day before the Expo Hall opens.

• Location: Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
• Admission: Included in Registration
• Description: Celebrate the very best in the industry at the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance Awards of Excellence Ceremony. This premier event honors the creativity, craftsmanship, and innovation of professionals across the pool and hot tub industry, recognizing standout projects and the people behind them. 

• Date: Tuesday, November 17, 2026
• Time: 9:15 AM to 10:15 AM
• Location: Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
• Admission: Included with all pass types
• Description: Pools change lives. They bring families together, support health and wellness, build community, and create memories that last a lifetime. You've seen it. You've built it. You've lived it. Now PHTA is ready to say it: loudly, nationally, and unapologetically.
  Join us for the official launch of PHTA's national consumer awareness campaign. In this session, you'll hear the strategy, see the direction, and understand how this campaign will create demand, shift perception, and give every professional in this industry a national platform to stand on. The story of pools has never been told on this scale. That changes now; Come ready to be part of something that is bigger than any one company, and long overdue for all of us.

• Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2026
• Time: 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM
• Location: Rivergate Room
• Admission: $30 per attendee. Tickets may be purchased during registration
• Description: Elevate your expertise without missing a beat. The IHTA Lunch & Learn is a premier gathering designed specifically for professionals in the hot tub and spa industry. We combine high-level professional development with the casual, collaborative atmosphere of a networking lunch. Whether you’re a manufacturer, retailer, or service technician, this is your space to step away from the daily grind and focus on the bigger picture.  

• Location: Show floor education session
• Admission: Included in Registration
• Description: The clients and their long list of requirements are fictitious but the site, and the contest, are real. Designers are invited to enter the contest and design the ultimate outdoor oasis with a million-dollar budget. Five finalists will present their renderings during a session at  the Pool Spa Patio Expo 2026. Live voting will determine the winners, who receive a cash prize. 

• Awards
  • Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2026
  • Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
  • Location: Ernest N Morial Convention Center
• After Party
  • Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2026
  • Time: 10:00 PM to 1:00 AM
  • Location: To Be Announced
• Admission: Select during registration.
• Description: The sixth annual Pool Nation Awards and After Party recognizes companies, products, and individuals in various categories that are chosen by pool pros, for the pool pros in our industry.

• Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2026
• Time: 9:15 AM to 10:15 AM
• Location: Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
• Admission: Included with all pass types
• Description: Join Four Day Weekend, the longest-running comedy show in the Southwest, for a keynote in an exciting new format that blends entertainment with transformative insights. While you'll enjoy the show from your seat, you'll discover how the art of improv can rewire your approach to communication, empathy, storytelling, active listening, and creativity – skills that are immediately applicable in your workplace. Learn to embrace the transformative power of "Yes, and," opening doors to better collaboration and unexpected opportunities. You'll leave energized, laughing, and equipped with practical tools to bring back to your team. 
  The first 200 attendees will receive a complimentary copy of Happy Accidents, the troupe's guide to unlocking possibility in your professional and personal life.