IAAPA Expo 2026 will feature nearly 200 education sessions, including four signature programs bringing together attractions executives, designers, storytellers, and Disney veterans during the November event in Orlando.
IAAPA announced the signature-session lineup Sept. 15. Education programming runs Nov. 16–19, while the show floor will be open Nov. 17–20 at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC).
More than 1,100 exhibitors are expected on the show floor. IAAPA Expo will use OCCC’s North and South buildings and expand into the West Building for the first time in 2026. IAAPA says this year’s event will be the largest Expo in the association’s history.
The featured sessions will cover storytelling, leadership, guest experiences, and business strategy. Speakers include former Walt Disney Imagineering President Bob Weis, Disney Legend and retired Imagineer Joe Rohde, filmmaker Leslie Iwerks, Shanghai Disney Resort President and General Manager Andrew Bolstein, and author and management advisor Joe Pine II.
Disney Veterans Join Legends Panel
The Legends 2026 Panel, now in its 24th year, will bring Weis, Rohde, and Iwerks together Nov. 18 from 4–5:30 p.m.
Bob Rogers, founder of BRC Imagination Arts and a 2010 IAAPA Hall of Fame inductee, will moderate the session. The discussion will examine how storytelling influences project development and how creative teams turn concepts into themed environments, attractions, films, and other experiences.
Rogers will also lead a separate session, “DEEP STORY: The Secrets of Transformational Story Making,” Nov. 16 from 10–11:30 a.m. In conversation with Weis, Rogers will discuss techniques for designing attractions, museums, and brand centers that build connections with visitors.
Leadership Sessions Round Out Program
Andrew Bolstein, president and general manager of Shanghai Disney Resort, will speak during the Lunch and Learn session Nov. 16 from noon–2 p.m.
Bolstein will draw on more than three decades of leadership experience to discuss leading across different markets and cultures. The session will also address organizational change, team development, and building trust.
The Leadership Breakfast on Nov. 18 from 8:30–10 a.m. will feature Pine, co-founder of Strategic Horizons LLP. His presentation will focus on how attractions businesses can develop visitor experiences that help customers achieve broader goals or changes.
Pine is co-author of The Experience Economy and author of The Transformation Economy: Guiding Customers to Achieve Their Aspirations. His speaking experience includes the World Economic Forum, TED, the Consumer Electronics Show, and South by Southwest.
Together, the four signature sessions form part of IAAPA Expo’s broader education program for attractions professionals.
IAAPA represents attractions and supplier companies, consultants, and industry professionals in more than 100 countries. Its members include amusement and theme parks, water parks, resorts, family entertainment centers, zoos, aquariums, museums, cruise lines, manufacturers, and suppliers. For more information, visit IAAPA.org.
Press release submitted by IAAPA. Edited by Exhibit City News for clarity, length, context, and style.
