Their work puts everyone else in the spotlight. This week, it’s their turn.
The 2026 Event Industry Power 50 honoree wall is officially live, recognizing the people whose talent, leadership, and creativity help shape the events industry. More than 6,000 votes were cast this year, more than double the program’s entire first-year total, with over 1,000 arriving in the first 24 hours.
Now, the industry gets to celebrate the people behind some of its most extraordinary experiences.
Meet the 2026 Event Industry Power 50
The Power 50 Honors People, Not Companies
Event industry awards often celebrate companies, agencies, and organizations. But behind every successful event are the individuals making hundreds of decisions, solving problems, leading teams, and bringing ambitious ideas to life.
The Event Industry Power 50 puts those individuals front and center.
Produced by EMRG Media, the annual recognition program honors professionals across event planning, production, design, entertainment, hospitality, venues, and experiential marketing.
Each honoree gets their own place on the official Power 50 wall, complete with their name, photo, title, and company. It’s recognition they can share with their clients, colleagues, and professional networks.
And this year’s record-breaking voting response shows just how enthusiastically the industry has embraced the program.
How the 2026 Event Industry Power 50 Honorees Were Selected
The Power 50 combines community recognition with industry evaluation.
Public voting accounts for 50% of the official selection process, while an editorial review panel determines the remaining 50%.
That balance gives event professionals an opportunity to rally behind the people whose work they admire while ensuring the final list also reflects professional accomplishments, leadership, and industry contributions.
The result is a class that recognizes talent across different specialties and career stages.
Some honorees have spent decades shaping the events industry. Others are building reputations through innovative projects, exceptional client experiences, and fresh approaches to event production.
Together, they represent the people helping move the industry forward.
Behind Every Extraordinary Event Is Someone Who Made It Happen
An event can take nine months to build and four hours to happen.
Guests see the finished room, the lighting, the entertainment, and the carefully timed experience. They rarely see the venue walkthroughs, late-night vendor calls, last-minute floor plan changes, or the production team handling an unexpected challenge thirty minutes before doors open.
Event professionals know how much work happens long before the first guest arrives.
They also know how much depends on the people around them. Creative directors, planners, producers, venue teams, technical specialists, and countless other professionals contribute to experiences that audiences remember for years.
The Power 50 gives those individuals a well-deserved moment in the spotlight.
For honorees, it’s an opportunity to celebrate alongside the teams, clients, and mentors who helped them get there. For fellow event professionals, the 2026 wall introduces an impressive network of industry leaders worth following, connecting with, and celebrating.
Meet the People Shaping the Events Industry
The official 2026 Power 50 wall offers a closer look at the professionals earning recognition this year.
Visitors can explore individual honoree profiles, discover the companies they represent, and get acquainted with the people influencing event experiences across the industry.
It’s also a valuable resource for event planners looking to expand their professional networks.
Discover a production leader whose work inspires your next event. Connect with a creative professional bringing fresh ideas to experiential marketing. Recognize someone you’ve collaborated with, or introduce a colleague to an industry leader they should know.
The people featured on this year’s wall have earned the industry’s attention. Now’s a great time to get to know them.
Explore the 2026 Event Industry Power 50 Honorees
Honorees Take the Stage at The Event Planner Expo 2026
The celebration continues in New York City at The Event Planner Expo 2026, taking place October 27 to 29.
This year’s Power 50 honorees will receive onstage recognition during the Speaker Series at 92NY on Tuesday, October 27.
It’s an opportunity for the events community to celebrate these professionals in person, surrounded by the colleagues, industry peers, and business leaders who understand what goes into producing extraordinary experiences.
The Expo brings together more than 2,000 event professionals over three days, featuring 150+ exhibitors across two floors and 60 speakers delivering insights through main-stage presentations and fireside chats.
For attendees, it’s a chance to make new connections, exchange ideas, discover event resources, and celebrate the professionals setting the standard for the industry.
Give the 2026 Power 50 Honorees Their Moment
Know someone on this year’s wall? Tell them you’re proud of them.
Share their profile with your team. Tag an honoree whose work you admire. Introduce your network to someone whose creativity or leadership deserves a bigger audience.
And if you’re among the 2026 honorees, congratulations! Share this recognition with the colleagues, clients, friends, and mentors who’ve been part of your journey.
Every remarkable event has a story behind it. This year’s Power 50 is a chance to celebrate the people writing those stories.
View the Official 2026 Power 50 Wall
Frequently Asked Questions About The Event Industry Power 50
What is The Event Industry Power 50?
The Event Industry Power 50 is an annual recognition program produced by EMRG Media that honors influential individuals across event planning, production, design, entertainment, hospitality, venues, and experiential marketing. Honorees are celebrated at The Event Planner Expo in New York City.
How are Power 50 honorees selected?
Public voting determines 50% of the selection outcome, and an editorial review panel determines the remaining 50%. More than 6,000 votes were cast for the 2026 program.
Why does the Power 50 recognize individuals instead of companies?
The program celebrates the professionals whose leadership, creativity, and work contribute to exceptional events. Each honoree receives an individual profile featuring their photo, name, title, and company, displayed on the official wall for a full year.
What do Power 50 honorees receive?
Honorees receive an official profile at eventpower50.com, a Power 50 badge for LinkedIn and email signatures, onstage recognition at The Event Planner Expo, and inclusion in an announcement reaching an industry email list of more than 200,000.
Who produces The Event Industry Power 50?
EMRG Media produces the Power 50 and The Event Planner Expo. Operating since 2001, the New York City corporate event planning and production company has produced more than 1,100 events for clients including Google, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Netflix, Bloomberg, LVMH, and Condé Nast.
Celebrate the Power 50 at The Event Planner Expo
To our 2026 honorees: Congratulations! Your work makes an impact, and your industry is celebrating you.
Come be part of the celebration on Tuesday, October 27, at 92NY in New York City.
The Speaker Series features Ed Mylett, ranked the number one Mindset and Performance Coach in the world by USA Today; Dr. Delatorro McNeal II, Hall of Fame speaker and Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of Shift Into A Higher Gear; and Ed Libby, the celebrated designer behind the Bellagio Conservatory.
Join the industry’s leading professionals for a day of inspiration, connections, and recognition, followed by two more days of opportunities at The Expo.
Speaker Series tickets, Education Passes, VIP Education Passes, and All-Access Passes are available now at theeventplannerexpo.com.
Three days. October 27 to 29. New York City.
