After a successful inaugural year in 2025 as the full organizer of the Glamping Show Americas, Emerald X is excited to invite the glamping industry back to the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds in Aurora, Colo., this Fall.
Set to be hosted from Sept. 29-30, the event is again expected to draw hundreds of attendees from across North America and beyond. In 2025, the show saw nearly 2,000 trade visitors, with over 150 exhibitors.
“Attendee registration is pacing well, and we’re encouraged by the early indicators that our efforts to attract and qualify the right audience are paying off,” Jessica Kirchner, show director for the Glamping Show Americas, told Woodall’s Campground Magazine (WCM). “More importantly than the number of registrations, we’re seeing strong engagement from operators who are actively developing, investing in or expanding their outdoor hospitality businesses. That’s exactly the audience our exhibitors want to meet, and it’s a key focus for us as we continue to grow the event.
While some aspects of the show remain the same from previous years, Emerald X is making subtle changes to its educational offerings and the way it connects vendors with qualified buyers.
“One of the most exciting additions this year is the launch of AI-powered matchmaking within our event app, helping make Glamping Show Americas more productive than ever for both attendees and exhibitors,” she highlighted. “Included with every registration, this new feature uses AI to recommend the most relevant people, companies and products based on a participant’s interests, profile and business goals.
“Attendees can easily discover exhibitors that align with their needs, connect with industry peers and potential partners, and schedule meetings before they even arrive onsite,” Kirchner added. “For exhibitors, the platform helps increase visibility among qualified buyers, generate more targeted leads, and facilitate valuable conversations with prospective customers. Ultimately, it’s designed to help everyone maximize their time at the event and leave with stronger connections and more business opportunities.”
Along with a focus on connecting vendors and attendees, Kirchner told WCM that the show’s relationship with the American Glamping Association (AGA) continues to deepen as the association helps craft the show’s educational content.
“When Emerald acquired Glamping Show Americas in 2024, one of the priorities for everyone involved — Emerald, the original team and AGA — was protecting that continuity,” she noted. “Since then, we’ve had more resources to build with and support the glamping industry as a whole moving forward.”
Some of the clearest evidence of this deepening relationship is found in the new AGA Expert Roundtable Workshops, which will be held on Sept. 28 as part of an add-on package for attendees.
The add-on pre-show workshop is $359 for attendees who pre-register for the event.
“We moved away from a traditional lecture structure entirely, and now small groups work through a real glamping property scenario together, live, across site planning, financing and marketing, with experts circulating table to table,” explained Kirchner. “It’s built for people to develop their site-building strategy based on what experts have seen work — not just take notes.
“AGA brings the operator-level, on-the-ground perspective,” she added. “The regulatory realities, the financing questions people are actually asking, and pairs that with the reach and production resources Emerald brings to the show. If anything, ownership stability has let us be more ambitious on the education side, and I’m excited about where that will take us as we continue to work together.”
Other educational offerings that Kirchner is excited about include a session on Sept. 29 — ‘Understanding the Data: What Will Still Work in Glamping in 2030, and What Won’t?’ — that focuses on industry data and goes beyond trends and takes a hard look at real data demonstrating what’s already showing signs of burnout and what’s built to last.
“We felt this was a great way to open the conference,” she told WCM. “We’ve also got sessions from real property owners discussing the best ways to secure funding for 2027, how to maximize your guest bookings and new ways to increase revenue using assets already available for site owners.”
Moving forward to Sept. 30, Kirchner said that she is excited about a session with the owner of The Secret Garden Glamping, who went from a single tent in his back garden to a multi-million-dollar franchise, and is now expanding into the U.S.
“Other sessions will be demonstrating the exciting side of glamping design by sharing the secrets to developing viral destinations that stand out from the crowd and help owners develop their own hospitality unicorn, which is essential when an industry becomes more competitive,” she explained.
Kirchner noted that Emerald X was focused on putting together a program that acknowledged how much is shifting in the industry all at once.
“AI, new competition from major hospitality brands entering the space, a regulatory patchwork, and tighter capital,” she highlighted. “Rather than a generic ‘business basics’ program, we wanted every session to answer a specific, current pressure operators are actually feeling, whether they’re just starting out or scaling an existing property.
“We’ve also learned that attendees value hearing directly from other operators,” Kirchner pointed out. “They want honest, real-world stories about what worked, what didn’t and the challenges along the way so they can avoid common pitfalls and accelerate their own success.”
Trade Floor
Perhaps nothing sets the Glamping Show Americas apart from other shows in the outdoor hospitality industry quite like its trade floor. There is no other show that enables attendees to walk through so many unique accommodation units in one place.
From bell tents to wagons, mirrored cabins and more, there is something for everyone’s taste.
This year, Kirchner aimed to keep the same vibe while also working to reimagine the trade show floor plan, converting the central hospitality area into an expansion of the expo hall, while creating space for a new Camp Store Pavilion.
“This addition brings new indoor exhibitors to the show floor and gives attendees even more products and services to explore,” she told WCM. “Anchored by Wilcor, the Camp Store Pavilion will feature suppliers that help outdoor hospitality operators grow ancillary revenue through retail offerings, from campground essentials and outdoor gear to gift shop merchandise and guest-focused products. It’s a reflection of how operators are increasingly looking beyond accommodations to enhance both profitability and guest experience.”
The show currently has 150 exhibitors committed to taking part, which matches where the event finished in 2025.
“We are still several weeks away from opening the show, so based on our pace, we expect to reach 165-plus exhibitors by show time,” Kirchner noted.
“The excitement in the industry is definitely still there,” she added. “In fact, we’re seeing growth from both traditional supplier categories and entirely new segments. This year, we’re welcoming more camp store and retail-focused exhibitors, which reflects the continued evolution of outdoor hospitality operators looking to diversify revenue streams and enhance the guest experience. The expansion of exhibitor categories is a strong indicator that businesses continue to see opportunity and investment potential in the glamping and outdoor hospitality market.”
Registration Details
Kirchner told WCM that she hopes attendees leave the show with something they can immediately apply to their business.
“Whether they’re in the early stages of developing a glamping property or operating an established outdoor hospitality business, we want them to walk away with new ideas, practical insights and connections that help them move forward,” she said. “The show is designed to bring together the industry’s leading suppliers, experienced operators and subject matter experts in one place. We hope attendees leave having discovered new products and services, gained valuable lessons from peers who have successfully navigated the same challenges, and built relationships that will continue long after the event ends.
“Ultimately, if attendees leave with a stronger network, actionable takeaways and renewed confidence in their business plans, we’ve done our job,” Kirchner added.
Full registration for the event, including the AGA Pre-Show Expert Roundtable, other show educational events and the trade show, is $1,008 if purchased before Sept. 28. It moves up to $1,159 if purchased after that date.
Tickets for just the main conference and trade show sit at $649 if purchased before Sept. 28. The price moves up to $700 if purchased after that date.
Tickets for the AGA pre-show event are $359 if purchased before Sept. 28 and move up to $459 if purchased after that date.
Tickets for just the expo hall are $35 if purchased before Sept. 28 and move up to $50 if purchased after that date.
To learn more and begin registration, go to https://www.glampingshow.us/.
