EMRG Media Announces the 2026 Event Industry Power 50, Honored at The Event Planner Expo in New York City

• More than 6,000 votes were cast in the 2026 Event Industry Power 50, more than doubling the program's first year total.
• Honorees span event planning, production, design, entertainment, hospitality, venues, and experiential marketing.
• The winners will be honored on stage at 92NY during The Event Planner Expo Speaker Series on October 27 in New York City.

NEW YORK, Oct. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- EMRG Media today announced the 2026 Event Industry Power 50, with the full honoree wall now live at www.eventpower50.com/2026. More than 6,000 votes were cast this year, over 1,000 within the first 24 hours. Full details are published at Meet the 2026 Event Industry Power 50: The People Behind Extraordinary Experiences.

The Event Industry Power 50 recognizes people, not companies

Most industry recognition goes to firms. A company wins, adds a badge to its website, and the people who actually produced the work are never named.

The Power 50 was built the other way. Each honoree receives a profile on the official wall with photo, name, title, and company, live for a full year, plus a badge built for LinkedIn and email signatures.

An event can take nine months to build and four hours to happen. Guests see the finished room. They do not see the venue walkthroughs, the vendor calls at eleven at night, or the person who solved a problem thirty minutes before doors opened and never mentioned it. The Power 50 puts those names on the record.

EMRG Media selects honorees through community voting and editorial review

Selection is split. Public voting accounts for half of the outcome and an editorial panel accounts for the other half.

A list decided entirely by votes rewards whoever has the largest mailing list. A list decided behind closed doors rewards whoever knows the people in the room. The split means an operator running a focused shop can land alongside a name everyone recognizes.

"The people on this list run companies and move real budgets," said Jessica Stewart, VP of Marketing for The Event Planner Expo. "They are the ones booking the venues, producing the galas, and setting the standard in this business. Every one of them is someone you would want to know."

The Event Planner Expo is where the 2026 class is celebrated

Honorees are called to the stage at 92NY during the Speaker Series on Tuesday, October 27, and celebrated across all three days of the Expo.

That same day carries the Expo's education program, headlined by Ed Mylett, ranked the number one Mindset and Performance Coach in the world by USA Today. Also on the stage are Ed Libby, the designer behind the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens in Las Vegas, and Dr. Delatorro McNeal II, Hall of Fame speaker and bestselling author.

The Event Planner Expo brings more than 2,000 event professionals together across three days, with 150+ exhibitors on two floors and 60 speakers. The program runs from the Speaker Series on Tuesday through a networking night on Wednesday and the trade show floor on Thursday.

Visit theeventplannerexpo.com for Speaker Series tickets, Education Passes, VIP Education Passes, and All-Access Passes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I see the 2026 Power 50 honorees?
The honoree wall is live at www.eventpower50.com/2026 with each honoree's photo, name, title, and company.

Where are Power 50 honorees honored?
At 92NY during the Speaker Series on Tuesday, October 27, at The Event Planner Expo in New York City.

Who produces The Event Industry Power 50?
EMRG Media, the New York corporate event planning and production company operating since 2001 with more than 1,100 events produced. EMRG Media also produces The Event Planner Expo.

About EMRG Media
EMRG Media is a New York City-based corporate event planning and production company with 25 years of experience and more than 1,100 events produced for Fortune 500 companies and leading global brands, including Google, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Netflix, Bloomberg, LVMH, and Condé Nast. EMRG Media also produces The Event Planner Expo and The Event Industry Power 50.

Media Contact
Jessica Stewart
VP of Marketing, The Event Planner Expo
917-940-5239
[email protected] 

SOURCE EMRG Media