Event Announcement

Manama – September 21, 2026 -- Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha will join the speaker lineup of Fintech Forward 2026, set for October 7-8 at Exhibition World Bahrain under the theme "Finance in the Age of Intelligent Infrastructure."

Saha brings athlete-to-entrepreneur pedigree to Bahrain's flagship fintech forum

The former France international, who won the Champions League and two Premier League titles during a career spanning Manchester United, Everton, Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur, also holds a World Cup silver medal. Saha founded KiiMasters, a venture converting athlete influence into measurable social impact, and AxisStars, a private networking platform for professional athletes now valued at £4.3 billion.

Shanghai – September 21, 2026 -- Hotel & Shop Plus Shanghai 2027 will span 210,000 square meters and host more than 2,000 brands, positioning it as one of Asia's largest trade platforms for the hotel, retail, office and public-space sectors. The event, organized by Sinoexpo Informa Markets, is scheduled for March 30-September 21, 2026, at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre and is projected to draw over 130,000 professional visitors.

Wuhu – – September 21, 2026 -- Chery Auto will host the 2026 Chery International User Summit from October 18 to 24 at its global headquarters in Wuhu, China, showcasing nearly 20 green technology and ecosystem innovations to users, media and ecosystem partners.

Chery Sells 725,214 New Energy Vehicles Through August, Up 46.2%

Chery Group's new energy vehicle sales reached 725,214 units from January to August 2026, a 46.2% increase year on year. The company said its hybrid engine has achieved a thermal efficiency of 48.57%.

All-Solid-State Battery Reaches 400 Wh/kg Energy Density

Chery Auto is advancing all-solid-state battery technology with an energy density of 400 Wh/kg. The automaker is building a circular system spanning energy production, storage, use and recycling through vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, smart charging, battery recycling and material reuse, positioning its NEVs as nodes in smart energy networks.

Princeton, N.J. – September 19, 2026 -- CobbleStone Software will present a 20-minute webinar, "AI Contract Risk Management: 3 Features to Know," on September 19, 2026, from 2:25 PM to 2:45 PM ET as part of TechSommet's Virtual Summit.

Webinar targets hidden risks buried in overlooked contract clauses

CobbleStone will demonstrate how contract intelligence tools flag non-standard language and buried obligations before they escalate into costly disputes. The session addresses legal, procurement, and compliance teams facing rising contract volume and complexity under tight review timelines.

Barcelona – September 19, 2026 -- Barcelona City Council will launch HOWS Barcelona – Housing World Summit, a new international congress on urban and affordable housing, running November 3-5 at the Gran Via venue alongside the Smart City Expo World Congress.

Congress assembles 100+ speakers across 20 sessions on housing crisis

Organized by Fira de Barcelona, the three-day program will feature more than 100 speakers across 20 sessions, targeting cities, housing providers, real estate developers, investors, non-profit organizations and academia. The event is positioned to become a platform for debate and innovation addressing what organizers call one of the most pressing challenges facing cities today.

Las Vegas – September 18, 2026 -- UrVenue will open its new Las Vegas Strip headquarters on Sept. 30 to demonstrate technology aimed at driving non-gaming revenue for resort and casino operators, coinciding with an industry event expected to draw 25,000 gaming and hospitality executives to the city.

UrVenue hosts an Open House at its new Grand Canal Shoppes office from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The event takes place at The Venetian Resort's Palazzo side, Level 2M, above the Waterfall Atrium. Attendees can book personally guided, 30-minute sessions in advance, with additional visits available outside Open House hours by contacting UrVenue directly.

Miami Beach – September 18, 2026 -- Jewelers International Showcase (JIS) will open its Fall 2026 edition at the Miami Beach Convention Center on October 16-19, giving jewelry retailers a four-day window to finalize holiday inventory with more than 600 exhibitors offering immediate at-show delivery and future-order buying.

Retailers face a compressed timeline to lock in Q4 inventory

The show is timed deliberately ahead of the year's busiest retail period, allowing independent retailers, multi-store operators and buying groups to restock fast-moving merchandise and refresh holiday assortments across fine jewelry, fashion jewelry, bridal, gemstones, silver, gold, accessories, technology and business services. Sara McDonough, Event Director of JIS, said the ability to source from over 600 exhibitors while combining immediate delivery with future orders makes the event especially valuable this close to peak selling season.

Bratislava – September 18, 2026 -- EXPO 2027 Belgrade organizers will pitch Serbia's tourism and investment potential to Slovak industry executives at a B2B networking event on 17 September 2026 at Incheba in Bratislava.

Serbia targets Slovak business leaders ahead of 2027 Expo opening

The "Visit Serbia B2B Networking" session, running from 10:30 a.m. at Incheba, a.s. on Viedenská cesta 3–7, forms part of an international roadshow promoting Serbia as a travel and investment destination before EXPO 2027 Belgrade opens on 15 May 2027. Igor Kovačević, Executive Director of EXPO 2027 Belgrade, and Lukáš Parízek, Slovakia's Commissioner General for the Expo, will address representatives of Slovakia's tourism industry and business community, with the programme including delegation visits, targeted B2B meetings, and access to a digital platform connecting companies.

Orlando, Fla. – September 18, 2026 -- The International Luxury Hotel Association (ILHA) has confirmed new sessions for INSPIRE 2026, its flagship luxury hospitality conference set for December 15-17 at the JW Marriott Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa in Orlando.

Executives from Nobu, Microsoft and Honeywell will address AI's actual return on investment

Rodney Linville, Global Head of Information Technology at Nobu Hospitality, will join Shane O'Flaherty, Global Director of Travel, Transportation and Hospitality at Microsoft, and Neha Jaitpal, Global General Manager of Honeywell's Hospitality Vertical, for a session titled "AI at Scale: Building the Business Case for Hospitality." The panel, moderated by ILHA President Barak Hirschowitz, will examine where AI deployments are delivering measurable returns versus where adoption has stalled, and what operators need to move projects from pilot programs to full-scale rollout across teams.

Tacoma, WA – September 18, 2026 -- Sound Credit Union and the University of Washington Tacoma Milgard Center for Business Analytics will host the second annual HuskyHack fintech competition on September 18, 2026, offering a $15,000 grand prize to the winning team.

Student Teams Get 24 Hours to Build Fintech Solutions

Students from colleges and universities across Washington State will compete individually or in teams at the University of Washington Tacoma campus. Participants have 24 hours to develop a product, prototype, or concept aimed at helping consumers manage their finances with greater confidence while building trust in financial services. The specific challenge topic will be disclosed at the opening ceremony.