The World’s Largest Tour Director & Guide Hiring Conference, happening in Louisville, KY November 15-19, 2026.
Tour directors and guides are the face of the travel industry. We’re the storytellers, the memory-makers, the ones who turn trips into unforgettable adventures. Tour directors and guides run this show—and it’s time to celebrate it! Connect, get inspired, land your next gig, and strut your stuff at the world’s biggest gathering of travel pros.
“pure brilliance”
“best travel conference ever”
“unforgettable”
Why attend?
Jobs. Last year we had over 100 tour operators looking to hire local and global tour leaders and guides!
Community. This event is the only global event open to ALL tour guides and tour directors (and tour operators looking to hire them!).
Inspiration. We’ll have education and keynote speakers that inspire and inform you.
Fun. Everything we do is interactive and participatory. Trust us, you won’t be bored.
Immersion. We have a full day planned of workshops out in the field led by phenomenal world-class experts.
Training. We’ll offer FAM tours of the region!
Details
Open to everyone! It doesn’t matter where you’re from, where you trained, or whether you’ve worked for 1 year or 100 years.
November 15-19, 2026. Mark your calendar!
- Education & Interview days will take place at the historic Seelbach Hilton Louisville.
- We have group hotel blocks at the Seelbach Hilton Louisville, the event venue. Links available soon!
Immersive learning that utilizes the city to the fullest.
Imagine exploring American history in a city that has shaped it—walking the same streets where Muhammad Ali found his voice, feeling the pulse of Louisville’s legendary bourbon culture, and discovering how river, rail, and migration turned this crossroads of America into a powerhouse of culture and storytelling. This isn’t just studying history — it’s experiencing it, tasting it, and seeing how it continues to shape the world we know today. There are things only Louisville can teach you.
Our in-field workshop day will immerse you in the city as you build new guiding skills, and our education sessions will spark fresh ideas with world-class speakers coming exclusively for TripCon!
Authentic, central, beautiful venues.
A conference for tour directors and guides deserves to happen in the places that inspire your work—not in a windowless suburban ballroom. That’s why this year, we’re putting TripCon right in the center of it all: the Hilton Seelbach in downtown Louisville. Step outside and you’re surrounded by everything you need. Museums, event spaces, party venues, and more, all just steps from our historic host hotel. It’s a true urban campus designed for exploration, connection, and the spirit of guiding.
Job Interviews + job fair + new ways to get hired.
Get ready for a hiring experience unlike anything else in the industry. We’ve dedicated a full day and a half exclusively to interviews with top tour operators—your best chance all year to land new work. If you show up, you will make connections that lead to jobs.
We’ve embraced the latest tech to make your TripCon experience seamless and stress-free. Our exclusive conference app keeps you on track, connects you with fellow attendees, and lets you schedule interviews in just a few taps. You can also sign up for free tours and activities, showcase your skills with a personalized profile, and share your resume and links—all digitally. Say goodbye to stacks of paper resumes and business cards, and hello to a “paperless” experience that puts the focus where it belongs: on you.
There is no extra cost to participate in interviews.
Parties and Experiences only possible at TripCon!
If you know Louisville, you know this city knows how to party—and TripCon is here to prove it. Think sipping legendary bourbon on the Urban Bourbon Trail, catching live music that makes you move, or cruising the Ohio River like a VIP. Wander historic streets, dive into Museum Row, or devour the city’s iconic Hot Brown like a pro. This isn’t your boring conference—this is TripCon Louisville-style: parties that pop, activities that wow, and events so unforgettable you’ll be talking about them until next year. We’re not just showing you the city—we’re letting you own it..
Meet and get hired by the world’s leading companies.
There’s nowhere better on this planet to meet with so many of the world’s largest tour companies. Using our app you’ll receive requests from companies, and you can also request 1-on-1 interviews with the tour companies.
You’re going to love Louisville.
If you don’t know the city, prepare to be wowed. It’s historic, walkable, gorgeous, filled with stunning food and powerful stories.
Full Schedule
Friday, November 12
Optional Pre-Conference Fam Tour
Itinerary TBD
Monday, November 16
Tours + Welcome Party!
Arrive, get checked in, then join us for immersive in-field learning experiences, including: museum & attraction visits, neighborhood walking tours and more. All are included in your ticket.
Then at 6pm join us for our big Welcome Party! Drinks, apps included.
Tuesday, November 17
Education Sessions!
In our historic hotel venue, come get inspired by a lineup of inspirational speakers only possible at TripCon.
At the end of the day we’ll gather for the Storytelling Spotlight Series (we’ll share more later!) and you then have the evening free to enjoy local restaurants with who will have TripCon specials and meet with your colleagues.
Wednesday, November 18
Education + 1:1 Job Interviews + Grand Finale Event
1-on-1 interviews all day long in our stunning venue. Before the event you’ll submit your resume and using our custom app, you can hand-tailor an interview schedule based on your goals and operators’ needs.
Thursday, November 19
Morning Final Interview Callbacks + Departures
All good things come to an end. Some operators may ask to meet you again for morning callbacks or further interviews.
Come find your people.
Last year guides and tour directors from over 20 countries gathered to celebrate their profession and find their family.
Save your spot now.
TripCon sells out. Register now.
Your all-access pass includes immersive education, recruitment day and job fair, admission to parties and complimentary local tours!
If you’re a tour operator looking to attend as a recruiter, please contact us at [email protected].
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Whether you’re new or experienced, TripCon is a great way to boost your career through connections, job interviews, and learning.
If you’ve never received training, we highly recommend taking a course before TripCon.
As we firm up the company list we’ll start releasing the names of companies so you can research them in advance.
Expect large adult and student tour companies like Globus and EF, as well as a whole host of small and medium-sized companies, too.
We’ll have companies that operate all sorts of tours: adventure, culinary, international, and more.
We welcome a wide variety of sponsors who are interested in being discovered by the community of tour leaders, tour guides, and tour operators. Reach out to [email protected] to set up a conversation.
Great question! It’s a different kind of role than a tour guide, and we explain the difference between tour director and guide in this article.
We have courtesy blocks at partner hotels that you can choose from, however you are free to book anywhere you would like.
We’ve chosen hotels in the downtown area to make it easy to get to the immersive activities with easy access to transportation.
Louisville in November can range from high’s in the 60’s and by mid-November drop down to the 50’s on average
Prepare for layers, just in case!
We’d love to have you join TripCon!
Tour operators can attend at no cost when participating in the job interviews. We do ask that each operator conduct a minimum of 35 interviews to make the most of the event. We offer one free spot, but depending on your hiring needs, will allow more. Want to bring a colleague along? Just drop us an email below, and we’ll get them set up!.
Reach out to [email protected]
Your ticket purchase is non-refundable, but you can transfer your ticket to another name. Simply email [email protected] to notify us of the new name.
