2026 SCHEDULE

Enjoy four impactful days packed with workshops, networking, activities, and industry insights during Black Travel Summit 2026 at the Baird Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.

THE EVENT

Every year, the Black Travel Summit grows in participation, brand messaging, and, most importantly, content, with a speaker series that attracts top talent from across our ecosystem. This year, we offer five tracks of focus to foster community, spark meaningful conversation, and drive thought leadership. The tracks are:

CREATOR

Designed for content creators and influencers to explore strategies for growing their personal brands, collaborating with industry leaders, and amplifying diverse travel narratives.

Focusing on professionals and organizations, this track will delve into the importance of diversity in travel marketing, corporate social responsibility, and building inclusive travel products and services.

Designed for business owners, founders, and aspiring entrepreneurs to gain insights into launching, scaling, and sustaining travel-related ventures. This track explores strategies for brand building, funding opportunities, global market expansion, and forming impactful partnerships within the ecosystem.

This track brings together hoteliers and investors to discuss opportunities for creating innovative, culturally inclusive hospitality experiences and securing investment for diverse travel ventures.

Designed for travel advisors and operators, this track focuses on enhancing the guest experience, curating culturally relevant tours, and fostering partnerships with destinations that cater to the Black travel community.

2026 schedule

Enjoy four impactful days packed with workshops, networking, activities, and industry insights during Brazil’s Black Consciousness Month this November. 

  • This is a working schedule and is subject to change at any time. Please check back periodically for updates!
DAY 01
October 15th
Thursday
10:00 AM – 03:00 PM
10:00AM-03:00PM
Check-In
Hilton Milwaukee
10:00 AM – 03:00 PM
10:00AM-03:00PM
BlackAF Tours (BTS’s Signature tours)
Offsite
10:00 AM – 04:30 PM
10:00AM-04:30PM
Black Travel Film Festival
Nō Studios
10:00 AM – 04:00 PM
10:00AM-04:00PM
Check-In
Hilton Milwaukee
10:00 AM – 01:00 PM
10:00AM-01:00PM
Wavelength for Creators and Black Travel Film Festival labels are still Creator.
04:00 PM – 09:00 PM
04:00PM-09:00PM
Expo
07:00 PM – 09:00 PM
07:00PM-09:00PM
Opening Reception
07:30 AM - 05:30 PM
07:30AM-05:30PM
Wellness Lounge
N200s | Baird Center
08:30 AM – 09:30 AM
08:30AM-09:30AM
Breakfast
ABC Ballroom Foyer | Baird Center
09:30 AM – 01:30 PM
09:30AM-01:30PM
Speaker Series
ABC Ballroom | Baird Center
01:30PM – 02:15 PM
01:30PM-02:15PM
Lunch
ABC Ballroom | Baird Center
02:30PM – 04:50 PM
02:30PM-04:50PM
Breakouts
N200s | Baird Center
07:00PM –10:00 PM
07:00PM-10:00PM
Black Travel Awards Gala
ABC Ballroom | Baird Center
11:00 AM –04:00 PM
11:00AM-04:00PM
This is where innovation meets opportunity, giving emerging entrepreneurs a stage to showcase bold ideas that push the travel, tourism, and lifestyle industries forward. Each year, finalists present their ventures to a panel of industry leaders and investors, gaining visibility, feedback, and invaluable connections. This year, we proudly welcome our Accelerator finalists to pitch for the chance to win cash prizes, further fueling their journeys to build impactful, sustainable businesses within the global Black travel ecosystem.
In partnership with
04:00 PM – 07:00 PM
04:00PM-07:00PM
Closing Reception