Abilities Expo preps for first event of 2027

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Abilities Expo returns to the Long Beach Convention Center Jan. 14-16, 2027, building on last year’s event there, which drew more than 13,000 visitors. This year, the show will feature three, instead of two, exhibit halls with more than 200 exhibitors. “Abilities Expo filled two halls in its first year with us, and we’re proud to welcome it back with a third,” said Robert Smit, general manager of the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center. “Thousands of people come downtown for this free event, and that impact shows up in our hotels and restaurants along Pine Avenue. Just as important, it gives our team practical experience welcoming guests with disabilities. As we prepare this campus to host Paralympic events – including Para climbing, shooting, swimming, and sitting volleyball – for the LA28 Games in August 2028, shows like Abilities Expo help us keep improving how we serve every visitor.” Long Beach is the first stop of the 2027 Abilities Expo series, which continues to the New York metro area, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix and Orlando, Fla. The Abilities International Accessibility Conference will run alongside the expo Jan. 14-15 at the Long Beach Convention Center. After launching in Long Beach in March 2026, the conference returns for professionals who assess, prescribe, supply and support complex rehab and assistive technology, including physical and occupational therapists, ATPs, speech-language pathologists, rehab case managers, equipment suppliers and students entering the field. The 2027 theme is “Access, Applied,” with a focus on hands-on learning, with close to 10 hours of continuing education (0.975 IACET, CPTA and AOTA CEUs) across three tracks: Assessment & Provision, Clinical Skills Workshop and Adapted Living. Register for the Abilities Expo here. Register for the Abilities International Accessibility Conference here.

• Related reading: Abilities Expo will host two, rather than three, Abilities International Accessibility Conferences in 2027, focusing on events in Los Angeles on Jan. 14-15 and the New York metro area on April 29-30.

Photo courtesy of Abilities Expo.