How One Association is Leaning Into the World Cup

This year’s International Liquid Terminals Association (ILTA) conference wasn’t supposed to have anything to do with soccer. But when the FIFA World Cup landed in Houston on the same dates, organizers made a quick decision: don’t compete, lean in. 

The annual conference and trade show, which brings together about 4,500 terminal and supplier professionals for three days of education, networking, and exhibits, will take place June 15–17. It overlaps with matches being held in Houston as part of the 2026 tournament, instantly changing the dynamics of a long-established industry gathering.

Houston is one of 16 host cities across Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. The city will stage seven matches at NRG Stadium, branded as Houston Stadium for the event.

While ILTA is largely self-contained at the Marriott Marquis Houston and the George R. Brown Convention Center, connected via skybridge and located about seven miles from the stadium, the broader impact of the World Cup is unavoidable.

ILTA secured its dates before host cities were announced. When the news broke, the initial reaction was concern.

“After the initial panic of what if our people only go to FIFA and not our show, we realized this could be amazing for us,” said Meredith DeZemler, ILTA’s senior director of events and trade show. “We decided to lean in.”

Turning a Global Event Into Local Programming

Rather than treat the World Cup as a distraction, ILTA is incorporating it directly into the attendee experience.

“We are leaning in. If you can’t beat them, join them,” DeZemler said. “We can’t change our dates, so there is no reason to wallow in this.”

The association is building a soccer-themed pavilion on the trade show floor, complete with astroturf, a simulator, match highlights, and lounge space. Flags of competing nations will be displayed, and live coverage will be woven into the environment.

“For those attendees who are following FIFA, we’re bringing elements of it to them,” DeZemler said.

Just blocks away, a FIFA Fan Festival will draw crowds with live match viewings, food, entertainment, and sponsor activations, adding both energy and congestion to the downtown core.

The contrast is striking: a highly specialized industrial-sector event unfolding alongside one of the world’s biggest cultural spectacles. For ILTA, that juxtaposition has become part of the appeal.

Room Block Sells Out in Record Time

The biggest pressure point has been accommodations.

ILTA locked in a room rate of $273 per night at the Marriott Marquis by booking two years in advance. By late April, rates at the same property had surged to nearly $700 per night, with some Houston hotels exceeding $1,200.

The association’s room block sold out in less than three days, highly unusual for an event where many attendees typically wait until the last minute to book.

For those who missed out, ILTA secured additional inventory at nearby properties, including rates of $269 at the Hampton Inn and $279 at the Homewood Suites. Organizers are also encouraging attendees to explore alternatives such as short-term rentals.

“We are trying to find any and all alternatives and make sure we get the most people to our show,” DeZemler said.

Nathan Tollett, senior VP of convention and client services at Houston First, noted that the city has more than 100,000 hotel rooms, suggesting overall capacity should be able to absorb the surge in demand.

Security and Scheduling Get a Rethink

The World Cup’s presence is also reshaping operations beyond lodging.

Security has been heightened, not only because of the global event, but also to control access to the conference itself.

“We have done this mostly to prevent curious people who want to see what our conference is all about from wandering in,” DeZemler said.

Citywide, preparations have been underway for more than two years. The Houston Police Department secured $64.7 million in federal funding to support World Cup-related public safety efforts.

ILTA’s Sunday golf tournament tees off at 9 a.m., which DeZemler is happy about, as traffic is sure to build ahead of a 1 p.m. match between Germany and Curaçao.

The broader calendar is also tight. The Republican Party of Texas convention is set for June 11–13 at the convention center, ending just one day before Houston’s first World Cup match, creating a compressed window for turnover and setup.