Innovation Takes Center Stage at ISSA Show With Bold New Program

The newest products in the cleaning industry won’t be tucked away in the back of the busy expo hall this year. At ISSA Show North America 2026, Nov. 16-19 at Mandalay Bay Convention Center, the redesigned Innovation Program will showcase 21 product entries in the Bayside Lobby, the show’s highest-traffic area. Attendees heading to the expo floor will walk right past them.

The entries come from 19 exhibitors, ranging from household names in floor care and chemicals to robotics developers and software companies. Each one is competing for an Innovation of the Year award, and attendees can weigh in through the People’s Choice Award. Click here to see them online.

Additionally, ISSA designed an Innovation Roadmap to help attendees find participating products and the booths hosting their demonstrations.

All 21 demonstrations take place on Tuesday, Nov. 17, in short, scheduled sessions inside exhibitor booths. The morning block runs from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and the afternoon block runs from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The first two demonstrations kick off in a demonstration area at the new Robotics & Autonomous Cleaning Experience, a roughly 4,000-square-foot space featuring more than 40 robotics and autonomous cleaning companies.

Innovation of the Year winners and the People’s Choice Award recipient will be announced Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 9:30 a.m. in the Bayside Lobby. Attendees are welcome to attend the announcement before heading to the expo floor.

Ed Nichols, Director of ISSA Show North America, believes the Innovation Program will have an industry-wide impact. “What’s important is that new products and innovation are presented in a way, and in an environment, that allows the intended user to make the most educated decision about the products’ effectiveness and how it will improve their business,” he said.

ISSA Show North America 2026 runs Nov. 16-19 at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. Education sessions take place Nov. 16-19, and the expo hall is open Nov. 17-19. The show features more than 500 exhibitors and more than 100 education sessions, workshops and training courses. Registration is open at issashow.com.