Tripcon 2026 EUROPE: PORTO, PORTUGAL
Take incredible tours. Meet tour operators, guides, and tour directors. Unforgettable parties and chances to reconnect with your people.
- 100+
typical attendees
- 15
educational sessions: keynotes & breakouts
- 26-29 Oct.
2026
- 10
free tours & experiences
Never been to TripCon?
TripCon EUROPE is hosted by TripSchool, and brings together tour leaders & guides from across Europe, and provides world-class education plus 1:1 job interviews with the world's leading tour companies for anyone looking to get hired.
2026 HOST CITY
Welcome to porto!
A WONDERFUL EVENT VENUE
HOSTED AT THE TIVOLI KOPKE PORTO GAIA HOTEL
Place matters. The event is hosted in the absolutely stunning, brand new Tivoli Kopke Porto Gaia. and trust us, this is not your average conference hotel.
Perched above the Douro River in the historic port wine cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia, this place is a wow moment. Sweeping river views and wine heritage woven into the walls.
Please book any hotel for the conference that fits your budget. It is a fast and easy Bolt/Uber/Bus or short walk over the bridge to Gaia, from the center city.
Event Partners
These are the organizations below help make TripCon possible. Thank you, sponsors, tour partners, and supporting organizations!
Participating tour operators
These are some of the global tour opeartors attending to meet guides and tour leaders (completely optional; there is also 2 days full of workshops!)
Hands-on Workshops & talks
Beyond Facts & Dates: New Storytelling Strategies
The "Participatory Guiding" Framework
How to Market Yourself Professionally
Psychologicaly Strategies for Handling Guests
Crafting Wow Moments
Sustainability On Tour
The Tour Operator <> Guide Relationship
Getting Hired
Creating a Sense of Place
Representing Different Company Brands
The Future of Guide Licensing
Avoiding Burnout
Making a Full-Time Career of Guiding
The Power of Food Stories
Museum Engagement Ideas
Avoiding Burnout
Interpreting Difficult History
AI Tools for Guides
Cross-Cultural Communication Without Stereotyping
Overtourism and the Guide’s Responsibility to Place
And so much more!
The Schedule
A more detailed schedule is released closer to the event day.
Optional Pre-Arrival Day
Optionally arrive today to maximize your time in Porto, taking tours on Monday.
Informal evening meetup for everyone.
Tours + Welcome Party
TripCon officially begins today with a full day of free or discounted tours to take, watching the best guides in action!
Registration desk opens at 9am at hotel. Check-in at your leisure to collect your bag and materials.
5pm Introvert’s Welcome, for anyone who is not usually excited by larger crowds and socializing.
7pm Official Welcome Party!
education WORKSHOPS + STORYTELLING CONTEST
Today is 100% about education.
9am Opening Keynote Presentation
10am-4pm Dozens of educational workshops and small group breakout sessions for everyone.
4:30-5:30pm The fun Guide Storytelling Competition comes with prizes and is a lot of fun!
1:1 interviews + MORE WORKSHOPS + CLOSING EVENT
This is the day where things get real.
All day long, our stunning venue transforms into a powerhouse of 1:1 interviews, B2B meetups, networking magic, and high-impact education sessions.
Before you even arrive, you’ll upload your resume, website and company profile and then use our custom app to build your dream schedule — hand-picking interviews based on your goals and the exact operators you want to connect with. No random matchups. No wasted time. Just intentional, strategic conversations.
Whether you’re hiring, getting hired, or growing your business, this is where opportunity stops being theoretical… and starts shaking your hand.
And…don’t forget our legendary closing party!
MORE TOURS & departures
If you’d like some final meetings or take another tour, this is your chance. Otherwise depart at your leisure!
TRIPCON SELLS OUT
Save your place now!
Our events typically sell out. Save your spot by paying a deposit now.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of our most frequent questions
Tour leaders and guides come to celebrate our profession. Tour operators come to connect with new guides and leaders and hold job interviews or informal networking.
While our host hotel is fully booked, the nearby Hilton Porto Gaia has rooms and is next door, and very high quality. However, you can stay at any of the extremely affordable hotels in the city-center and take a very affordable Uber/Bolt or city bus to the event venue. Choose what makes sense for your budget.
This is a conference to celebrate everyone who cares about leading tours. The guides and tour leaders who face a group and make magic happen. Tour operators who attend are interested in meeting guides and tour leaders to recruit or expand their guide networks, and learn from the content.
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 team@thetripschool.com
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 mitch@thetripschool.com to set up a conversation.