Inside ISSA Show’s Rebuilt Innovation 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, taking place Nov. 16-19 at Mandalay Bay Convention Center, the redesigned Innovation Program will put 21 product entries on display 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 get a say in the outcome through the People's Choice Award. Click here to see them online right now.

A program rebuilt around attendees

ISSA rebuilt the Innovation Program after nearly two years of development and attendee focus groups. In 2025, products were displayed and demonstrated in a theater at the back of the expo hall, most of the judging took place on-site, and winners weren't named until Thursday, the final day of the show.

This year looks very different. Products sit in the Bayside Lobby, demonstrations happen inside exhibitor booths on a set schedule, and the judges have been reviewing entries for months ahead of the show. Winners will be announced Wednesday morning, which leaves attendees the rest of the show to visit the winning booths and see the products up close.

Organizers have pointed to a simple reason for the changes. According to ISSA, 80% of attendees come to the show specifically to see new products and innovation, and many said they wanted the show itself to steer them toward what's worth seeing. A new Innovation Roadmap is designed to do exactly that, helping attendees find participating products and the booths where they're being demonstrated.

Five categories and one popular vote

A panel of industry leaders will name an Innovation of the Year in five categories: Cleaning Agents, Floor & Carpet Care, Restroom Care & Supplies, Robotics and Technology & Business Solutions.

Judges score every product on a scale of one to 10 in five areas: impact, practicality, sustainability, competitive edge and originality. Scores are based on the full product details submitted by each company along with what judges see on-site, with a possible total of 50 points per product.

The sixth award, People's Choice, belongs to the attendees. Registered attendees can vote for their favorite entry, so anyone walking the show has a direct hand in picking a winner. Product listings are available now on the ISSA Show website at issashow.com/experience/innovation-program and in the ISSA Show mobile app, giving attendees a chance to scout the field before they land in Las Vegas.

Tuesday is demo day

All 21 demonstrations take place 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.

The full demonstration schedule follows.

Winners revealed Wednesday morning

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.

"Attendees told us they wanted the show to point them toward what's new, so we put the products where people actually walk and moved the demonstrations into the booths where the real conversations happen," said Andrew Evans, CEM, MBA, Innovation Program lead for ISSA Show North America. "By Wednesday morning, everyone will know which products came out on top, and they'll still have time to go see them for themselves."

Ed Nichols, Director of ISSA Show North America, sees the Innovation Program as having an industry-wide impact, and the products need to be spotlighted. "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. "I'm very excited about the work Andrew and the ISSA Show team have done, and continue to do, to ensure the Innovation Program at the ISSA Show continues to meet, and raise, this bar for the attendees at the ISSA Show.'

Plan your visit

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