Ace Hardware Convention Fall 2026 — Everything Exhibitors and Vendors Need to Know (Plus How to Build a Booth That Wins Business)
September 22–24, 2026 | Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida
If you supply products to Ace Hardware retailers, manufacture hardware or home improvement goods, or are looking to get your products in front of thousands of independent hardware store owners across the United States, there is one event this fall that should already be on your calendar. The Ace Hardware Convention Fall 2026 is coming to Orlando, Florida — and it is one of the most powerful retail buying events in the hardware and home improvement industry.
This guide covers everything you need to know about the event, who attends, what happens on the show floor, and how Interior Today LLC can help you build a booth that earns real attention from Ace Hardware retailers and buyers.
What Is the Ace Hardware Convention?
The Ace Hardware Convention is the flagship event of Ace Hardware Corporation — the world’s largest hardware cooperative. Held twice a year, the convention brings together Ace Hardware retailers, vendors, and suppliers for three packed days of product discovery, order writing, business planning, and relationship building.
This is not a public trade show. It is a purpose-built retail buying event where independent Ace Hardware store owners come with buying budgets and genuine purchasing intent. Every person on that floor is either a retailer making purchasing decisions for their store or a vendor competing for shelf space and long-term supplier relationships.
The Fall 2026 convention takes place September 22–24 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida — one of the largest and best-equipped convention venues in the country, located at 9800 International Drive.
Ace Hardware Convention Fall 2026 Key Details
Dates: September 22–24, 2026
Venue: Orange County Convention Center, 9800 International Drive, Orlando, FL 32819
Phone: (407) 685-9800
Booth Stand Inquari: +1 775 382 5513 ( hello@interiortoday.us)
Official Website: myace.com
Orlando is easy to reach from anywhere in the United States, with Orlando International Airport (MCO) serving direct flights from hundreds of cities. The convention center is located on International Drive, surrounded by hotels, restaurants, and all the amenities you could need for a productive three-day business trip.
What Happens at the Ace Hardware Convention?
The Ace Hardware Convention is built around one central idea: helping Ace retailers plan their business, take advantage of margin-building opportunities, and stock their stores with the latest products their customers want to buy.
For vendors and exhibitors, this translates into three days of some of the most concentrated and valuable selling time in the hardware industry.
Product Discovery and Live Demonstrations The show floor is where new products get introduced to the Ace Hardware retail network. Retailers walk the floor specifically to find products they want to bring into their stores. If your product is on display and your team is ready to present it, this is your direct path into thousands of independent hardware stores across America.
Order Writing and Margin-Building Opportunities The Ace Hardware Convention is not a passive networking event. Retailers come ready to write orders. Convention-exclusive pricing, special promotions, and margin-building deals are a core part of why retailers attend. Exhibitors who understand this dynamic and prepare accordingly walk away with meaningful order commitments.
Business Planning Beyond the show floor, the convention provides Ace retailers with the tools, insights, and relationships they need to grow their businesses. This environment creates a motivated, forward-thinking audience that is actively looking for supplier partners who can help them win in their local markets.
Relationship Building The Ace Hardware cooperative model is built on relationships. The convention is where long-term supplier and retailer partnerships are formed, strengthened, and renewed. Face time with retailers at this event has lasting value that extends well beyond the three days of the show.
Who Attends the Ace Hardware Convention?
Understanding who walks the floor is the key to understanding why exhibiting here matters so much.
The primary audience is independent Ace Hardware retailers — store owners and their buyers who operate Ace Hardware locations across the United States. These are local business owners who have real buying authority and who make purchasing decisions that directly affect what sits on their shelves.
Beyond retailers, the convention brings together Ace Hardware corporate merchandising and buying teams, product category managers, import and sourcing professionals, vendor relations teams, and industry suppliers from across the hardware, home improvement, lawn and garden, paint, plumbing, electrical, and outdoor living categories.
This is a highly intentional audience. Nobody is at the Ace Hardware Convention by accident. Every person there has a specific professional purpose — and for a significant portion of that audience, that purpose is to find products worth buying.
The Ace Hardware Vendor and Supplier Network
The Ace Hardware Convention is also the event where the Ace Hardware vendor community comes together. Ace Hardware has a robust and structured approach to vendor relationships, covering everything from direct import programs and product compliance to quality auditing, logistics coordination, and accounts payable.
Ace’s distribution network includes 2 Retail Distribution Centers and 15 Retail Support Centers across the United States. This infrastructure supports a national retail network that gives vendors and exhibitors access to one of the most geographically broad independent hardware retail systems in the world.
Ace Hardware vendors span every major product category — digital and conventional tools, home improvement materials, lawn and garden products, outdoor living, paints and coatings, plumbing, electrical, seasonal items, and much more. If your product belongs in a hardware store, the Ace Hardware Convention is where you prove it.
Why Exhibiting at the Ace Hardware Convention Fall 2026 Is Worth It
The numbers speak clearly. Ace Hardware operates thousands of retail locations across the United States. Every one of those locations is owned by an independent retailer who makes their own purchasing decisions. The Ace Hardware Convention is the single event where the largest share of those retailers are in the same building at the same time, actively looking for products to stock.
There is no more efficient way to reach this audience. Direct sales calls to individual store owners take months and rarely produce the same concentration of decision-making activity that happens over three days at the convention.
For vendors launching a new product line, the convention is the fastest path to widespread retail adoption within the Ace network. For established vendors looking to deepen relationships and grow their assortment presence, the convention provides the face time and deal-writing environment that makes that growth happen.
For any supplier company serious about the Ace Hardware retail channel, the Fall 2026 convention in Orlando is not optional. It is essential.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Ace Hardware Convention Fall 2026
When and where is Ace Hardware Convention Fall 2026?
The event runs September 22–24, 2026 at the Orange County Convention Center, 9800 International Drive, Orlando, Florida 32819.
What is the Ace Hardware Convention?
It is the official biannual convention of Ace Hardware Corporation, bringing together Ace Hardware retailers, vendors, and suppliers for product discovery, order writing, business planning, and relationship building. It is one of the most important retail buying events in the hardware and home improvement industry.
Who attends the Ace Hardware Convention?
Independent Ace Hardware store owners and their buyers are the primary audience, along with Ace Hardware corporate merchandising teams, product managers, and vendors and suppliers from across the hardware, home improvement, lawn and garden, paint, outdoor living, and related categories.
Is the Ace Hardware Convention open to the public?
No. The Ace Hardware Convention is a trade event for Ace Hardware retailers, vendors, and registered industry participants. It is not a public consumer event.
What kinds of products are showcased at the Ace Hardware Convention?
The convention covers the full range of hardware and home improvement categories, including hand and power tools, lawn and garden products, outdoor living, paint and coatings, plumbing, electrical, seasonal items, home organization, and more. Essentially any product category that belongs in a hardware store can be represented on the convention floor.
Why do Ace Hardware retailers attend the convention?
Retailers attend to discover new products for their stores, take advantage of convention-exclusive pricing and margin-building opportunities, write orders, plan their product assortment, and build relationships with suppliers. It is a high-value business trip for store owners who want to stay competitive and well-stocked.
How do I become an Ace Hardware vendor or exhibitor?
Vendor onboarding for Ace Hardware goes through the Ace Hardware vendor portal at AceHardware-Vendors.com. New vendors are required to complete training through Ace Vendor University within the first 90 days of receiving a vendor number. For exhibit and sponsorship inquiries, visit myace.com or contact the Ace Hardware vendor support center at 630-990-2777.
What is Ace Vendor University?
Ace Vendor University is Ace Hardware’s free vendor training program. It covers product onboarding, item data management, order management, fulfillment, supply chain, inventory, finance, and reporting. All courses are offered free of charge through the vendor portal.
What quality requirements do Ace Hardware vendors need to meet?
Ace Hardware vendors are required to pass factory audits (manufacturing quality, ethical, and CTPAT security), complete Pre-Production Acceptance Testing (PPAT), pass pre-shipment inspections, maintain product regulatory compliance, and adhere to barcode and master data accuracy standards. Compliance is mandatory for all vendors.
What are Ace Hardware’s payment terms for vendors?
Ace Hardware uses Net 60-day payment terms from the Forwarder’s Cargo Receipt (FCR) date for all purchase orders, processed through the Infor Nexus platform.
What happens if a shipment arrives late to Ace Hardware?
Late shipments are subject to penalty assessments based on how many days past the Last Ship Date the goods arrive. Shipments 7–14 days late incur a 5% penalty on the total invoice value, 15–21 days late incur 10%, and 22 or more days late incur a 15% penalty.
What are Ace Hardware’s ethical sourcing requirements?
Ace Hardware requires all vendors to maintain the highest ethical standards across human rights, labor practices, environmental responsibility, and anti-corruption compliance. Vendors are prohibited from using any form of forced labor, including in their sub-supply chains, and must comply fully with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) and related US import regulations. Vendors may not source components or materials from China’s Xinjiang Province.
Where is the Orange County Convention Center?
The Orange County Convention Center is located at 9800 International Drive in Orlando, Florida 32819. It is one of the largest convention venues in the United States and is easily accessible from Orlando International Airport (MCO), with a wide selection of hotels and restaurants on or near International Drive.
How do I build a custom booth for the Ace Hardware Convention Fall 2026?
Contact Interior Today LLC. We specialize in designing and building custom trade show booths for vendors and exhibitors at major retail and industry events including the Ace Hardware Convention. We manage everything from design through on-site installation in Orlando. Reach out early — our production schedule fills ahead of major shows.
When should I start planning my booth for the Ace Hardware Convention?
As early as possible. The convention is in late September, and quality booth builds require time for design, production, and logistics. Contact Interior Today LLC now to make sure you have the best options available for your Orlando exhibit.
Build Your Ace Hardware Convention Booth with Interior Today LLC
This is where Interior Today LLC becomes your most important partner for Orlando.
We design and build custom trade show booths and exhibition stands for companies exhibiting at major retail buying events — and we understand exactly what it takes to create a presence that earns attention from independent hardware retailers who have seen a thousand booths before.
At the Ace Hardware Convention, you are competing for the attention of store owners who are walking an enormous show floor with limited time and a specific shopping list. Your booth needs to communicate your product’s value proposition instantly, create a comfortable environment for your team to have selling conversations, and look professional enough to signal that you are a serious, reliable supplier.
That is exactly what Interior Today LLC builds.
What we bring to your Ace Hardware Convention booth:
We design around your product and your retail story. Whether you are showcasing a new tool line, a seasonal outdoor living category, a paint or coating product, plumbing and electrical supplies, or any other hardware category, we build your stand around what makes your product the right choice for Ace retailers.
We handle the entire build — from the initial design concept through full installation at the Orange County Convention Center. Your team arrives in Orlando ready to sell, not exhausted from setting up displays.
We design for the buying environment specifically. Independent hardware retailers are practical, experienced buyers. They respond to clear product presentation, easy-to-read merchandising, and a booth that gives them the information they need quickly. We build with that in mind.
We work within your timeline and budget. Whether you are a first-time Ace Hardware Convention exhibitor or a returning vendor ready to upgrade your presence, Interior Today LLC has the experience and capacity to deliver an exhibit stand that performs.
Contact Interior Today LLC today to begin planning your Ace Hardware Convention Fall 2026 booth. Orlando will come faster than you expect, and our build schedule fills well ahead of major conventions. The earlier you engage, the better your booth will be.
Final Thoughts
The Ace Hardware Convention Fall 2026 in Orlando is the premier retail buying event for everyone who sells into the Ace Hardware channel. With thousands of independent hardware retailers on the floor writing orders, making product decisions, and planning their business for the seasons ahead, there is no more valuable three days in the hardware industry calendar.
If your company makes products that belong in a hardware store — and you want those products in front of the buyers who control what goes on the shelves of Ace Hardware locations across America — September in Orlando is where you need to be.
And when you are ready to show up with a booth that reflects the quality of your brand and earns the confidence of independent retailers, Interior Today LLC is ready to make that happen.
Let us build something great together for Orlando 2026.
Interior Today LLC is a professional trade show booth builder serving exhibitors and vendors at major retail conventions and industry events across the United States. Contact us today to begin planning your Ace Hardware Convention Fall 2026 exhibit stand.
