by Shannon Curley
LAS VEGAS – Without the sweet smell of the Pizza Expo, I was concerned that this year’s Prosper Show would fall short. While I did miss sneaking next door to steal a bite or 20 of free thin crust, Prosper Show 2026 stood up to the challenge and delivered a noticeably different experience from last year that was in many ways a major improvement.
The change in venue made an immediate impact. Last year’s show at the Las Vegas Convention Center felt a bit lost in the scale of the building. This year’s setup was more organized, easier to navigate, and overall more comfortable for exhibitors and attendees alike. Load in and load out were smoother, the food situation was significantly better, and the floor itself felt more manageable (without appearing empty, like it did last year).
There were still plenty of familiar faces, strong sessions, and the usual mix of meetups and parties, but the overall pace felt more focused. Instead of running from one crowded event to another, there was more room for real conversations with operators who are actively navigating the challenges of selling today.
Foot traffic in the expo hall was lighter than some previous years, and the mix leaned toward service providers. For Tactical, that actually worked in our favor. Logistics and fulfillment are not impulse purchases. They require discussion, context, and planning.
With fewer rushed booth interactions, we were able to spend more time talking through real operational challenges with brands. It was a nice change of pace for me to be able to have a conversation that did more than just ask, “Do you sell on Amazon?”
Another factor was the overlap with MDS Inspire. The proximity of the two events made it easier to attend both, but balancing them still made for a busy and sometimes exhausting few days.
As far as high-level industry conversations, there were a few common themes throughout the week. The Amazon ecosystem is maturing: margins are tighter, tariffs are top of mind, and the tools and service providers surrounding the ecosystem are starting to consolidate, driven heavily by the infusion of more AI and automation into the space.
In that environment, the real value of events like Prosper is not the booth traffic, but the chance to connect with other operators, compare notes, and learn what is actually working right now. To that end, I found the week incredibly worthwhile.
Inevitably, a few planning quirks did pop up. The long walk to the expo hall was not ideal, especially for anyone hauling last minute booth items (shout out to the Las Vegas Target for furnishing the second half of our booth in the 11th hour). The event app also caused some confusion with inconsistent opening times listed throughout the week.
In this ever-changing industry, no one expects unanimous agreement. Some folks will walk away calling Prosper a wash; others have already signed their booth contracts for next year. My TLDR; Prosper’s continued evolution is reason enough to keep coming back.
Shannon Curley is director of Marketing and Growth at Tactical Logistic Solutions (a Prosper exhibitor) and head of her own consulting business.