Picture the Atlantic Ballroom in the new east expansion of the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center on a Wednesday morning in November. Trade commissioners and consuls work the aisles, local companies stand behind six-foot tables, and buyers from large institutions compare notes between panels. Somewhere in that room, Broward County wants its own artists to be part of the picture, not as decoration but as working professionals showing what the county makes.
That is the idea behind the FITCE 2026 Call to Artists, posted on the Broward Cultural Division's Submittable page. Applications for the 11th Annual Florida International Trade and Cultural Expo are due Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, on or before 11:59 p.m., and the FITCE Cultural Program Committee will select the professional artists who exhibit and engage audiences during the expo.
The expo itself runs Wednesday, Nov. 18, and Thursday, Nov. 19, 2026, according to Broward County's official FITCE page. General admission is free, and the county describes the event as a chance to meet buyers and sellers from more than 70 countries.
What FITCE Is and Why Artists Are in the Room
Broward County presents FITCE as a service of the Broward County Board of County Commissioners. The county page says the expo showcases the benefits of and opportunities for international trade while highlighting diverse arts and cultures from around the world. The program is billed as a two-day conference with business insights, networking and cultural exchanges.
The county's list of activities shows how much of the event is built around trade. Doing Business with the World features export and investment opportunities presented by foreign government officials, ambassadors, consuls general, trade commissioners and leaders of bi-national chambers of commerce representing more than 70 countries. Speed Matchmaking with Country Representatives offers one-on-one meetings. The World Expo Marketplace and Country Pavilions bring together local and international exhibitors, buyers and sellers.
Culture runs alongside all of it. The county page lists a local and international visual art exhibit, multicultural performances and presentations, panel discussions that include arts and culture among their topics, and evening networking receptions and cultural experiences hosted by Sustainable Agro Fashion and Tech Week. For an artist selected through the call, that means an audience that came to do business, not just to browse.
Who Can Apply
The Submittable listing is specific about eligibility. The call is open to individual Broward-based practicing emerging and professional artists who are at least 18 years old, reside in Broward County and have lived in the county continuously for the immediate 12 consecutive months before the filing date of the FITCE artist application.
The Cultural Division also accepts applications from art students pursuing full-time undergraduate or graduate degrees.
Two groups are not eligible. The listing excludes artists who engage in artwork only as a hobby. It also excludes current employees, consultants, board members and funders of the Broward Cultural Council of the Broward Cultural Division.
The residency rule is the one most likely to trip up an applicant. An artist who moved to Broward from Miami-Dade or Palm Beach County within the past year does not meet the 12 consecutive month test, even if the studio has been in Broward longer. Before applying, it helps to write down the date residency began and keep a document that shows it.
How to Apply on Submittable
The application lives on the Broward Cultural Division's Submittable page, which also hosts the division's grants and Public Art and Design calls. According to the page, applicants need to create a free Submittable account or sign in with Google or Facebook credentials.
Submittable lets applicants save a draft and finish the form later, which is useful for an artist pulling together images, a statement and residency details over several days. If anything changes after submission, the page says applicants should request to edit the submission rather than starting over. The division says it will follow up by email, so applicants should safelist Submittable notification emails and check the address tied to their account.
The page notes that Submittable works best on Google Chrome, Firefox and Safari, and that Internet Explorer is not supported. Technical questions go to the Submitter Resource Center or Submittable Customer Support.
The public listing does not spell out portfolio formats, file counts or artist statement lengths. The guidelines linked from the listing and the form itself are the authority on those details, so follow them rather than guessing.
The Cultural Division held an application workshop on Oct. 6, 2026, at noon via Zoom, according to the listing. That session has passed, so questions now go to the county's FITCE office at FITCE@broward.org or 954-357-6400, the contact listed on Broward County's official FITCE page.
Treat the Application Like a Pitch
FITCE is a trade expo first. The people walking the floor include local companies, large institutional buyers and international delegations. That audience rewards an artist who can explain the work, the practice behind it and, where relevant, how it could be commissioned, licensed or sold.
A strong application gives the Cultural Program Committee a clear sense of what an artist would bring to that setting. The listing says the committee is selecting professional artists to exhibit and engage audiences, so both halves matter: the work itself and the artist's ability to talk with visitors over two long days.
The listing does not mention an artist fee, pay, a stipend or a free table for selected artists. Applicants should not build a budget around any of those. If compensation or logistics matter to a decision, the grants contacts are the right people to ask before the deadline.
The Artist Call Is Not the Exhibitor Table
FITCE also sells exhibit tables, and the two routes are easy to confuse. The FITCE 2026 local exhibitor registration form lists a regular cost of $350 for a six-foot table with a tablecloth and two chairs, a listing in the exhibitor map distributed during the expo and general admission to FITCE 2026.
The form says parking is not included and electricity is not included with the cost of exhibitor registration. Exhibitors can buy electricity directly from the Convention Center through its online ordering system, and the form says early bird pricing for electrical services ends Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. Mandatory setup day is Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The county page adds that exhibitors must provide at least one person to staff the table during expo hours.
Food and beverage samples need written authorization from the Convention Center before distribution, and selling food or beverages for on-site consumption is not permitted, according to the form. The county page lists Oct. 30, 2026, as the registration deadline for local exhibitor tables, with limited space available. Questions about exhibitor tables go to the Broward County Office of Economic and Small Business Development at 954-357-6400.
Buying a table is a purchase. Being picked for the artist program is a selection by the Cultural Program Committee. A creative business weighing both should read the terms of each and decide which route fits its goals before Oct. 30.
Getting There and Key Dates
The county lists the conference location as the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center, Atlantic Ballroom in the new east expansion, 1950 Eisenhower Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. Attendees may park in the Convention Center garage, and the county notes that parking can be paid by credit or debit card only, with no cash accepted.
The calendar is compact. Artist applications and local exhibitor registration both close Oct. 30, 2026. General admission registration is listed through Nov. 16, 2026. Exhibitor setup is Nov. 17, and the expo runs Nov. 18 and 19.
Artists looking for more ways into the regional scene can read the Gazette's look at how Broward's arts infrastructure is fueling the creator economy, and those running a studio as a business may find the overview of Broward small business grants useful for planning beyond November.
Sources
Broward Cultural Division, Submittable page, FITCE 2026 Call to Artists listing.
Broward County, Florida International Trade and Cultural Expo (FITCE) official page.
Broward County Office of Economic and Small Business Development, FITCE 2026 Local Exhibitor Registration form.
Related
How Broward's arts infrastructure is fueling the creator economy outside Miami
Broward small business grants: what local owners should know before they apply
Key Facts for Owners and Search
When is the FITCE 2026 artist application deadline?
Applications for the FITCE 2026 Call to Artists are due Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, on or before 11:59 p.m. They are submitted through the Broward Cultural Division's Submittable page, where applicants need a free Submittable account or a Google or Facebook sign-in, and where a draft can be saved and finished later.
Who is eligible for the FITCE Call to Artists?
Practicing emerging and professional artists who are at least 18, live in Broward County and have lived there continuously for the 12 consecutive months before applying are eligible. Full-time undergraduate and graduate art students may also apply. Hobby artists and employees, consultants, board members or funders of the Broward Cultural Council or Division are not eligible.
When and where is FITCE 2026?
FITCE 2026 runs Wednesday, Nov. 18, and Thursday, Nov. 19, 2026, in the Atlantic Ballroom of the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center, 1950 Eisenhower Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. General admission is free, and the county lists Nov. 16, 2026, as the general admission registration deadline. Garage parking accepts credit or debit cards only.
Who picks the artists for FITCE 2026?
The FITCE Cultural Program Committee selects the professional artists who exhibit and engage audiences during the expo. Submitting an application does not guarantee a spot. Questions go to the county's FITCE office at FITCE@broward.org or 954-357-6400, the contact listed on Broward County's official FITCE page.
Is the $350 exhibitor table the same as the artist application?
No. The $350 local exhibitor table is a purchase that includes a six-foot table, tablecloth, two chairs, an exhibitor map listing and general admission, with parking and electricity extra and mandatory setup on Nov. 17. The artist program is a separate application reviewed by the Cultural Program Committee. Both close Oct. 30, 2026.
