The International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) has announced its 2026 Annual Conference, scheduled for May 29 through 31 at the Hyatt Regency in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The conference is the premier gathering of the professional business brokerage community, bringing together brokers, intermediaries, and industry professionals from across the country and internationally for education sessions, deal-making networking, and professional credential programs. The conference agenda is expected to address the current market dynamics reshaping deal flow in the lower-middle market, including the impact of SBA lending rule changes that took effect in March 2026. New citizenship requirements for SBA 7(a) and 504 loan applicants have narrowed the pool of qualified buyers, affecting deal timelines and requiring brokers to adjust how they qualify potential acquirers during early-stage conversations. The 2026 gathering comes against a backdrop of cautious optimism. BizBuySell's Q1 2026 data shows 2,345 businesses changed hands in the quarter with a median sale price of $350,000 — holding steady year-over-year — while nearly two thirds of active brokers expect deal volume to increase over the next six months. Manufacturing sector transactions jumped 16 percent year-over-year in Q1, one of the strongest signals of sector-specific momentum in the current cycle. For business brokerage firms competing for seller and buyer clients in a maturing digital search environment, search visibility is increasingly important to deal flow. Purpose-built business broker SEO services help brokerage practices rank for the high-intent queries that motivated sellers and qualified buyers use when they begin looking for representation. Source: PRNewswire.com — The International Business Brokers Association Announces Its 2026 Annual Conference for Business Brokers (prnewswire.com)