Trade Shows and Expos: Upcoming Events for Buyers and Suppliers
October 14, 2026 | ATN Trade & Finance
The next three weeks are among the densest on the trade show calendar, with major events across packaging, food, technology, aviation, and advanced manufacturing running simultaneously across North America, Europe, and the Gulf.
This Week
Several flagship events are already underway. GITEX Global is running through October 16 at the Dubai World Trade Centre — one of the largest technology shows globally, with more than 6,000 exhibitors this year covering AI, cloud, cybersecurity, and smart city infrastructure. Anuga Food Fair in Cologne wraps up October 14 with 7,800+ exhibitors across food and beverage, making it the world's largest trade fair for the food industry. For North American buyers, The Battery Show North America (Detroit, through October 15) and SEMICON West (San Francisco, through October 15) close out their runs this week in advanced energy and semiconductor manufacturing respectively.
Next Week: The Big Three in North America
Three events that together draw hundreds of thousands of attendees open next week. PACK EXPO International takes over McCormick Place in Chicago from October 18–21 — the flagship event for packaging and processing technology, drawing buyers and suppliers from food, beverage, pharma, and consumer products manufacturing. NBAA-BACE (National Business Aviation Association Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition) runs October 20–22 in Las Vegas, the premier event for business aviation buyers, charter operators, and OEMs. FABTECH, the largest metal forming, fabricating, welding, and finishing show in North America, opens October 21–23, also in Las Vegas.
Late October and November
The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (October 28–November 1) draws marine industry buyers across superyachts, recreational vessels, and marine technology. In November, key international events include: CIIE in Shanghai (November 5–10, 3,400+ exhibitors across imported goods and services), Web Summit in Lisbon (November 9–12, 2,600+ attendees from global tech), Agritechnica in Hannover (November 8–14, 2,800+ exhibitors, world's leading agricultural machinery show), and MEDICA in Düsseldorf (November 16–19, 5,300+ exhibitors, the global benchmark for medical devices and hospital equipment).
What this means for buyers and suppliers: The concentration of major shows in the next 30 days represents the peak sourcing window before Q4 purchasing decisions close. Companies in packaging, food processing, manufacturing, and medtech have multiple opportunities for in-person supplier meetings and product demonstrations before year-end procurement cycles lock.
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