AACN NTI 2026
Overview
The largest trade show dedicated to critical care nurses -- 6,000+ attendees who are increasingly involved in product evaluation, value analysis committees, and purchasing decisions. Excellent for patient monitoring, infusion systems, ventilators, and bedside devices. Nurses influence >80% of hospital purchasing decisions at the unit level. ExpoEd sessions let you run CE-accredited education in your booth.
Key Facts
- Host organization: American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
- Primary specialty: critical care nursing
- Scale: large
- Geography: US National (rotates)
- International attendance: ~5%
Best For
Buyer Stage Fit
Booth Costs
Booth pricing not yet verified for AACN NTI. Request our research →
All-In Cost Estimate (10×10 Inline)
| Space rental | — |
| Drayage | $1,200 – $2,500 |
| Electrical (20A) | $300 – $450 |
| Carpet/padding | $200 – $400 |
| Cleaning (3 days) | $150 – $250 |
| Lead retrieval (1 unit) | $400 – $900 |
| Wi-Fi | $500 – $1,500 |
| Estimated total | $10,000 – $20,000 |
Does not include travel, staffing, booth display, or marketing materials.
Audience
More than 6,000 influential nurses in acute, progressive and critical care. The largest, most comprehensive trade show for critical care nurses. Nurses are increasingly involved in product evaluation and purchasing committee decisions.
- Purchasing authority: ~50% of attendees
- Effective buyers: ~3,000
- Cost per effective buyer: $5 ($15,000 all-in ÷ 3,000 buyers)
- International attendance: ~5%
Venue & Logistics
- Venue: San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA
- Management company: In-house
- Product theater: Available
- Move-in: May 16-18, 2026 (Sat 8AM-5PM, Sun 7AM-5PM, Mon 7AM-5PM)
- Move-out: May 20, 2026 (3PM-8PM) and May 21, 2026 (8AM-5PM)
Who Else Exhibits
Exhibitor data coming soon for AACN NTI.
Our Take
Why Exhibit
The largest trade show dedicated to critical care nurses -- 6,000+ attendees who are increasingly involved in product evaluation, value analysis committees, and purchasing decisions. Excellent for patient monitoring, infusion systems, ventilators, and bedside devices. Nurses influence >80% of hospital purchasing decisions at the unit level. ExpoEd sessions let you run CE-accredited education in your booth.
Why Skip
Nurses rarely have final purchasing authority -- they influence but don't sign POs. If you need C-suite or biomed engineering sign-off, this show generates awareness but not closed deals. Only 2 exhibit days means limited contact time.
Insider Tips
The ExpoEd (continuing education on the exhibit floor) is the secret weapon here. Nurses attend NTI specifically for CE credits -- if your product demo qualifies as a CE session, you get a captive audience. The 2-day exhibit window means day 1 (Tuesday) is critical for traffic.
Buzzbox Score: 8.8 / 10 (Excellent)
8.8 out of 10. A top-tier show worth a serious line item. Carried by editorial value (9.8: solid exhibitor rationale and honest "who should skip" guidance). The lightest dimension is audience quality (7.3, 50% purchasing authority (moderate)). The largest trade show dedicated to critical care nurses -- 6,000+ attendees who are increasingly involved in product evaluation, value analysis committees, and purchasing decisions.
How we score
Six weighted factors, each scored on a 0 to 100 rubric then normalized to a 7.0 to 10.0 band. Every show on this list cleared a relevance bar to be included, so 7.0 is the floor; the number tells you how far the leaders pull ahead.
Solid (7.3): 50% purchasing authority (moderate) and large-scale event.
Strong (8.1): $40/sqft, slightly above the $39 median.
Strong (8.8): booth pricing published, exhibitor prospectus available, and exhibitor count disclosed.
Standout (9.4): society-run exhibits (in-house), non-union venue (simpler, cheaper move-in), and exhibitor-friendly host city.
Standout (9.8): solid exhibitor rationale, honest "who should skip" guidance, and the flagship / largest show in its niche.
Strong (8.8): large and well-established and ~250 exhibitors.
Key Deadlines
Detailed deadlines not yet verified for AACN NTI. Check the official site for the application window.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a booth cost at AACN NTI?
An all-in 10×10 booth at AACN NTI runs roughly $10,000–$20,000, including space rental, drayage, electrical, carpet, and basic services. Travel, staffing, and booth display are additional.
How many people attend AACN NTI?
AACN NTI draws approximately 6,000 attendees. More than 6,000 influential nurses in acute, progressive and critical care. The largest, most comprehensive trade show for critical care nurses. Nurses are increasingly involved in product evaluation and purchasing committee decisions.
When is AACN NTI ?
AACN NTI is scheduled for May 17-20, 2026 (full NTI), May 19-20, 2026 (exhibit dates), Virtual June 15-17, 2026. Location: San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA.
Is AACN NTI worth exhibiting at?
The largest trade show dedicated to critical care nurses -- 6,000+ attendees who are increasingly involved in product evaluation, value analysis committees, and purchasing decisions. Excellent for patient monitoring, infusion systems, ventilators, and bedside devices.