AACN NTI 2026
By Buzzbox Media · Last reviewed August 3, 2026
What is AACN NTI?
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.
What are the key facts about AACN NTI?
- Host organization: American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
- Primary specialty: critical care nursing
- Scale: large
- Geography: US National (rotates)
- International attendance: ~5%
- See all Nursing conferences
Which device categories fit AACN NTI?
Which buyer stages does AACN NTI fit?
What does AACN NTI charge for booth space?
AACN NTI publishes an exhibitor prospectus, and the figure below is an estimate read from it rather than a quote. View the prospectus ↗
What does an all-in 10×10 inline booth cost?
| Estimated all-in total | $10,000-$20,000 |
Buzzbox Media estimate covering space rental plus standard show services. Not a quote and not the organizer's number. Does not include travel, staffing, booth display, or marketing materials. Confirm current pricing with the organizer.
Planning the AACN NTI booth itself? Read our guide to medical conference booth design for booth types, union labor rules, and the corner upgrade.
Who attends AACN NTI?
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%
Where is AACN NTI held?
- 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 at AACN NTI?
Exhibitor data coming soon for AACN NTI.
Is AACN NTI worth exhibiting?
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.
What should exhibitors know before AACN NTI?
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.
What is the Buzzbox Score for AACN NTI?
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): $47/sqft, slightly above the $42.50 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.
When are the AACN NTI exhibitor deadlines?
Detailed deadlines not yet published for AACN NTI. Check the official site for the application window.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a booth cost at AACN NTI?
AACN NTI publishes an exhibitor prospectus, and read from it an all-in 10×10 booth works out to roughly $10,000-$20,000, covering space rental plus standard show services. Travel, staffing, and booth display are additional. This is an estimate read from a published prospectus, not a quote, so confirm current pricing with the organizer.
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 and where is AACN NTI 2026?
AACN NTI 2026 takes place May 17-20, 2026 (full NTI), May 19-20, 2026 (exhibit dates), Virtual June 15-17, 2026. The venue is San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA. American Association of Critical-Care Nurses hosts the meeting. Exhibitor move-in is listed as May 16-18, 2026 (Sat 8AM-5PM, Sun 7AM-5PM, Mon 7AM-5PM).
How many AACN NTI attendees have purchasing authority?
About 50% of AACN NTI attendees hold purchasing authority, which works out to roughly 3,000 effective buyers out of approximately 6,000 attendees. Effective buyers multiplies total attendance by the share of attendees who hold purchasing authority. Both inputs are estimates drawn from organizer reporting and our own exhibitor research, so read the figure as directional rather than exact.
How does Buzzbox Media score AACN NTI?
AACN NTI carries a Buzzbox Score of 8.8 out of 10 (Excellent). The score weighs six factors: audience quality, cost efficiency, data transparency, exhibitor experience, editorial value, and growth trajectory. Each factor is scored on a 0 to 100 rubric then normalized to a 7.0 to 10.0 band, and every conference in our index cleared a relevance bar to be listed, so 7.0 is the floor. On this record the highest is editorial value at 9.8 and the lowest is audience quality at 7.3.
Why should medical device companies exhibit at AACN NTI?
Critical care nurses are key influencers in hospital purchasing decisions for patient monitoring, vascular access, ventilator accessories, and ICU safety products. 50% of AACN NTI attendees have direct input on purchasing decisions, and their clinical feedback drives value analysis committee recommendations at most health systems.
What products are best suited for AACN NTI exhibitors?
AACN NTI is ideal for patient monitoring devices, vascular access products (PICC lines, central lines), ventilator accessories and weaning tools, IV infusion systems, pressure ulcer prevention equipment, ECG and bedside monitoring platforms, and clinical education technology for ICU settings.