AATS 2026
By Buzzbox Media · Last reviewed August 3, 2026
What is AATS?
The most prestigious thoracic surgery meeting in the world. If you sell surgical staplers, robotic thoracic surgery platforms, ECMO equipment, thoracic instruments, or heart valves, AATS delivers the global elite of cardiothoracic surgery. At $42.40/sqft, the pricing is reasonable for the quality of the audience. The Welcome Reception in the exhibit hall guarantees opening-night foot traffic.
What are the key facts about AATS?
- Host organization: American Association for Thoracic Surgery
- Primary specialty: thoracic surgery
- Scale: large
- Geography: International
- International attendance: ~30%
- See all Surgery conferences
Which device categories fit AATS?
Which buyer stages does AATS fit?
What does AATS charge for booth space?
Read from the AATS exhibitor prospectus published by American Association for Thoracic Surgery. The rates are the organizer’s own; the 10×10 totals are our arithmetic on them. View the prospectus ↗
| Booth Type | $/sqft | 10×10 Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard booth | $42.40 | $4,240 | Includes 8ft back wall drape, 3ft side rails, 7x44 in ID sign |
| Corner booth | $45.00 | $4,500 | Min 100 sqft |
| Island booth | $46.25 | $4,625 | Excludes back wall drape and side rails |
What does an all-in 10×10 inline booth cost?
| Space rental | $4,240 |
| Estimated all-in total | $12,000-$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 AATS booth itself? Read our guide to medical conference booth design for booth types, union labor rules, and the corner upgrade.
Who attends AATS?
2025 meeting drew 2,400+ professionals and 114 exhibitors. 2026 expects 3,000+ attendees. The most prestigious thoracic surgery meeting in the world. Faculty includes the global leaders in CT surgery.
- Purchasing authority: ~60% of attendees
- Effective buyers: ~1,800
- Cost per effective buyer: $8.89 ($16,000 all-in ÷ 1,800 buyers)
- International attendance: ~30%
Where is AATS held?
- Venue: McCormick Place Lakeside Center, Chicago, IL
- Management company: A. Fassano & Company (AFCo)
- Product theater: Available
Who else exhibits at AATS?
Approximately 114+ exhibitors typically attend AATS. Your competitors are here.
Is AATS worth exhibiting?
Why Exhibit
The most prestigious thoracic surgery meeting in the world. If you sell surgical staplers, robotic thoracic surgery platforms, ECMO equipment, thoracic instruments, or heart valves, AATS delivers the global elite of cardiothoracic surgery. At $42.40/sqft, the pricing is reasonable for the quality of the audience. The Welcome Reception in the exhibit hall guarantees opening-night foot traffic.
Why Skip
Narrow audience: pure cardiothoracic surgery. Non-CT-surgery devices have no buyer here. McCormick Place union labor and drayage adds significant cost on top of booth space. The audience skews academic/research. Pure commercial companies need clinical data to be credible.
What should exhibitors know before AATS?
AATS is managed by AFCo (same as ASTRO, HRS). If you exhibit at multiple AFCo shows, leverage the relationship for better booth placement and pricing. McCormick Place is expensive for drayage ($110-180/CWT) and union labor ($100-150/hr), so budget accordingly. The Saturday evening Welcome Reception in the exhibit hall is a unique feature that drives early booth traffic.
What is the Buzzbox Score for AATS?
9.2 / 10 (Exceptional)
9.2 out of 10. One of the strongest exhibiting opportunities in our index. Carried by data transparency (9.4: booth pricing published and exhibitor prospectus available). The lightest dimension is cost efficiency (7.6, $42.40/sqft, right at the dataset median). The most prestigious thoracic surgery meeting in the world.
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.
Strong (8.5): 60% purchasing authority and large-scale event.
Solid (7.6): $42.40/sqft, right at the dataset median, cost per qualified buyer runs ~$8.9, and union convention center (drayage / labor adds up).
Standout (9.4): booth pricing published, exhibitor prospectus available, and 3 booth options documented.
Standout (9.1): run by Fassano/AFCO (strong exhibitor support) and product theater / demo stage available.
Standout (9.3): solid exhibitor rationale, honest "who should skip" guidance, and strong networking program.
Strong (8.5): large and well-established.
When are the AATS exhibitor deadlines?
| Deadline | Date |
|---|---|
| Welcome Reception Exhibit | 2026-05-02 5:15PM-7:15PM |
| Exhibit Hall Open | 2026-05-03 to 2026-05-04 9:00AM-4:30PM |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a booth cost at AATS?
AATS publishes an exhibitor prospectus, and read from it an all-in 10×10 booth works out to roughly $12,000-$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 AATS?
AATS draws approximately 3,000 attendees. 2025 meeting drew 2,400+ professionals and 114 exhibitors. 2026 expects 3,000+ attendees. The most prestigious thoracic surgery meeting in the world. Faculty includes the global leaders in CT surgery.
When and where is AATS 2026?
AATS 2026 takes place May 2-5, 2026. The venue is McCormick Place Lakeside Center, Chicago, IL. American Association for Thoracic Surgery hosts the meeting.
How many AATS attendees have purchasing authority?
About 60% of AATS attendees hold purchasing authority, which works out to roughly 1,800 effective buyers out of approximately 3,000 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.
Who exhibits at AATS?
Approximately 114+ exhibitors typically attend AATS. The device categories that fit this floor are surgical instruments, capital equipment, robotics, imaging equipment, implants, and energy devices.
How does Buzzbox Media score AATS?
AATS carries a Buzzbox Score of 9.2 out of 10 (Exceptional). 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 data transparency at 9.4 and the lowest is cost efficiency at 7.6.