APA 2026
Overview
The world's largest psychiatric meeting with 15,000+ attendees across all mental health disciplines. If you sell psychotropic medications, neurostimulation devices (TMS, ECT, VNS), telepsychiatry platforms, or mental health digital therapeutics, APA Annual Meeting is the mandatory anchor show. The growing emphasis on measurement-based care creates opportunities for diagnostic and outcome tracking tools.
Key Facts
- Host organization: American Psychiatric Association
- Primary specialty: psychiatry
- Scale: mega
- Geography: US National
- International attendance: ~20%
Best For
Buyer Stage Fit
Booth Costs
Booth pricing not yet verified for APA. 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 | $15,000 – $30,000 |
Does not include travel, staffing, booth display, or marketing materials.
Audience
APA's Annual Meeting is the world's largest psychiatric meeting, welcoming 10,000+ attendees from around the world. Represents various disciplines in mental health including psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, psychologists. 4.5 days of programming. Historically draws 12,000-16,000 attendees depending on venue city.
- Purchasing authority: ~45% of attendees
- Effective buyers: ~6,750
- Cost per effective buyer: $3.33 ($22,500 all-in ÷ 6,750 buyers)
- International attendance: ~20%
Venue & Logistics
- Venue: Moscone Center, San Francisco, CA
- Management company: APA (in-house)
- Product theater: Available
Who Else Exhibits
Exhibitor data coming soon for APA.
Our Take
Why Exhibit
The world's largest psychiatric meeting with 15,000+ attendees across all mental health disciplines. If you sell psychotropic medications, neurostimulation devices (TMS, ECT, VNS), telepsychiatry platforms, or mental health digital therapeutics, APA Annual Meeting is the mandatory anchor show. The growing emphasis on measurement-based care creates opportunities for diagnostic and outcome tracking tools.
Why Skip
Heavily pharma-dominated exhibit hall -- device and digital health companies may get overshadowed by blockbuster drug exhibits. The audience is primarily prescribers, not capital equipment buyers. Booth pricing is opaque. San Francisco's Moscone Center adds high venue and labor costs.
Insider Tips
APA skews pharma-heavy on the exhibit floor (antipsychotics, antidepressants, stimulants) but the digital therapeutics and neurostimulation segments are growing fast. TMS companies (Neuronetics, BrainsWay, MagVenture) have strong presence. Moscone Center is a union venue -- budget $150-200/hr for labor. San Francisco hotel costs are among the highest of any US conference city.
Buzzbox Score: 7.8 / 10 (Strong)
7.8 out of 10. A solid, dependable show for the right exhibitor. Carried by growth trajectory (9.4: mega-scale and stable and growing year over year). The lightest dimension is data transparency (7.4, booth pricing published). The world's largest psychiatric meeting with 15,000+ attendees across all mental health disciplines.
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 (7.4): 45% purchasing authority (moderate) and mega-scale floor (15,000 attendees).
Solid (7.9): $40/sqft, slightly above the $39 median and union convention center (drayage / labor adds up).
Solid (7.4): booth pricing published, attendee purchasing-authority data published, and all-in cost estimate available.
Strong (8.4): society-run exhibits (in-house), product theater / demo stage available, and mega-show logistics are well-rehearsed.
Standout (9.3): solid exhibitor rationale, honest "who should skip" guidance, and the flagship / largest show in its niche.
Standout (9.4): mega-scale and stable, growing year over year, and 15,000 attendees.
Key Deadlines
| Deadline | Date |
|---|---|
| Meeting Dates | 2026-05-16 to 2026-05-20 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a booth cost at APA?
An all-in 10×10 booth at APA runs roughly $15,000–$30,000, including space rental, drayage, electrical, carpet, and basic services. Travel, staffing, and booth display are additional.
How many people attend APA?
APA draws approximately 15,000 attendees. APA's Annual Meeting is the world's largest psychiatric meeting, welcoming 10,000+ attendees from around the world. Represents various disciplines in mental health including psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, psychologists. 4.5 days of programming. Historically draws 12,000-16,000 attendees depending on venue city.
When is APA ?
APA is scheduled for May 16-20, 2026. Location: Moscone Center, San Francisco, CA.
Is APA worth exhibiting at?
The world's largest psychiatric meeting with 15,000+ attendees across all mental health disciplines. If you sell psychotropic medications, neurostimulation devices (TMS, ECT, VNS), telepsychiatry platforms, or mental health digital therapeutics, APA Annual Meeting is the mandatory anchor show.