ASA 2026
By Buzzbox Media · Last reviewed August 3, 2026
What is ASA?
The largest anesthesia education conference in the world. 14,000 attendees with 73% being physician anesthesiologists: the people who specify anesthesia machines, monitors, airway devices, and infusion pumps. 51% academic practice means strong KOL access for publications and clinical adoption.
What are the key facts about ASA?
- Host organization: American Society of Anesthesiologists
- Primary specialty: anesthesiology
- Scale: mega
- Geography: International
- International attendance: ~20%
- See all Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine conferences
Which device categories fit ASA?
Which buyer stages does ASA fit?
What does ASA charge for booth space?
Read from the ASA exhibitor prospectus published by American Society of Anesthesiologists. 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 | $51.00 | $5,100 | Min 100 sqft |
| Premium | $54.50 | $5,450 | Min 100 sqft |
| Corner premium | n/a | $300 |
What does an all-in 10×10 inline booth cost?
| Space rental | $5,100 |
| Estimated all-in total | $9,000-$16,000 |
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 ASA booth itself? Read our guide to medical conference booth design for booth types, union labor rules, and the corner upgrade.
Who attends ASA?
14,000+ global anesthesia professionals. 73% physician anesthesiologists, 10% interns/residents, 7% medical students, 3% retired, 1% fellows. Practice type: 51% academic, 16% multi-specialty, 17% single-specialty, 8% solo/two-physician. 300+ exhibiting companies.
- Purchasing authority: ~45% of attendees
- Effective buyers: ~6,300
- Cost per effective buyer: $1.98 ($12,500 all-in ÷ 6,300 buyers)
- International attendance: ~20%
Where is ASA held?
- Venue: San Diego, CA (San Diego Convention Center)
- Management company: Showcare
Who else exhibits at ASA?
Exhibitor data coming soon for ASA.
Is ASA worth exhibiting?
Why Exhibit
The largest anesthesia education conference in the world. 14,000 attendees with 73% being physician anesthesiologists: the people who specify anesthesia machines, monitors, airway devices, and infusion pumps. 51% academic practice means strong KOL access for publications and clinical adoption.
Why Skip
At $51/sqft, this is the most expensive show in the batch. Anesthesiologists often work within hospital purchasing frameworks and may not have direct buying authority for capital equipment. If your product is not anesthesia-specific, the 14K attendees won't convert. Monday exhibit hall closes at 1:30pm.
What should exhibitors know before ASA?
Showcare manages the exhibits, not ASA in-house. The academic-heavy audience (51%) is a double-edged sword. Great for KOL relationships and publications, but academic docs are slower to convert to purchases than community practitioners. Premium locations carry a $54.50/sqft premium rate.
What is the Buzzbox Score for ASA?
9.3 / 10 (Exceptional)
9.3 out of 10. One of the strongest exhibiting opportunities in our index. Carried by data transparency (9.3: booth pricing published and exhibitor prospectus available). The lightest dimension is cost efficiency (7.9, $51/sqft, slightly above the $42.50 median). The largest anesthesia education conference 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 (8.7): 45% purchasing authority (moderate), 47:1 attendee ratio, and mega-scale floor (14,000 attendees).
Solid (7.9): $51/sqft, slightly above the $42.50 median.
Standout (9.3): booth pricing published, exhibitor prospectus available, and 3 booth options documented.
Standout (9.0): managed by Showcare, non-union venue (simpler, cheaper move-in), and exhibitor-friendly host city.
Strong (8.9): honest "who should skip" guidance, the flagship / largest show in its niche, and 300+ exhibitors (deep competitive intel).
Strong (8.8): mega-scale and stable, some uncertainty around the event, and ~300 exhibitors.
When are the ASA exhibitor deadlines?
Detailed deadlines not yet published for ASA. Check the official site for the application window.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a booth cost at ASA?
ASA publishes an exhibitor prospectus, and read from it an all-in 10×10 booth works out to roughly $9,000-$16,000, 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 ASA?
ASA draws approximately 14,000 attendees. 14,000+ global anesthesia professionals. 73% physician anesthesiologists, 10% interns/residents, 7% medical students, 3% retired, 1% fellows. Practice type: 51% academic, 16% multi-specialty, 17% single-specialty, 8% solo/two-physician. 300+ exhibiting companies.
When and where is ASA 2026?
ASA 2026 takes place October 16-20, 2026 (Exhibits October 17-19). The venue is San Diego, CA (San Diego Convention Center). American Society of Anesthesiologists hosts the meeting.
How many ASA attendees have purchasing authority?
About 45% of ASA attendees hold purchasing authority, which works out to roughly 6,300 effective buyers out of approximately 14,000 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 ASA?
ASA carries a Buzzbox Score of 9.3 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 9.3 and the lowest is cost efficiency at 7.9.