ATS vs CHEST for Exhibitors
Side-by-side data and our editorial take on which conference is the right exhibit investment for your medical device.
By Buzzbox Media · Last reviewed August 3, 2026
If you exhibit medical devices, ATS and CHEST are likely both on your shortlist. Both serve overlapping clinical buyers, but the audience composition, booth economics, and exhibit floor experience differ in ways that materially affect ROI. ATS draws 10,500 attendees with an estimated all-in 10×10 of $10,000-$18,000, read from the published exhibitor prospectus. CHEST draws 5,000 attendees with no booth pricing published by the organizer. Below is the side-by-side data plus our editorial take on which conference fits which kind of exhibitor.
| 9.5 ATS | 7.6 CHEST | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | ||
| Buzzbox Score | 9.5 (Exceptional) | 7.6 (Strong) |
| Event Details | ||
| Dates | May 15-20, 2026 (pre-conference May 15-16, exhibit hall May 17-19) | October 18-21, 2026 |
| Location | Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL | Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, AZ |
| Scale | mega | large |
| Audience | ||
| Attendees | 10,500 | 5,000 |
| Exhibitors | n/a | n/a |
| Purchasing authority | ~45% | ~50% |
| Effective buyers | 4,725 | 2,500 |
| Costs | ||
| $/sqft | n/a | n/a |
| 10×10 space | n/a | n/a |
| All-in estimate | Est. $10,000-$18,000 | n/a |
| Cost per buyer | $2.96 | n/a |
Why exhibit at ATS
The global meeting for pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. 10,500 attendees: larger than you'd expect for a subspecialty conference. Exceptional fit for ventilator manufacturers, pulmonary diagnostic equipment, respiratory devices, and sleep technology. Booth pricing is very reasonable at $5,000 for a 10x10.
Why exhibit at CHEST
The leading clinical meeting for chest medicine. While ATS skews academic/research, CHEST is where practicing pulmonologists and critical care physicians come for hands-on clinical education. More clinically actionable audience means better buyer intent for device and equipment vendors. Excellent for bronchoscopy, ventilation, and respiratory monitoring companies.
Why skip ATS
If your product is not pulmonary/respiratory/sleep-specific, the audience is too niche. Also very research-heavy: many attendees are academic researchers, not purchasing decision-makers. Buy cycles can be long.
Why skip CHEST
Smaller than ATS (5,000 vs 10,500) so raw lead volume will be lower. Same audience overlap: many attendees go to both ATS and CHEST. If budget is tight, pick one.
ATS booth figures are estimates read from its published exhibitor prospectus ↗, not quotes. CHEST publishes no booth pricing we can link to, so no cost is listed for it. See the official CHEST site ↗ for exhibitor details. Confirm current pricing with each organizer before committing a budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does ATS or CHEST have more decision makers?
ATS does, on our estimate: roughly 4,725 effective buyers against about 2,500 at CHEST. Effective buyers multiplies total attendance by the share of attendees who hold purchasing authority, so ATS works out to about 10,500 attendees at roughly 45% authority, and CHEST to about 5,000 at roughly 50%. Both inputs are estimates drawn from organizer reporting and our own exhibitor research, so read the gap as directional rather than exact.
Want to add a third conference to this comparison?
Compare these conferences in our interactive tool →Other conferences you might consider
Buzzbox Media is a medical device advertising agency with over 15 years in medtech. See our conference marketing.