Last verified August 15, 2026. FABTECH 2026 runs October 21–23, 2026 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The official event lists more than 1,400 exhibitors, over 31,000 attendees and more than 700,000 square feet of manufacturing technology across seven pavilions.
This guide covers the details visitors need before booking: show hours, admission timing, venue address, exhibitor and floor-plan tools, the mobile app and a practical way to organize supplier meetings across a very large show floor.
FABTECH 2026 Quick Facts
- Dates: October 21–23, 2026
- Venue: Las Vegas Convention Center
- Address: 3150 Paradise Road, Las Vegas, NV 89109
- Expo hours: Wednesday 9:00 AM–5:00 PM; Thursday 9:00 AM–5:00 PM; Friday 9:00 AM–4:00 PM
- Show-floor admission: complimentary when registered before October 16; $50 after that date and onsite
- Official planning source: FABTECH 2026
What Is FABTECH?
FABTECH is a North American event for metal forming, fabricating, welding and finishing. The show is built for manufacturers, job shops, engineers, operations leaders, buyers, distributors, integrators and equipment suppliers comparing production technologies in person.
The 2026 edition returns to Las Vegas for the first time in ten years. Visitors can use live demonstrations to compare equipment, automation, software and process improvements that are difficult to evaluate through specification sheets alone.
Registration and Admission
The official event states that show-floor admission is free if registration is completed before October 16, 2026. Registration after that deadline and onsite carries a $50 fee. Conference sessions or special programs may have separate requirements, so review the current registration selections before checkout.
Register only through the official event site. If attending with a team, assign different pavilions or technology categories in advance so the group does not duplicate the same research.
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FABTECH Exhibitor List, Floor Plan and Pavilions
The official site provides a searchable exhibitor directory and an interactive floor plan. The show is organized into seven pavilions, making category-first planning more efficient than reading the exhibitor list alphabetically.
- Automation and robotics
- Forming and fabricating
- Welding
- Finishing
- Tube and pipe
- Stamping and press automation
- Supporting software, safety, material handling and services
For each shortlisted exhibitor, record the booth, pavilion, relevant technology, target stakeholder and one question you need answered. That turns a large directory into a usable route.
Use the FABTECH Mobile App
The official mobile app includes current exhibitor, speaker and event information, real-time alerts, personal scheduling, saved exhibitors and interactive floor navigation. Download it before traveling and sign in early; setting up the schedule onsite wastes valuable show-floor time.
What to Evaluate on the Show Floor
- Production fit: material types, part sizes, tolerances and throughput ranges.
- Integration: compatibility with existing machines, software, controls and quality systems.
- Implementation: lead time, installation requirements, training and support coverage.
- Economics: labor impact, consumables, maintenance, energy use and expected payback.
- Risk: safety, compliance, service availability and critical replacement parts.
Collect answers in a consistent format. A photo of a machine without context is not useful after the show; capture the booth, contact, use case, constraint and agreed follow-up.
How B2B Teams Can Prepare
- Define priority manufacturing segments and the problems your offer solves.
- Filter the exhibitor directory by pavilion and technology category.
- Rank accounts using ICP fit, buyer overlap, geographic coverage and current expansion signals.
- Identify operations, engineering, procurement and executive stakeholders.
- Book high-value meetings before the show and reserve open blocks for discovery.
- Assign a next action and owner before leaving each meeting.
Lensmor can help organize exhibitor and company information into a prioritized account list with verified decision-maker contacts. Event participation is a useful signal, but it should be combined with company fit and human review before outreach.
How to Divide FABTECH Across a Team
With 1,400 exhibitors across more than 700,000 square feet, a single alphabetical booth list is not a workable plan. Divide responsibility by manufacturing problem or pavilion, then use one shared evaluation template. For example, one team member can cover cutting and forming, another welding and joining, and another automation, software and quality systems.
Schedule a short review at the end of each day. The purpose is not to share every brochure; it is to identify the few suppliers that merit a technical follow-up, sample test, plant visit or commercial proposal.
Questions to Ask During a Live Demonstration
- Was the demonstrated part and material representative of normal production or optimized for the show?
- Which tooling, consumables, software modules and peripheral equipment are required?
- What throughput, accuracy and changeover assumptions produced the result?
- What floor space, utilities, extraction, guarding and operator skills are required?
- How long are delivery, installation, training and acceptance testing?
- Who provides local service, and which critical parts are stocked in the target region?
- What data can be exported to existing MES, ERP or quality systems?
Build a Post-Show Business Case
Before FABTECH, create a baseline for the process you want to improve: current cycle time, scrap, labor, downtime, maintenance, energy and capacity constraints. After the show, compare shortlisted solutions against the same baseline. Include installation, training, tooling, integration and ramp-up—not only the equipment price.
Use three decision labels: validate now, research later and not a fit. This prevents a large stack of contacts from turning into unfocused follow-up. For “validate now” suppliers, agree on one next proof point such as a part trial, application review, quotation or reference call.
FABTECH Visitor Checklist
- Register before October 16 to avoid the listed show-floor fee.
- Save the current floor plan and confirm booth locations again before travel.
- Bring drawings or requirements that can be discussed without exposing confidential information.
- Assign demo questions and buying criteria before entering the hall.
- Photograph booth signs with every machine or sample so notes remain attributable.
- Book post-show technical reviews while the correct specialists are identified.
FABTECH 2026 Frequently Asked Questions
When is FABTECH 2026?
FABTECH 2026 runs Wednesday, October 21 through Friday, October 23, 2026.
What are the FABTECH 2026 show hours?
The expo is open 9:00 AM–5:00 PM Wednesday and Thursday, and 9:00 AM–4:00 PM Friday.
Where is FABTECH 2026?
The event takes place at the Las Vegas Convention Center, 3150 Paradise Road, Las Vegas, Nevada.
How much is FABTECH admission?
Show-floor admission is complimentary when registered before October 16, 2026. After that date and onsite, the official event lists a $50 registration fee.
How many exhibitors are expected?
The official 2026 event overview lists more than 1,400 exhibitors across more than 700,000 square feet.
Where can I find the floor plan?
Use the exhibitor list and floor-plan tools on the official FABTECH site or in the official mobile app.
Shirley An
Shirley An is a Growth Marketing specialist at Lensmor, writing about trade shows, event prospecting, and B2B growth. Lensmor helps teams identify ICP-matched exhibitors and likely attendees, and find verified decision-maker contacts for outreach before the event.
