San Diego will host a strong lineup of conferences and expos throughout the year, supported by the San Diego Convention Center, nearby hotels, and a wide range of venues across the city. The region draws many research communities, trade associations, and technology groups, making san diego conferences a key part of the annual calendar for many organizations in California and across the country.
Professionals visit the area for its mix of coastal attractions, business districts, and well-known meeting facilities. Many programs take place downtown near the waterfront, the Gaslamp Quarter, and the convention district, while others spread across university campuses, the Del Mar Fairgrounds, and destinations such as country resort properties in Carlsbad, Oceanside, and Coronado.
Why San Diego Continues to Attract Global Events
San Diego attracts industry leaders, researchers, scientists, policymakers, and professionals involved in health, engineering, energy, and science. The city supports a steady flow of academic visitors, international conference delegations, and specialty trade groups interested in innovation, market updates, and collaboration.
Many international conferences are drawn to the region’s research institutions, biotech headquarters, and strong connection to university communities. These programs give attendees a chance to learn, share knowledge, explore innovations, and connect with partners on topics spanning biotech, smart materials, energy, climate science, engineering, food, healthcare, trade policy, and advanced manufacturing.
Participants join workshops, review latest tools, compare research programs, and follow market insights related to their interests and line of business. This creates lasting partnerships, active idea-sharing, and ongoing activity across the events ecosystem.
What to Expect From San Diego’s 2026 Event Calendar
The upcoming conferences in 2026 include meetings across life science, sustainability, engineering, biotech, and global policy. San Diego will host many groups in January, November, and December, with additional clusters of conference activity during the spring and summer.
Major programs take place at the San Diego Convention Center, one of the largest venues in the region. Other events take place at private hotels, corporate campuses, university halls, and exhibit spaces across the city, including the Del Mar Fairgrounds, waterfront pavilions, and properties throughout Del Mar and surrounding areas.
The schedule includes many special events, public gatherings, and professional shows. Some highlight the Animal Genome Conference, smart-materials programs, and science-policy forums, while others focus on trade show formats, expo halls, and business marketplaces. These programs often include booth rentals, exhibitions, workshops, and technical sessions.
Event categories include:
• biotech and science forums
• international conference gatherings
• technology and engineering events
• sustainability and solar summits
• private event programs for executives
• global society meetings
• American Association activities across health and policy
• creative-industry expos near Balboa Park
• wedding expo events for the planning community
• large expo and trade show programs for professionals across North America
Notable San Diego-area venues that support these events include:
• San Diego Convention Center
• Del Mar Fairgrounds
• downtown hotels
• Balboa Park cultural venues
• conference facilities in Carlsbad and Oceanside
• historic waterfront locations
Featured Events in San Diego
Below are some of the San Diego events that many industries follow closely. These conferences attract strong attendance, high-value programming, and international visibility across multiple sectors.
Winter FancyFaire 2026
11–13 Jan 2026
San Diego Convention Center | San Diego, United States
Plant and Animal Genome Conference 2026
9–14 Jan 2026
The Town & Country Resort | San Diego, United States
PepTalk 2026
19–22 Jan 2026
Hilton Bayfront | San Diego, United States
FMI Midwinter Executive Conference 2026
21–24 Jan 2026
Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center | San Diego, United States
Advanced Therapies Week 2026
9–12 Feb 2026
San Diego Convention Center | San Diego, United States
DISTRIBUTECH 2026
2–5 Feb 2026
San Diego Convention Center | San Diego, United States
Talent Acquisition Week Winter 2026
2–5 Feb 2026
Hyatt Regency Mission Bay | San Diego, United States
WEST 2026
10–12 Feb 2026
San Diego Convention Center | San Diego, United States
Intersolar & Energy Storage North America Flagship 2026
18–20 Feb 2026
San Diego Convention Center | San Diego, United States
Energy Storage North America 2026
18–20 Feb 2026
San Diego Convention Center | San Diego, United States
Payments MAGnified 2026
17–20 Feb 2026
Gaylord Pacific | San Diego, United States
Kidscreen Summit 2026
22–25 Feb 2026
TBA | San Diego, United States
Network and Distributed System Security Symposium 2026
23–27 Feb 2026
TBA | San Diego, United States
Orion Ascent 2026
24–27 Feb 2026
Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina | San Diego, United States
Vibe Conference 2026
23–25 Feb 2026
Town & Country Resort | San Diego, United States
ICBA LIVE 2026
6–9 Mar 2026
San Diego Convention Center | San Diego, United States
BioProcess International Conference & Exhibition 2026
9–11 Mar 2026
San Diego Convention Center | San Diego, United States
Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit 2026
16–18 Mar 2026
Loews Coronado Bay Resort | San Diego, United States
The HFA Show 2026
16–18 Mar 2026
TBA | San Diego, United States
CBA LIVE 2026
30 Mar–1 Apr 2026
Hilton San Diego Bayfront | San Diego, United States
Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention 2026
30 Mar–2 Apr 2026
San Diego Convention Center | San Diego, United States
CASBO Annual Conference & California School Business Expo 2026
31 Mar–2 Apr 2026
San Diego Convention Center | San Diego, United States
World of Coffee 2026
10–12 Apr 2026
San Diego Convention Center | San Diego, United States
ASU+GSV Summit 2026
12–15 Apr 2026
Manchester Grand Hyatt | San Diego, United States
Employee Health Care Conference San Diego 2026
15–17 Apr 2026
Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina | San Diego, United States
AACR Annual Meeting 2026
17–22 Apr 2026
San Diego Convention Center | San Diego, United States
Del Mar Electronics & Manufacturing Show 2026
22–23 Apr 2026
Del Mar Fairgrounds | San Diego, United States
AFP ICON 2026
26–28 Apr 2026
TBA | San Diego, United States
Smarter Faster Payments 2026
26–29 Apr 2026
San Diego Convention Center | San Diego, United States
Tableau Conference 2026
5–7 May 2026
San Diego Convention Center | San Diego, United States
FinovateSpring 2026
5–7 May 2026
Sheraton San Diego Resort | San Diego, United States
Enterprise Data World 2026
4–8 May 2026
The Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa | San Diego, United States
National Biotechnology Conference 2026
11–14 May 2026
Sheraton San Diego Resort | San Diego, United States
ICON 2026
17–20 May 2026
Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center | San Diego, United States
TechCon SoCal 2026
22–23 May 2026
San Diego State University | San Diego, United States
The ASTA Travel Advisor Conference 2026
27–29 May 2026
Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center | San Diego, United States
Realcomm IBcon 2026
3–4 Jun 2026
San Diego Convention Center | San Diego, United States
AIAA Conference on Architecture & Design 2026
10–13 Jun 2026
San Diego Convention Center | San Diego, United States
FinOps X San Diego 2026
8–11 Jun 2026
The Marriott Marquis | San Diego, United States
BIO International Convention 2026
22–25 Jun 2026
TBA | San Diego, United States
Esri User Conference 2026
13–17 Jul 2026
San Diego Convention Center | San Diego, United States
ChannelCon USA 2026
3–5 Aug 2026
TBA | San Diego, United States
GRC Conference 2026
17–19 Aug 2026
TBA | San Diego, United States
BrightonSEO San Diego 2026
15–16 Sept 2026
San Diego Convention Center | San Diego, United States
Women’s Venture Summit 2026
22–24 Sept 2026
TBA | San Diego, United States
WSIA Annual Marketplace 2026
11–14 Oct 2026
Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego | San Diego, United States
ANESTHESIOLOGY Annual Meeting 2026
16–20 Oct 2026
TBA | San Diego, United States
CRF TCT 2026
31 Oct–3 Nov 2026
San Diego Convention Center | San Diego, United States
HARDI Annual Conference 2026
7–10 Dec 2026
TBA | San Diego, United States
How Vendelux Supports 2026 Event Planning in San Diego
Vendelux is an event intelligence platform that helps teams search for the right events across San Diego and beyond. The available data shows exactly who plans to attend, which companies will exhibit, and what sponsorship options are open. Vendelux also highlights event organizers, expected attendees, and related activity so teams can filter by account match and industry type.
With Vendelux Meetings, companies can book conversations before they even arrive. The tool gives teams direct access to ICP contacts, allowing them to walk into the event with a full meeting schedule already planned. This improves planning for 2026, especially since many organizers adjust dates, formats, and exhibit plans as the year moves forward.
Teams can use Vendelux to:
• filter by conference category
• check attending companies
• confirm exhibitor details
• review expo insights
• compare shows across North America
• build a list of priority programs
• set meetings in advance
Planning Your Trip
Many san diego conferences take place near the waterfront, giving visitors access to restaurants, hotels, and the Gaslamp Quarter. Spring and fall often attract the largest number of attendees, although the january, november, and december periods remain active for academic programs and global summits.
Popular stops include Balboa Park, downtown dining districts, and coastal town centers. Visitors can also extend their stay with visits to Del Mar, Carlsbad, Coronado, and nearby cultural sites.
Why San Diego Works for Business and Research
San Diego blends scientific activity, business growth, outdoor attractions, and cultural history into a hub for events, researchers, policymakers, and global executives. The city supports collaboration by bringing groups together across many fields, from engineering to clinical research and climate policy.
Teams come to review innovation, join events, and explore new partnerships in a region known for its institutions, corporate presence, marine sciences, and long tradition of technical leadership. This combination helps create a strong foundation for conferences, trade activity, and cross-sector engagement.
Professionals use these programs to connect, build partnerships, explore showcase exhibits, and deepen their knowledge across many topics. San Diego continues to attract activity through its sense of community, strong academic footprint, and role as a hosting hub for national and global visitors.
Book with Vendelux
If your team is planning for San Diego in 2026, Vendelux can help you find the right events, compare event data, and build your schedule.
You can use Vendelux Meetings to set up conversations with ICP accounts before you arrive, giving you a complete schedule from day one.
Book a demo to explore the full platform and improve your 2026 event strategy.
