IAC 2026 Antalya: Exhibition Stand & Country Pavilion Guide for International Exhibitors

If your organization is exhibiting at IAC 2026 Antalya, the exhibition environment needs to communicate more than a product or service.

For space agencies, aerospace companies, satellite businesses, research institutions, universities, technology startups, government organizations and national delegations, the stand becomes a platform for communicating capabilities, demonstrating innovation, meeting international partners and representing an organization — or sometimes an entire country — to the global space community.

The 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2026) will take place from 5–9 October 2026 in Antalya, Türkiye, at the NEST Convention Centre in Belek. The event is organized by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), hosted by the Turkish Space Agency (TUA), and co-hosted by SAHA İstanbul Aerospace Cluster. It will be the first International Astronautical Congress ever hosted in Türkiye.

For international exhibitors coming to Antalya, successful participation requires careful coordination between exhibition design, technical preparation, branding, digital communication, local production, installation and on-site support.

This guide covers the main considerations when planning an exhibition stand or national pavilion for IAC 2026.

Why IAC 2026 Matters

The International Astronautical Congress is one of the central annual gatherings of the global space community. The organizer describes IAC as bringing together global space actors across academia and industry, with more than 6,000 participants typically attending each year.

The 2026 Congress is being developed under the theme “The World Needs More Space” and will include technical sessions, plenary events, networking, exhibitions and interactive discussions involving industry leaders, researchers, entrepreneurs, students and policymakers.

Interest in the Antalya edition is already unusually high. The organizers reported a record 8,325 abstracts from 108 countries, covering subjects across the space sector including quantum technologies, sustainability, planetary science, policy and education.

For exhibitors, that creates a highly international environment where organizations are competing not only for visitor attention but also for partnerships, investment, institutional relationships and long-term technical collaboration.

Your exhibition space therefore needs to communicate quickly:

Who are you?
What capabilities do you represent?
What technology, program or opportunity are you bringing to the global space ecosystem?

Design Around Your Mission, Not Just Your Logo

Space and aerospace exhibitions often involve complex stories.

An organization may need to present:

• satellite programmes;

• propulsion technologies;

• launch systems;

• earth-observation solutions;

• communications technologies;

• aerospace manufacturing;

• research programs;

• space sustainability;

• robotics;

• software and data;

• national space capabilities;

• investment opportunities.

The stand should therefore be designed around the message visitors need to understand.

A technology company may need a clean environment focused on physical products, technical demonstrations and digital content.

A space agency may require a more institutional presentation combining national identity, program milestones, mission imagery and meeting areas.

A university or research institution may need to communicate multiple programs within a smaller footprint.

The architectural concept should support that story rather than simply creating an attractive background.

Make Technology Easy to Understand

Space technologies can be technically complex.

A visitor may only spend a few seconds deciding whether to enter a stand, so dense technical information should be translated into clear visual communication.

Useful tools include:

• large digital displays;

• mission animations;

• satellite models;

• physical components;

• interactive screens;

• technology timelines;

• illuminated product displays;

• technical diagrams;

• short, focused messaging.

A successful exhibition environment establishes a hierarchy.

Visitors should first understand the organization and its primary capability, then be able to explore more detailed technical content inside the stand.

This is particularly important at IAC, where technical specialists, government representatives, researchers and commercial decision-makers may all interact with the same exhibition space.

Use Physical Models Strategically

Space-sector exhibitors frequently use models of satellites, launch vehicles, spacecraft, payloads and related systems.

These can become powerful focal points when incorporated into the architecture properly.

Before developing the stand concept, provide your exhibition designer with:

• model dimensions;

• weight;

• mounting requirements;

• required viewing distance;

• whether the model is suspended or floor-mounted;

• electrical or lighting requirements;

• transport and assembly considerations.

A large satellite or spacecraft model should normally influence the stand architecture from the beginning rather than being added after the layout is complete.

Lighting can then be designed around the exhibit to create a stronger focal point without compromising visitor circulation.

Plan for High-Level Meetings

IAC is not only a technical conference and exhibition; it is also a major networking environment. The official program emphasizes international collaboration, networking and partnership-building across the space community.

For many exhibitors, private business and institutional meetings may therefore be just as important as public display space.

Depending on the organization, the stand may require:

• open meeting tables;

• semi-private seating;

• enclosed meeting rooms;

• VIP hospitality;

• reception;

• delegation areas;

• storage;

• staff support spaces.

Government agencies, large aerospace companies and national delegations may need more privacy than a startup or university booth.

The balance between openness and confidentiality should be established during the initial brief.

Country and National Pavilions at IAC 2026

IAC is particularly relevant for country and national pavilion participation.

Space activity often involves governments, national agencies, research institutions, universities, manufacturers and technology companies representing one ecosystem together.

A country pavilion can bring those organizations under one coordinated national identity while allowing each participant to retain its own visibility.

A well-planned pavilion may combine:

• national branding;

• individual exhibitor stations;

• institutional displays;

• shared meeting areas;

• VIP hospitality;

• digital content;

• presentation spaces;

• storage and technical areas.

The challenge is to create a unified environment without making individual participants disappear within the larger pavilion identity.

Maher Design’s approach to country pavilion design and build focuses on that balance between national representation and individual exhibitor visibility.

For delegation or pavilion projects, see:
Country Pavilion Stand Builder →

What Should You Send Your Stand Builder?

For IAC 2026, prepare a clear project brief as early as possible.

Include:

• stand or pavilion dimensions;

• official floor plan;

• number of open sides;

• organization or national brand guidelines;

• products or physical models;

• model dimensions and weights;

• digital-screen requirements;

• interactive technology requirements;

• meeting capacity;

• VIP/private meeting requirements;

• reception requirements;

• storage requirements;

• participating organizations;

• hospitality requirements;

• previous exhibition references;

• preferred visual direction;

• approximate project budget.

For a national pavilion, also provide the expected number of participating organizations and any required individual branding allocations.

The more clearly these requirements are established at the beginning, the easier it is to build the architecture around them.

Why Work With a Local Exhibition Partner in Türkiye?

International exhibitors participating in IAC 2026 will be managing travel, products, delegates, technical content and commercial preparation at the same time.

Working with a local partner for exhibition stand design and build in Türkiye allows the physical exhibition environment to be coordinated locally.

A Türkiye-based team can manage:

• stand design;

• technical development;

• local fabrication;

• graphics and branding;

• digital-display integration;

• transport to Antalya;

• installation;

• final adjustments;

• on-site project support;

• dismantling.

This is especially useful when the exhibition is being held away from your organization’s home market.

Local production can reduce the need to ship a complete stand internationally while maintaining a single project team responsible for the physical delivery in Türkiye.

Exhibiting at IAC 2026 Antalya?

Share your stand dimensions, organization profile, products or models, digital requirements and design references with our project team.

We can review the brief and discuss the most effective way to design, produce and deliver your exhibition environment in Türkiye.

Request a Stand Proposal →

When Should You Start Planning?

IAC 2026 opens on 5 October 2026, so exhibitors planning custom stands or larger national pavilions should already be moving through the design and technical-preparation stages. The official event runs through 9 October.

A practical project schedule would be:

August — Brief and Concept

Confirm your contractor, space allocation, objectives, product/model requirements, meeting capacity and approximate budget.

For country pavilions, confirm participating organizations and individual exhibitor requirements.

Late August — Design Development

Finalize architecture, exhibition storytelling, digital displays, physical models, meeting areas, hospitality and branding.

September — Technical Preparation and Production

Complete drawings, production details, graphics, display structures, furniture and technical integration.

Late September — Logistics and Final Coordination

Confirm delivery to Antalya, AV content, model transport, installation sequence and on-site requirements.

Build-Up — Installation and Handover

Complete construction, digital testing, graphic installation, model positioning, lighting adjustments and final handover.

This is a practical stand-production framework, not an official organizer deadline schedule. Exhibitors should follow the latest official technical documentation and exhibitor instructions supplied for IAC 2026.

About NEST Convention Centre

IAC 2026 will take place at NEST Convention Centre in Belek, Antalya. The organizer describes NEST as one of Türkiye’s largest conference facilities, capable of accommodating up to 20,000 participants.

The venue is located within Antalya’s five-star hotel district. According to the organizer, hotels within walking distance provide more than 12,000 beds, while 38 hotels within 5 km provide a combined capacity of approximately 36,000 beds. NEST is approximately 32 km from Antalya Airport.

For exhibitors, technical planning should be based on the latest organizer documentation covering installation access, electrical requirements, construction limitations, suspended elements, fire regulations, AV services and build-up procedures.

Do not assume that requirements from an Istanbul venue or another international congress automatically apply to NEST.

What Makes an Effective IAC Exhibition Stand?

For IAC 2026, I would prioritize six elements.

1. Clear Technology Storytelling

Visitors should understand your organization’s primary capability or mission quickly.

2. Strong Digital Communication

Space programmes are highly visual. Use screens, animation and technical content intelligently rather than simply adding televisions to walls.

3. Physical Models as Focal Points

Satellite, spacecraft and technology models should be integrated into the architecture.

4. Professional Meeting Areas

Provide spaces appropriate for technical discussions, partnerships and institutional meetings.

5. International Brand Presence

The stand should communicate credibility across multiple audiences and nationalities.

6. Reliable Local Execution

A technologically sophisticated design still needs to be fabricated, installed, tested and handed over correctly before opening day.

Exhibition Stand & Pavilion Design for IAC 2026 Antalya

Maher Design provides bespoke exhibition stand and country pavilion design and build services for international organizations exhibiting in Türkiye.

From our base in Istanbul, we manage projects from initial concept and technical development through local production, installation, on-site support and dismantling.

For IAC 2026 Antalya, we can develop exhibition environments around:

• aerospace and space technologies;

• institutional identity;

• satellite and spacecraft models;

• digital presentations;

• technical demonstrations;

• national branding;

• participating companies;

• VIP meetings;

• hospitality;

• visitor flow.

For corporate exhibitors, our focus is creating a technically clear and commercially effective stand.

For national delegations, we can develop coordinated pavilion environments that bring multiple participants together under one recognizable identity.

Planning Your Exhibition Presence at IAC 2026 Antalya?

Whether you are preparing a corporate stand, institutional exhibition space or national pavilion, Maher Design can support the project from concept through local delivery in Türkiye.

Send us your floor plan, organization profile, model requirements, participating companies and design brief and our team can review the project.

Request Your Exhibition Stand Proposal →

Request a proposal for national pavilion →