What technology trends will shape the media industry in 2026? Agentic AI workflows, cloud-native production and intelligent content discovery are becoming business necessities—and the best way to stay ahead is through attending key industry events where you can see innovations firsthand and connect with peers facing the same transformation challenges.

To help you plan your calendar and budget, we've compiled our annual list of premier media and broadcast technology trade shows for 2026. Which ones will you be attending?

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1. World AI Cannes Festival

Date: February 12-13, 2026
Location: Palais des Festivals, Cannes, France

Why Attend: “Where AI change makers meet industry leaders,” World AI Cannes Festival is the premier global event exploring AI's impact across business and society. The festival brings together AI innovators, media executives and technology leaders to discuss how artificial intelligence is transforming content creation, distribution and monetization, with a dedicated focus on entertainment and media.

Sessions cover practical applications including AI-driven production workflows, content moderation, personalized recommendations and automated subtitle generation. Speakers announced so far include ethics, policy, revenue, research, and tech representatives from AWS, Wells Fargo, DEEPL, Mozilla Foundation, Microsoft, IBM, LinkedIn, TikTok, Netflix, Meta, and Thales.  

The intimate Cannes setting fosters high-level networking while the diverse program spans technical deep-dives to strategic business discussions. For media professionals seeking to understand and implement AI tools, WAICF provides essential insights into the technologies reshaping your industry.

2. DPP European Broadcaster Summit

Date: March 11-12, 2026
Location: Paris, France

Why Attend: This leadership engagement conference brings together senior executives from major European broadcasters and their supplier community in an intimate setting. Unlike traditional trade shows, the European Broadcaster Summit focuses on meaningful dialogue about common challenges. Expect conversations around topics including cloud transformation, sustainability and workflow optimization.

If you're looking for vendor-neutral conversations with peers who share your operational realities, this event delivers strategic value that larger shows can't match. But note this one is invite-only and has a limited number of spaces available.

3. NAB Show Las Vegas

Date: April 18-22, 2026
Location: Las Vegas Convention Center, Nevada, USA

Why Attend: NAB Show is the world's largest convention for professionals who create, manage and distribute entertainment across all platforms. With over 55,000 attendees and 1,600+ exhibitors, it showcases breakthrough technology in broadcast, streaming, production and post-production.

The event offers unparalleled networking opportunities and features the latest in AI-powered workflows, cloud production and next-generation content creation tools. Whether you're evaluating new vendors or tracking where the industry is heading, NAB remains the essential annual checkpoint. We were proud to win the product of the year and best of show awards in 2025 for our MXT-2 Custom Moments!

Visit the Moments Lab team at NAB Show 2026 in the North Hall, stand N1011.

4. MPTS (Media Production & Technology Show)

Date: May 13-14, 2026
Location: Olympia Grand Hall, London, UK

Why Attend: Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2026, MPTS is the UK's premier event for broadcast, media and production professionals. The show features more than 300 exhibitors and attracts 13,000+ attendees, offering comprehensive coverage of production technology, post-production tools and cloud workflows.

The 2026 edition introduces new features including a Content Creator Stage & Hub, Live Podcast Studio and Post Production World (PPW) Europe training sessions. For UK and European professionals, MPTS delivers concentrated value without the transatlantic travel.

Don’t miss Moments Lab’s session in the Production Theatre - check back for more details!

5. Post Production World Conference Europe

Date: May 13-14, 2026 (concurrent with MPTS)
Location: Olympia Grand Hall, London, UK

Why Attend: Making its European debut in 2026 and launching exclusively as part of MPTS 2026, Post Production World brings internationally renowned training and hands-on workshops to London. Produced by Future Media Concepts, the event offers dozens of practical sessions led by expert trainers and certified instructors covering Adobe, Apple, Avid and other post-production tools.

For professionals seeking to enhance technical skills in editing, color grading, audio post-production and effects, PPW Europe provides concentrated learning opportunities you can apply immediately.

6. CABSAT

Date: June 2-4, 2026
Location: Dubai Exhibition Centre, UAE

Why Attend: CABSAT is the leading broadcast and media technology event for the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) regions, attracting 18,000+ visitors and 450+ exhibitors. The event provides access to one of the world's fastest-growing media markets.

Broadcasters and content creators come seeking advanced tools for 4K/8K production, AI-powered broadcasting and streaming infrastructure. If the MEASA region is part of your growth strategy, CABSAT is where you'll find potential buyers and partners.

7. DPP Media Supply Festival

Date: June 9-10, 2026
Location: New York, USA

Why Attend: The Media Supply Festival is the only industry event specifically focused on media supply chain technology and strategies. It uniquely combines customers and suppliers to explore practical approaches for content preparation, distribution and archive management.

The format includes the Online Demo Zone for technology showcases and the Media Supply Conference featuring case studies and real-world implementations. For operations and technology teams managing complex content pipelines, this focused event delivers actionable insights.

8. SET Expo Brazil 

Date: August 17-20, 2026

Location: Convention Center I and II, Santana, São Paulo

Why Attend: SET Expo is Latin America's largest broadcast and new media event, drawing professionals across the entire production chain—from capture to distribution. Hosted by the Brazilian Society of Television Engineering, the expo features 150+ exhibitors representing more than 400 national and international brands alongside a congress packed with expert-led sessions on next-gen workflows. 

With Brazil rolling out its ATSC 3.0-based DTV+ system ahead of the 2026 World Cup—and terrestrial TV reaching roughly 80 percent of the population—this is the place to understand how the region's biggest market is shaping the future of broadcast. 

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9. IBC (International Broadcasting Convention)

Date: September 11-14, 2026
Location: RAI Amsterdam, Netherlands

Why Attend: IBC is Europe's premier media, entertainment and technology show, attracting more than 50,000 industry professionals from around the globe. The event serves as a vital marketplace for discovering innovations across the entire media workflow, from content creation and management to distribution.

Attendees benefit from comprehensive conference programming featuring thought leaders discussing industry transformation, cloud migration strategies and emerging technologies. If you attend only one European event, IBC offers the broadest view of where the industry is heading. 

Moments Lab’s Discovery Agent won Future’s Best of Show award at IBC 2025!

10. NAB Show New York

Date: October 21-22, 2026
Location: Javits Center, New York, USA

Why Attend: This more intimate East Coast edition of NAB Show provides direct access to media professionals and decision-makers in the world's media capital. The concentrated two-day format encourages meaningful conversations and relationship building with broadcast networks, production companies and content creators.

The event focuses on practical applications of emerging technologies with hands-on demonstrations and expert-led sessions. If you're based on the East Coast or want deeper conversations than Vegas allows, NAB Show New York delivers.

Details are yet to be announced, so keep an eye on the NAB Show website.

Missed Moments Lab CTO Fred Petitpont’s NAB NY stage talk on how AI agents are shaping the future of video workflows? Watch the webinar replay.

Whether you're focused on AI integration, cloud workflows or regional market expansion, these events offer the knowledge and connections to move your strategy forward in 2026.

These are the broadcast and media events we think you need to be at–which ones do you plan to attend in the coming year? 

To know more about where we’ll be and when, follow us on LinkedIn.