CHICAGO — Chicago Build 2026 is gearing up for its biggest edition to date at McCormick Place this October. With a 20% increase in exhibitors being projected and attendance expected to climb to more than 30,000 attendees this year, the show is enhancing its programming and design to meet the moment.
Chicago Build, which is organized by Nineteen Group, will expand its hall this year and introduce new dedicated zones for AI and Digital Construction, HVACR, and Fire Safety and Security, which will serve as growth generators for the event.
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The new zones are designed as hyper-focused hubs within the show floor, and only companies that operate in the highlighted industry will be able to exhibit in these areas.
The shift to zones reflects a growing industry trend of large event organizers curating more niche experiences within the footprint of the show. For Chicago Build, the goal of the zones is to improve navigation, increase exhibitor ROI, strengthen attendee engagement and create meaningful connections between specialty suppliers and qualified buyers and attendees.
“Our growth into a larger hall gives us the opportunity to rethink how attendees and exhibitors connect on the show floor,” said Rachael Shattock, Event Director of Chicago Build. “The new dedicated zones are designed to create more focused communities within Chicago Build, helping visitors find the most relevant solutions faster while giving exhibitors a stronger platform to meet the audiences that matter most to their business.”
Chicago Build will also feature an expanded Start Up Zone, dedicated show floor trails, live demos and a refreshed lineup of conference theatres. Networking opportunities include various parties and the Festival of Construction. Altogether, the programming will bring together industry content, innovation and community in a singular event experience.
Growing Show Led by a Growing Organizer
The growth of Chicago Build is reflective of Nineteen Group’s own growth in the U.S. market. The organizer kicked off 2026 with three acquisitions of U.S.-based businesses — The Lead, Reliabilityweb and SubSummit — and has ambitions to grow further under the leadership of Mary Larkin, President of the Americas for the company.
Aside from acquisitions, Nineteen Group has announced various launches in the U.S. so far this year, including Miami Build Expo and Smart Manufacturing Week, both of which will launch in 2027.
If you’re interested in attending Chicago Build Expo 2026, click here for free tickets to the event.
TSE Data Says…
According to TSE’s quarterly Dashboard reports, in 2025 where 30 shows in the Building, Construction, Home & Repair industry were tracked, only 40% of shows in the sector saw attendee growth, while 53.3% of them reported growth in the number of exhibitors. Overall, 25 of those shows recorded growth in net square footage of exhibit space.
In TSE’s most recent Dashboard, for Q1 2026, there were 14 shows in the Building, Construction, Home & Repair industry tracked, and of those only four reported attendance growth, seven saw an increase in exhibitors and eight shows grew their net square footage of exhibit space.
The data for the industry sector follows overall industry benchmarks being reported, as attendance growth rates have fallen overall the last four quarters, and Q1 2026 marks the second consecutive quarter where a contraction in the number of exhibitors was observed in TSE’s data.
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