Exhibit Space Placement Process – SDC2026

Exhibitors that have submitted applications and full payments by July 11, 2025, will qualify for priority exhibit space placement and will select their exhibit location in the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland at assigned appointment times through the priority placement process.

Each exhibitor will be assigned an appointment time for exhibit space placement. During their scheduled appointment, exhibitors will join a Google Meet virtual meeting with the NBAA exhibits team to review the floor plan. Together, they will identify the optimal location based on the exhibitor’s needs and available spaces.

NBAA assigns appointment times for the live exhibit space placement process by grouping exhibitors into priority categories based on the criteria listed below. Within each priority level, exhibitors are randomly ordered and assigned appointment times. Exhibitors in higher priority categories will select their space before those in lower priority categories.

Priority Categories for SDC2026 Exhibitors

To qualify for the priority placement process, exhibitors must submit exhibit applications with full payments by the July 11, 2025, deadline.

Priority-One Exhibitors

Companies that submit their applications and payments by the July 11, 2025, deadline and select the premium placement option. Within this group, exhibitors with a five-year consecutive exhibit history at the NBAA Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference will receive their placement times first.

Priority Two Exhibitors

Companies that submit their applications and payments by the July 11, 2025, deadline, select standard placement, and have a five-year consecutive exhibit history at SDC.

Priority Three Exhibitors

Priority three exhibitors are those companies whose applications and payments are received by the deadline, July 11, 2025, but do not qualify for Priority One or Priority Two placement.

Exhibitors Submitting Applications After the Priority Deadline

Companies submitting applications and payments after July 11, 2025, will be placed in the order received, following all Priority One through Priority Three exhibitors.

Sponsors

SDC2026 exhibitors in Priority One, Priority Two and Priority Three, who were sponsors at SDC2025 with sponsorship spends of $3,500 or greater, will be placed before other exhibitors within their respective priority category or subcategory.

Live Placement Process

Once priority status is determined for all eligible exhibitors, each exhibitor will receive an email containing:

• Their appointment time and Google Meet link for the live, online priority exhibit space placement appointment.
• A link to the complete priority placement results, appointment times, and process details
• A proxy submission form for exhibitors unable to attend their scheduled appointment
• A reminder of permissible booth configurations and hanging sign rules

At their assigned appointment time, exhibitors will join the Google Meet to discuss exhibit plans and space options with the NBAA exhibits team. Once a space is selected, the floor plan will be updated online in real time.

After the priority placement process, each exhibitor will receive:

• A booth confirmation, including their assigned booth number
• Access to key SDC2026 exhibitor resources, including the Exhibitor Resource Center, badge registration portal, marketing toolkit, and more

Fuel Rows

A “fuel row” refers to a designated area of booths reserved by an aviation fuel provider or other company, where their affiliated FBOs or partner companies can showcase their products and services. These rows are strategically placed on the show floor, with booth assignments either through direct selection by the participating exhibitors or by assignment from the fuel row organizer.

All exhibitors requesting placement in a fuel row may select their preferred row on their exhibit application. Placement is subject to approval by the fuel row organizer. Exhibitors within a fuel row are placed using one of the following methods:

• Priority Placement Process: At their designated appointment time, Fuel row exhibitors will select their preferred booth location based on availability within their selected fuel row.
• Organizer-Assisted Placement: Some fuel row organizers prefer to assign booth locations for their participants. In these cases, exhibitors within these rows will not go through the priority placement process, but will work directly with their fuel row organizer to determine their placement.