Show Planner

The IMTS 2026 Show Planner introduces a refreshed experience, AI-powered recommendations, and new planning tools designed to help you make the most of your time before, during, and after the show.

See below for a quick list of new features and benefits followed by step by step instructions on how to use the show planner.

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Why Use the Show Planner?

Benefits to using the Show Planner and IMTS 2026 mobile app include:

  • Spend less time browsing for must-see exhibits and attractions
  • Get recommendations you might otherwise overlook
  • Help justify your trip to IMTS
  • Be more prepared when you get to Chicago with an optimized, day-by-day itenerary

Features

  • Recommendations:
    Use the prompts throughout the planner to generate personalized recommendations based on your interests.
  • AI-Assisted Search:
    ‘Ask IMTS” can help you find anything you're looking for – from recommended exhibitors, products, and sessions to answers to your general show questions.
  • Assisted Scheduling:
    Have gaps in your schedule? The ‘Let's Fill This In’ feature automatically recommends sessions and events based on your interests, existing agenda, location, and planner activity.
  • Floor Plan Integration:
    Exhibitors you've saved are highlighted in green. You can add exhibitors directly from the floor plan or browse digital showrooms.
  • Plan My Smartest Route:
    Optimize your time on the show floor – the assistant will organize your saved exhibitors and events into an optimized day-by-day itenerary focused on helping you experience IMTS in the least amount of steps possible.
  • Networking:
    Find and connect with the attendees most aligned with your preferences and objectives. You can send as well as receive messages from your contact list once you approve message requests.
  • Walkable Directions:
    With walkable directions, you can navigate between booths, sessions, and other destinations using your current location or a selected starting point.
  • Mobile App Integration:
    Coming in August, the IMTS 2026, the mobile app will fully integrate with the show planner including all new features.

Getting Started / How to Use the Show Planner

  • Step 1: Create Your FREE Account
    Go to the show planner and answer a few quick questions to get started. Make sure you use the same email for your show planner account that you used to register for the show. During this process you will be asked if you would like to share your information with exhibitors, and you will also be asked to define a preference on how you are notified about connections.
  • Step 2: The Onboarding Wizard
    After you create your account the onboarding wizard will ask you which days you plan to attend the show and what topics (and subtopics) you are most interested in exploring. Based on these answers, the wizard will then make a few initial personalized recommendations for exhibitors and sessions you might want to add to your planner.
  • Step 3: Fill Your Schedule
    Browse digital showrooms and sessions at your own pace, or use the AI-assistant to help you find all of the things you don't want to miss at the show.
    • Browse Find Exhibitors
      You can access digital showrooms by clicking on "Find Exhibitors" in the main navigation. You can then use the search bar to browse by keyword or filter by categories. Anywhere you see a icon, you can click to add that item – exhibitor, product, show special, etc. – to your planner.
    • From the Floor Plan
      You can also browse by hall using the floorplan. Exhibitors you have already saved to your planner will be highlighted in green; you can also save exhibitors to your planner directly from the floorplan view.
    • Conference Sessions, Stages & Hubs
      Click on "Conferences" in the main navigation to browse sessions – including paid conference sessions as well as free sessions featured on the various stages and hubs throughout IMTS. The search bar will allow you to search by keyword, speaker name, or you can filter by various categories to find exactly what you're looking for. Note that you do need to register for any paid conferences you're interested in attending before you can add those sessions to your planner. To add conferences to an existing registration, visit the registration portal and go to “Update or Add to My Registration”. Once you're logged in, select “add items.” You can then browse all conferences and their descriptions and add the program(s) of your choice. Conference pricing includes the cost to attend IMTS so when you check out, you will receive a credit if you had previously registered for IMTS.
    • Recommendations
      Don't have time to browse? The show planner can make smart recommendations at any time for exhibitors, sessions, or connections based on your indicated preferences and interests. Simply click on one of the recommendation buttons in the right side panel of the show planner home screen – Which exhibitor should I see / Who should I connect with / What should I attend – and the system will list a series of recommendations for you. All will be selected by default so you can add them quickly, or you can deselect items you don't want to add to your planner.
  • Step 4: Fill This In
    The Let's fill this in feature on the schedule helps you identify gaps in your schedule, use this feature to get even more recommendations for can't-miss exhibits and sessions.
  • Step 5: Ask IMTS
    Ask IMTS is your AI assistant, here to help you find answers to all of your IMTS questions. You can ask the assistant to help you find specific exhibitors or sessions, and you can also ask general show questions. You can find the assistant in the upper right panel of the show planner home, or click the icon in the the bottom right hand of the screen to open the chat window.
  • Step 6: Plan Your Smartest Route
    Click on Plan my smartest route in the Ask IMTS panel on the show planner home to get a customized day-by-day itenierary generated off of your schedule of saved exhibits and sessions organized to help you navigate the over 1.2 million square feet of exhibit space in as few steps as possible. If you miss a few stops on the suggested route or run out of time, don't worry – the system will recalculate that for you so you don't miss a thing.
  • Connections
    Click on Networking in your show planner, and go to the Search People tab to find relevant matches with other attendees. You can then request to connect with those attendees. Once they accept your request – or you accept requests from others – you can use the messaging features built into the platform.
  • Mobile & Walkable Directions
    Once the IMTS 2026 mobile app is available in app stores, all of your planning will sync to the mobile app. You will be able to access all of your saved exhibitors, sessions, and routes directly from the app. If you have GPS activated on your device, you can use that for walkable directions from one thing to the next. If you choose not to use GPS, or if GPS is unavailable, you can still get walkable directions by entering a room or exhibit close to you and the room or exhibit you're trying to get to, and the system will give you turn-by-turn directions to your next destination.