ANS Winter Meeting and Nuclear Technology Expo: The 2026 ANS Event Explained

If you are considering the Winter Meeting and Nuclear Technology Expo for your company’s first ANS appearance, start by checking the name on your planning list. ANS used that title for earlier editions; its current winter event is the 2026 ANS Winter Conference & Expo. It combines a nuclear science and engineering conference with an exhibition, so the technical program matters as much as the opportunity to show your products. ANS 2019 archive, 2026 event website.

For a supplier deciding whether to exhibit, the useful question is whether the people discussing your customers’ technical problems will be there. This guide explains the event, the confirmed 2026 location and dates, and how to judge whether a booth or a conference visit makes more sense for you.

What is the ANS Winter Meeting?

The American Nuclear Society organizes this gathering for people working across nuclear science and technology. Conference sessions provide the setting for technical discussion; the Expo adds a place to see technology applications and meet the organizations behind them. The exhibition is part of a wider professional meeting, rather than the whole event. ANS event overview.

That distinction matters if your product needs a technical explanation. A useful conversation might begin with a session about an engineering problem and continue with a demonstration or a discussion of your test results. Your exhibit should help that conversation progress. A display aimed only at collecting as many badge scans as possible would miss much of the reason for attending.

When and where is the 2026 edition?

Item	Current information
Official event name	2026 ANS Winter Conference & Expo
Conference dates	November 15–18, 2026
City and venue	Phoenix, Arizona — Arizona Grand Resort & Spa
Exhibition dates	November 15–17, 2026

The conference dates and venue come from the current ANS event page; the exhibition dates come from the 2026 exhibitor prospectus. Information was checked on September 8, 2026.

There is one scheduling detail to resolve before booking return travel: the prospectus gives two different Tuesday closing times, 1:00 p.m. on page 3 and 3:30 p.m. on page 8. Ask ANS to confirm the final closing and dismantling schedule. The conference continues on Wednesday even though the published exhibition dates end on Tuesday.

What does the conference cover?

The winter program extends beyond reactor construction. Its published tracks include fuel cycle and waste management, instrumentation and controls, radiation protection, materials, and robotics. For example, a company offering remote inspection equipment should look at the robotics program and relevant applications before deciding that the general label “nuclear technology” is enough to justify exhibiting. ANS technical tracks.

Three specialist meetings are embedded in the 2026 event. These give you a more precise way to judge where your team’s expertise belongs.

Advances in Thermal Hydraulics — ATH 2026

ATH focuses on thermal hydraulics: how heat and fluids behave in nuclear systems. Its official scope centers on technical research and peer-reviewed papers. For a supplier whose equipment measures flow, temperature, or heat transfer, that focus offers a reason to inspect the program closely. Bring someone who can explain what your measurements show and where their limits lie; a general product pitch will not answer the same questions. ATH 2026.

Advanced Reactor Safety — ARS 2026

ARS addresses safety approaches and research for advanced reactors, including approaches based on specified scenarios and those that assess the likelihood of different outcomes. This is relevant to companies providing analysis tools, testing, or engineering support, provided their work matches the actual sessions. Participation should be framed as an opportunity to discuss that work. Appearing at the conference does not establish that a product or reactor design has been approved. ARS 2026.

International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants — ICAPP 2026

ICAPP brings together discussion of nuclear plant developments, research results, and future deployment needs. Its call for papers includes electricity production, heat applications, and fuels, materials, and structures. A component supplier can use those areas to locate a specific application for its product, rather than treating every reactor project as a potential customer. The useful connection is the problem your product solves within a plant or project. ICAPP overview, ICAPP technical scope.

Who can you expect to meet?

ANS describes an audience spanning utilities, suppliers, government, research organizations, academia, and early-career participants. Its prospectus’s audience statistics describe previous participation, not a confirmed 2026 attendance list. 2026 prospectus.

For your decision, that mix means a technical contact, a research collaborator, and a purchasing contact may all have different reasons to stop and talk. If your immediate objective is a new equipment order, ask which target organizations are participating and whether you can arrange relevant conversations. The presence of nuclear professionals alone does not tell you who has an active requirement for your product.

Recruitment may also be useful, but decide whether it is part of your purpose before you send a team. Otherwise, a busy stand could leave you with many worthwhile conversations and little evidence that it reached the customers you came to meet.

Should you exhibit or attend first?

Exhibiting is a stronger option when you already serve a relevant nuclear application, can explain the evidence behind your product, and have a reason for target contacts to examine it with you. A compact demonstration of an inspection result or a technical discussion around a component can give those people something specific to respond to.

If you are still working out where your product fits, attending sessions first may be the more useful investment. Use the published program to identify technical questions you need answered and the expertise you want to understand. Do not plan to turn an attendee badge into an unbooked sales stand: the prospectus prohibits solicitation by non-exhibiting companies. ANS exhibitor rules.

This choice depends on how clearly you can connect your offer to the winter program. “We want to enter nuclear” is a starting point for research; “we can help this team solve this inspection problem” is a much stronger basis for an exhibit.

FAQs

What is the published price of an exhibit space?

The 2026 prospectus lists a 10 × 10 ft space at US$4,000 for ANS organization members and US$4,500 for nonmembers. Electrical service is excluded. Confirm availability and the full package before using the fee as your event budget. Exhibit information.

Does an exhibit booking cover every member of our team?

It includes one full conference registration; additional registrations cost extra. ANS also says an exhibit-only discounted rate is available on request. Confirm access for each person before allocating booth and session duties. Exhibitor benefits.

Can two companies share a booth?

The contract requires prior written ANS approval for shared space. Resolve that before announcing a joint exhibit or splitting the cost with a partner. Exhibit contract.

Does ICAPP registration also provide access to the winter conference?

The ICAPP page says its registration fee gives access to both conferences. Check the registration category you are purchasing and any separately priced activities before finalizing your team’s itinerary. This is especially useful if one technical colleague wants to move between ICAPP and the wider winter program. ICAPP registration statement.

Is there help for someone attending ANS for the first time?

ANS Connect places small groups of attendees with an experienced member who can help with introductions and navigating the event. It may be a useful starting point for a colleague arriving without an established network; it should not be treated as a service for arranging customer appointments. ANS Connect information.

Is a technical paper the same as a product presentation?

No. ARS and ICAPP describe peer review for full technical papers, so a proposed paper needs to meet the relevant conference’s submission expectations. If your main aim is to demonstrate a commercial product, ask ANS about the appropriate exhibitor route. Do not assume a booth reservation includes a speaking slot. ARS paper information, ICAPP paper information.

If our engineer is presenting, do they still need to register?

Yes. ANS requires presenters to register for the conference. An accepted presentation is not a substitute for registration. If your exhibit package includes a registration, confirm with ANS how it should be assigned to the presenting colleague. ANS registration FAQs.