SC26: Dates and Exhibits at the Supercomputing Conference

If you sell technology for high performance computing and are considering your first SC conference, the key question is whether your product belongs in the conversations happening there. SC combines a technical conference with an exhibition, so your potential customers may arrive to compare systems, discuss research, or find collaborators as well as suppliers.

SC26, the 2026 edition of the supercomputing conference, takes place in Chicago in November. Here is what the event covers, how its conference and exhibit dates differ, and what to check before choosing between exhibiting and visiting.

What is SC?

SC is The International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage, and Analysis. It is an annual US event sponsored by ACM and the IEEE Computer Society. The series brings together people who develop, operate, and use large-scale computing systems, with a technical program at its center. SC Conference Series

High performance computing, usually shortened to HPC, uses powerful processors working together to solve demanding computing problems. IBM’s HPC overview For your participation decision, that means connecting your product to an actual computing problem: moving research data, running a simulation, managing a cluster, or supporting an AI workload. A broad claim that your company “does technology” gives you much less reason to be here.

When and where is SC26?

The published SC26 schedule separates the full program from the exhibition:

These are the event’s published local hours. November 20 belongs to the conference program, not the regular exhibit schedule. If you are visiting mainly to meet companies on the floor, plan around November 17–19 and check the separate reception access rules for your badge. Program · Exhibit schedule

The venue is McCormick Place, 2301 S Martin Luther King Dr, Chicago, IL 60616. Use the SC26 venue information when arranging travel, then confirm the building and entry point for your meetings; the campus address alone is not a room location. SC26 convention center

What will you find at the event?

A technical program that shapes the discussion

SC26 covers computing architecture, networking, storage, software, cloud and distributed computing, data analysis, visualization, and AI and machine learning. Its program includes papers, panels, workshops, tutorials, posters, and Birds of a Feather discussions, where people gather around a shared technical topic. SC26 program

This matters when you decide whom to send. A commercial conversation can turn into a question about how your product works with an existing system. For example, a storage supplier needs someone who can explain the workload behind a performance claim. If you cannot have someone with that knowledge at the booth, a visit with a technical colleague may be more useful than a first booth staffed only for introductions.

Commercial exhibits alongside research organizations

The exhibit floor brings together companies, startups, universities, and research organizations. The official prospectus identifies an audience spanning scientists, engineers, software developers, IT administrators, and organizational decision-makers from industry, universities, and government. Exhibits · Exhibitor prospectus

That mix gives you more than one reason to meet an organization. A research group may be a potential user or collaborator; another supplier may be a partner rather than a customer. When reviewing the official SC26 exhibitor list and floorplan, separate the organizations you hope to sell to from those you hope to work with. The list can help you choose whom to meet, but it does not tell you how many attendees will be ready to purchase your product.

SCinet and demonstrations of working technology

SC has its own high-performance network, SCinet, which supports the conference and exhibitor demonstrations. Its role goes beyond providing an internet connection for email: exhibitors can work with SCinet on demonstrations and network experiments. SCinet for exhibitors

For a networking or data infrastructure company, this makes SC particularly interesting when the product’s value is easiest to show in operation. Decide what a visitor should see the technology do before promising a live demonstration. The network service and equipment you need depend on that demonstration, not on the fact that SC has advanced connectivity.

Should you exhibit at SC26 or visit first?

SC deserves a place on your shortlist if you can connect your offer to a recognizable HPC use, identify relevant organizations in the event’s community, and support a technical conversation about your product. That could mean helping an operator move data between systems or showing how software supports a demanding computing workflow.

If your current business is general office IT, or your HPC offer is still only a proposed direction, start by visiting. Use the program and exhibitor list to choose conversations that will tell you whether the market needs what you sell. An event with a strong technical audience can expose a weak product fit just as quickly as it can open a useful discussion.

There is also an immediate practical constraint: as checked on September 8, 2026, the SC26 exhibitor prospectus invites applications to a waitlist. Treat this as a request for a possible place, not a confirmed booth. Ask the SC Exhibits team about availability and allocation before committing to a booth-specific production schedule. SC26 exhibitor prospectus

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