AES Show Enjoys Big Gains in Attendees, Exhibitors

	award-winning engineer, producer, composer, author and educator Glenn Lorbiecki (interviewer) with Grammy-winning musician, producer and entrepreneur Jack White.

The Audio Engineering Society (AES) reports a successful AES Show Nashville 2026, held October 30 - November 1 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. With nearly 3,000 registrations representing 37 countries, AES Show Nashville 2026 marked a year of growth, with attendance increasing 108% over 2025 and exhibitor participation rising 250%. The bustling exhibition floor featured 98 exhibitor brands, complemented by a robust technical program offering 164 sessions, including 14 studio events and 19 immersive audio sessions. With students accounting for 16% of attendees, the show also demonstrated strong engagement from the next generation of audio professionals.

Highlights included keynote conversations with music and recording icons Jack White, Vince Gill, Justin Niebank, and John McBride, offering perspectives on creativity, production, technology, and the evolving music industry. Additional special events further underscored the depth and diversity of this year's program, including a tribute to Dolly Parton's recording legacy moderated by Grammy Award-winning producer/engineer Val Garay; the Grammy SoundTables event "Songs That Changed My Life" with panelists Jeff Balding (moderator),Jordan Hamlin, Alison Brown, and Chuck Ainlay; The Forum presented by the Recording Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing; and the Richard C. Heyser Memorial Lecture featuring Marina Bosi.

Nashville itself played a starring role in the experience. Beyond the sessions, exhibits and immersive demonstration rooms at Gaylord Opryland, attendees could explore Music City's rich recording heritage through special studio tours and activities extending to Nashville's famed Music Row, Berry Hill, and beyond. The city's legendary musical history, vibrant creative community and world-class recording facilities provided a fitting backdrop for the international gathering.

"The AES Show has found its new home in Nashville, drawing top-tier studio and live production attendees. We are already looking forward to next year's event," says Ross Gilbert, head of marketing, Solid State Logic.

Brad Lunde, founder of TransAudio Group, adds, "I attended AES Nashville and was so blown away with the show and all the events surrounding it that I renewed my membership in AES for five years on the spot! This show was like AES of old in both quantity and quality of recording-oriented attendees, and it was amazing! There was more business at this show than at any other show I've attended in many years. Nashville was the right place at the right time. I was so impressed that I signed up for multiple exhibit spaces for AES Nashville 2027 and 2028. I'm so happy AES is back!"

The AES returns to Music City for AES Show Nashville 2027, taking place October 28-30 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center.