Tech & Digital Trade Shows in France 2026: The B2B Calendar of Major Events
VivaTech, Big Data & AI Paris, Forum InCyber Lille, SIDO Lyon, HR Tech Paris, AWS Summit, DevoxxFR... The full 2026 calendar of B2B tech trade shows in France: dates, venues, sectors, exhibiting tips.
Key points of the article
- ✓tech-trade-show
- ✓vivatech
- ✓fic
- ✓digital-fair
- ✓big-data-paris
- ✓tech-france
- ✓it-conference
- ✓cybersecurity
France has become, in just a few years, one of Europe's biggest hubs for tech events. Between VivaTech that fills Paris for three days, the Forum InCyber that gathers all of Europe's cybersecurity in Lille every winter, the Paris editions of Big Data & AI, or the enterprise summits run by US giants (AWS, Salesforce), the 2026 calendar is packed.
For a startup founder, a B2B marketing lead or a sales rep deciding where to exhibit (or where to prospect), getting clean info — dates, venues, visitor profiles — often turns into a scavenger hunt. Each event has its own site, its own dates that drift year to year, and the list keeps growing season after season.
This calendar gathers the main B2B tech trade shows shaping 2026 in France, from spring to winter. For each, the key info plus an honest positioning note.
Why this calendar, now
The French digital sector represents close to 6% of direct GDP according to Insee and ARCEP, with about one million jobs in digital per OPIIEC data. On the events side, this translates into several dozen B2B trade shows each year, of which about ten are "must-do" depending on the sector you target.
Seasonality is sharp:
For exhibitors, planning 6 months ahead is still the rule if you want a properly placed booth. For visitors, early registration usually means a discounted or free badge depending on profile.
Overview: Big 2026 dates
The table below lists the major B2B tech trade shows in France. Dates shown are those communicated at time of writing (May 2026) — for upcoming editions, they may shift, so check the official site before any travel.
| Show | Venue | 2026 period | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| VivaTech | Paris (Porte de Versailles) | June | Global tech, startups, AI |
| Big Data & AI Paris | Paris (Palais des Congrès) | September-October | Data, AI, machine learning |
| SIDO | Lyon | September | IoT, AI, robotics, XR |
| Tech for Good Summit | Paris | Variable | Impact tech |
| AWS Summit Paris | Paris (Accor Arena) | April-May | Cloud, AWS ecosystem |
| Salesforce World Tour | Paris | Variable | CRM, customer 360 |
| DevoxxFR | Paris | April | Java/JVM developer conference |
| HR Tech Paris | Paris | March | Digital HR, HR SaaS |
| One to One Retail E-commerce | Monaco | March | Digital retail, e-commerce |
| Tech & Bio | Lyon-Bourg-en-Bresse | September (biennial, even years) | Agritech, agriculture |
| Forum InCyber (FIC) | Lille | January-March | European cybersecurity |
| Salon des Maires (smart city track) | Paris | November | Local government digital |
VivaTech Paris — the tech show that swallows everything
If you only keep one, this is it. Launched in 2016, VivaTech has become Europe's biggest tech event, with over 165,000 participants reported on recent editions. It's held at Porte de Versailles in Paris, usually 3 days mid-June.
What you'll find
Who it's worth it for
VivaTech is a show where you show up more than you close directly. It's a sounding board for press visibility, recruiting, investor matchmaking, and top-of-funnel leads. B2B sales actually closed during the event are rare; qualified post-event leads, however, are plentiful.
Budget-wise, a startup booth in a pavilion starts around 5,000 EUR for the smallest formats, and quickly climbs to several tens of thousands of euros for proper independent formats.
Big Data & AI Paris — the data high mass
Big Data & AI Paris (formerly Big Data Paris) is one of Europe's largest B2B trade shows dedicated to data and AI technologies. Generally held in September or October at the Palais des Congrès, Porte Maillot.
Profile
Why go
If you sell data SaaS, BI, ML ops, or anything touching the data lifecycle in enterprise, this is a near-mandatory stop. The lead-to-cost ratio is generally good because the audience is very targeted (few curious onlookers, lots of IT decision-makers).
SIDO Lyon — the IoT, AI & robotics crossroads
SIDO (Showroom of Internet of Things) is held in Lyon, usually late September. Over 2 days, it's become the French reference for IoT, applied AI for industry, robotics and XR.
Format
For whom
Very relevant for those selling industrial IoT, predictive maintenance, sensors, factory 3D simulation, OT cybersecurity. More pragmatic audience than VivaTech, more focused on concrete projects.
Forum InCyber (FIC) — Europe's cybersecurity event
The Forum InCyber (formerly FIC, Forum International de la Cybersécurité) is Europe's reference cybersecurity event. Traditionally held in Lille at Eurovéloville, generally between January and March depending on the edition.
What makes it unique
It's one of the rare trade shows where you can cross paths with the head of ANSSI, EU Commission representatives and an Israeli cyber-deception startup all within 50 square meters.
Exhibitor profile
Historical security vendors (Thales, Atos, Stormshield) have their large booths here as usual. For new entrants (startups, scale-ups), the format is demanding because the audience expects a fine grasp of the topic — generic sales pitches fade fast in this crowd.
AWS Summit, Salesforce World Tour and enterprise summits
Several international vendors organize their own events in Paris, often free for visitors. These aren't "open" trade shows in the classic sense, but proprietary summits where the vendor's ecosystem partners come to showcase their solutions.
What falls in this category
How to approach them
If you sell SaaS that integrates with one of these ecosystems, these summits are excellent for reaching resellers and integrator partners rather than end users. The audience is largely composed of buyers already committed to the stack in question.
DevoxxFR — the developers' conference
DevoxxFR is the major French-speaking conference for Java and JVM developers, but increasingly also DevOps, Cloud Native and architecture. It's held in Paris in April.
Major difference with the rest: it's primarily a conference, not a trade show. Participants' main goal is to learn, not to prospect. For a tech vendor targeting developers (dev tools, API platforms, observability, etc.), it's an ultra-qualified audience, but one that demands genuinely technical messaging rather than pure marketing.
HR Tech, RetailTech, Tech & Bio — the sectoral summits
Several sector-specific trade shows round out the calendar:
For each, the audience is smaller but better qualified than VivaTech. The cost-per-qualified-lead is often better if your solution sits squarely in the show's focus.
How to choose your 2026 tech show
A few simple rules that work nearly everywhere:
1. One major show per year if you're starting
Many B2B companies are tempted to commit to 4-5 shows in their first year. The result: budget burned, team exhausted, average ROI everywhere. Better to do one well-prepared show than diluted attendance.
2. Measure target audience / total audience ratio
VivaTech is 165,000 participants but out of those 165,000, how many are HR directors if you sell HR SaaS? HR Tech is 8,000 visitors but 90% are HR directors. In the second case, your lead ratio is much higher.
3. Prepare the post-show before the show
The real ROI of a trade show plays out in the 8 weeks that follow. If your sales team can't follow up on hot leads within the week post-show, don't do the show. A UNIMEV study notes that the majority of trade show leads are never called back — that's where you lose the investment.
4. Rent a visible but reasonable booth
A well-placed 6 sqm booth beats a poorly placed 18 sqm one. Ask for the hall map and negotiate placement before signing.
Frequently asked questions
Which French B2B tech show should I pick if I can only do one?
It depends entirely on your product. For broad corporate visibility: VivaTech in June. For data/AI: Big Data & AI Paris in September-October. For cyber: Forum InCyber Lille early in the year. For IoT/industry: SIDO Lyon in September. A good rule: pick the show where you can realistically meet at least 100 qualified prospects.
How much does a VivaTech booth cost?
Pricing varies considerably. A startup format in a shared pavilion can start around 5,000 EUR. A medium-size independent booth ranges between 25,000 and 60,000 EUR depending on placement and surface. Very large corporate booths can exceed 200,000 EUR. These figures are indicative and change every edition — always request an official quote.
How do I get a free visitor badge to a tech trade show?
Most major B2B trade shows (VivaTech, Big Data Paris, SIDO) offer free professional visitor invitations with early registration — generally 4 to 8 weeks before. Exhibitors can also send invitations to their prospects. On site, badges purchased at the counter on the day are almost always paid.
Should I go to VivaTech or to a smaller show like SIDO or Big Data Paris?
Depends on your goal. VivaTech = massive visibility, press, recruiting, broad networking but modest qualified-prospect ratio. Sector shows (SIDO, Big Data, FIC) = smaller but much better qualified audiences for selling. For an early-commercial-stage startup, sector shows often generate more real pipeline.
Which French tech trade shows are biennial?
Several shows run every two years. Tech & Bio (Lyon, even years so 2026) is the best-known example on the agritech side. Always check the official website: a "biennial" show can skip an edition for logistical reasons (as we saw during and after COVID).
Going further
If this calendar interests you, these other Keyqo resources may help:
Sources: Insee + ARCEP — Digital economy 2024-2025, OPIIEC — French digital sector workforce observatory, UNIMEV — Events industry key figures 2025, official websites of the cited trade shows (consulted May 2026). Attendance figures and pricing are indicative and based on previous editions — always verify official communications before any travel or budget commitment.
