Australasia’s largest emergency management conference and exhibition this year recorded 5,780 attendees and its biggest exhibition floor to date.
AFAC26 powered by INTERSCHUTZ Conference & Exhibition reinforced its position as Australasia’s largest event for the emergency management sector.
Held 18–21 August 2026 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), AFAC26 attendance repreented a 29.9% increase on AFAC25 and a 42.3% increase on the last Melbourne event in 2019.
The record attendance reflected the increasing focus on emergency response capability and community resilience in the face of more frequent and complex emergencies. AFAC26 also highlighted the event’s growing international relevance, with leaders and researchers from across the globe sharing insights on disaster risk and learnings from recent emergencies in their communities.
The exhibition was also the largest in the event’s history, with 5,178sqm of occupied floorspace and 246 exhibitors, including 73 new exhibitors and 36 international exhibitors.
Rob Webb, CEO of AFAC, the Australian and New Zealand Council for fire and emergency services, said: “AFAC has been highly successful in bringing emergency management professionals from across Australia, New Zealand and around the world together to share knowledge, discuss the lessons from the past 12 months and prepare for the season ahead.”
Tim Bostridge, managing director of one of the organising partners Deutsche Messe Australia, said the growth of the exhibition reflected the strength and momentum of the sector.
“Exhibitors came from across a wide range of sectors, all with one goal in mind: supporting emergency management professionals to do their jobs safely and effectively,” he said.
AFAC27 will move to the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC), 31 August to 3 September 2027.
More information: https://www.afacconference.com.au/
