Before you go
Check if you qualify
DEMA Show is trade-only. Dive shops and their staff, instructors, divemasters, travel agents, distributors, reps and other industry professionals can register. DEMA has ten attendee categories, including Dive Retail Buyer and Dive Travel Buyer badges. Consumers and guests cannot register. You must be 16 or older. Not sure which badge you need? Check DEMA's credential requirements for each type.
Register and upload your paperwork early
Upload proof of your work when you register. Missing paperwork can get you turned away at the door. See prices under what it costs. Register on demashow.com
Pick up your badge before Tuesday if you can
Pick up your attendee badge Monday, November 2, 10 AM to 5 PM, and you can walk straight in on opening morning. Have a Friday-only pass? You can only pick up that badge on Friday.
Book your meetings now
Your must-see exhibitors will be busy on the floor. Email ahead and book a time at their booth. Find booth numbers in our exhibitor list and check the official floor plan to see where they are.
Want more divers to find your dive brand?We will be there all week. Meet with DIVEIN to talk about getting your products in front of divers.
Sign up for first-timer orientation
First-time attendee orientation is at 8:30 AM on Tuesday, November 3, in Room 280. The second and last session is on Wednesday. Both are before the floor opens. Sign up on demashow.com. Download DEMA's show app before you fly, too.
What to bring
- Government photo ID for badge pickupDEMA checks valid government-issued photo ID. Everyone picks up their own badge. Keep your badge pickup notice and barcode ready on your phone to move through the line faster.
- More business cards than you thinkA QR code on your phone can share your contact details, too.
- Shoes you can walk in all dayYou will be on your feet for four days. Bring shoes you have already worn in.
- A light layerThe air conditioning in convention halls can be cold.
- A power bank and a water bottleThe app, maps and photos will keep your phone busy all day. Bring water for all that talking, too.
- A light bag and your meeting listLeave room for catalogs and samples. Keep booth numbers with your booked meetings.
What it costs
Your badge is the only fixed cost. The rest depends on your travel and hotel choices. These prices were listed on demashow.com and the airport's site on October 15, 2026.
Your badge
| Package | DEMA member | Not a member |
|---|---|---|
| Education Package | $90 | $210 |
| Exhibits-Only | $75 | $190 |
| Friday-Only | $55 | $85 |
- All three packages include the show floor, exhibitor seminars and special sessions. For DEMA's own education sessions, you need the Education Package. Some exhibitor seminars need sign-up or cost extra.
- First time and not a DEMA member? You get $40 off: $170 for the Education Package, $150 for Exhibits-Only. Friday-Only does not get the discount.
- Check your dates before paying. No package offers refunds.
Getting there and staying
- Airport taxi
- $36 flat
- From the airport (MSY) to downtown, for one or two people. Three or more pay $15 each.
- Parking
- $23 a day
- At the convention center. Most hotels are a walk or a short ride away, so skip the rental car if you can.
- 50th Anniversary Party
- $20
- Thursday evening, 21+. Advance tickets only, so buy yours when you register. DEMA said they were almost sold out on October 15.
DEMA also lists airline and car-rental discounts on its travel page.
Plan your days on the floor
Start your first morning with one full lap of the floor. You will spot things you did not know to look for. Then work through your list with a better idea of the floor.
Halls G–J are big. Split the floor into areas and visit a few each day. Plan around your booked meetings. Leave gaps for conversations you did not expect.
The floor closes an hour earlier on Friday, at 5 PM. Book your important meetings for Tuesday to Thursday. Use Friday to catch the booths you missed.
Sort the day's cards into "act now" and "later" each evening. Do it daily so you do not face a four-day pile.
Look at the education schedule early. DEMA lists hundreds of education sessions, including its own sessions, exhibitor seminars, and technician and service courses. Some exhibitor seminars and courses cost extra. Check before you plan your day around one.
What we learned on the floor
"Innovation only really counts if you can actually dive it."
Ask when it ships
At every dive show, and all over YouTube, we see full-face helmets, sci-fi rebreathers and "AI" regulators that appear once or twice, then disappear. Before you get excited, ask the booth one question: when can I order it?
Check what was new last year
Aqualung showed its Fit Flex two-piece wetsuit in 2024. By the 2025 show, it was finally available. Divevolk's underwater internet link went from a wild idea in 2024 to ready for the market in 2025. Look up last year's launches before you go. Then ask those booths if they ship now.
Ask to see the demo
At SEAC's booth in 2025, we sprayed their new anti-fog mask with a fog gun. It stayed clear. We still want to try it in the water, but that quick demo told us more than the brochure. Ask to see a demo when a booth has one.
Look for the shared pavilions
In 2025, Aqualung, Apeks and Mares shared one HEAD Sports pavilion. Look for groups like that on the floor plan. You can visit several brands in one stop and save some walking.
See what we saw last year in our DEMA Show 2025 floor tour.
After hours
A lot of DEMA business happens after 6 PM. The big event in 2026 is DEMA's 50th Anniversary Party.
DEMA's 50th Anniversary Party
- When
- Thursday, November 5, 6–9 PM
- Where
- Mardi Gras World
- Tickets
- $20, advance tickets only, up to two per person
- Age
- 21 and over
- Getting there
- Free shuttle from the convention center and the host hotel
Check DEMA's schedule for the Happy Hour & Block Party time. Exhibitors also host their own evening events. You will hear about most by word of mouth, so ask at the booths you visit and say yes to invitations. Many of the week's best conversations happen over a drink.
After the show
Follow up within a week, while people remember your conversation. It gets harder after that.
Start with what you promised at a booth: a price list, a sample request or an introduction.