The scale and complexity of the recent Australian Tourism Exchange 2026 has provided a high-profile case study in large-scale exhibition delivery, with South Australian event infrastructure company AEH using the event to demonstrate its operational capability on one of the country’s most important tourism industry gatherings.
Held in Adelaide, the Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) brings together hundreds of international and domestic tourism buyers with Australian tourism operators for a week of appointments, networking and business development. The annual event is regarded as a key driver of inbound tourism business for Australia and requires significant temporary exhibition infrastructure to support the scale of meetings and presentations taking place.
AEH was responsible for the exhibition build and infrastructure delivery for the 2026 event, completing the project within a demanding 48-hour installation schedule.
The company delivered more than 700 fully serviced exhibition booths across the venue floor, alongside lighting, electrical services, signage and furniture packages designed to support hundreds of tourism operators exhibiting at the event.
The delivery included more than 2,000 chairs, more than 700 tables and rubbish bins, upgraded lounge and counter furniture, power connections to more than 560 booths and LED lighting installed throughout the exhibition space.
One of the largest components of the project involved the production and installation of more than 3,000 individual artwork panels, all printed and mounted on recyclable signage panels as part of the event’s sustainability objectives.
According to AEH Managing Director Michael Siebert, the project highlighted both the logistical demands of major business events and the importance of local capability in servicing large exhibitions.
“This was a major operational undertaking with tight timelines and significant infrastructure requirements,” he said.
“We have invested in increasing our stock meaning no event is too big for us to now service in South Australia. Given transport costs, buying local makes sense and we have proven we have the capability to deliver.”
The project required coordination across warehousing, logistics, signage production, electrical services, furniture deployment and on-site operations teams, with all elements needing to be completed within two days before exhibitors moved onto the show floor.
Siebert said delivering a project of this scale relied heavily on planning and integration across multiple operational teams.
“To deliver more than 700 completed booths with furniture, lighting, printed signage and services in just two days is a credit to the planning, logistics and dedication of the entire team,” he said.