DesignCon 2027

DesignCon's exhibitor materials cite an audience of over 5,400 attendees. It is described as the country's largest gathering of chip, board, and systems designers. The audience is made up primarily of engineers in the electrical design and semiconductor industries. (Historically, the show reported more than 150 exhibitors and around 5,000 attendees at its four-day 2014 event.)

Registration is handled online through the official DesignCon website. Pass options include expo-only admission and full conference packages:

• Expo admission: $39 through the early deadline (February 1), rising to $199 onsite
• Conference packages: Multiple tiers are available; pricing is listed on the official registration page

Keynotes are open to all package types. A visa invitation letter can be requested during the registration process for international attendees. Note that a conference pass cancellation fee (historically $150) applies, and conference registrations cannot be cancelled online — refer to the official site for current deadlines and terms.

DesignCon traces its roots to a Hewlett-Packard High-Speed Digital Design Symposium series that began around 1989–1993 and evolved into "Design SuperCon," first held in 1995. In 1996 the conference moved to the Santa Clara Convention Center (from the Santa Clara Marriott), and in 1998 it was renamed DesignCon. In 2000, HP transitioned management to IEC, which opened it from an HP-only event to an industry-wide one, growing it into a multi-day conference with a full day of tutorials. UBM acquired DesignCon in 2010, and the event is now organized by Informa Markets. By 2014 the four-day conference and exhibition drew more than 150 exhibitors and around 5,000 attendees, and in 2025 the show celebrated its 30th anniversary — with the event still held at the Santa Clara Convention Center where it has run since the 1990s.