DesignCon
DesignCon is an annual Silicon Valley conference and exposition for chip, board, and systems design engineers, focused on signal and power integrity. Managed by Informa Markets, it draws 5,400+ attendees and 190+ exhibitors across a 15-track program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersSanta Clara, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What DesignCon does
DesignCon is an annual conference and exposition serving chip, board, and systems design engineers, with a specialized focus on signal integrity, power integrity, and high-speed communications. Founded in 1994 (though firmographics metadata lists 2019, likely reflecting a structural reorganization), the event has operated continuously for over 30 years at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Silicon Valley. It is organized and managed by Informa Markets, a trading division of Informa PLC (LSE: INF). The 2026 edition drew more than 5,400 attendees and 190+ exhibitors, with 89% of attendees reporting purchasing influence and 97% of exhibitors rating the show as important for their business.
The core offering combines a 15-track, 100+ session technical conference program curated by a Technical Program Committee of approximately 100 engineers from companies including Siemens, Intel, Tektronix, Google, Apple, and Amazon Lab126, alongside an expo floor hosting leading suppliers across test and measurement, interconnect, EDA, and connector categories. Supporting products include the DesignCon On Demand webinar series, the Engineer of the Year and Best Paper Awards, and the 40 Under 40 recognition program, which together extend the brand beyond the three-day February event.
The business model rests on four revenue streams: exhibitor booth fees, tiered attendee registration packages (complimentary Expo Package up to $199 for walk-ins, plus All-Access, Premium Education, and Standard Education packages with group discounts of 10-25% for teams of 3+), multi-tier sponsorship packages (Host, Diamond, Platinum, Gold, plus minor sponsorships and airline/hotel partners), and the VIP Guest Invites Program that enables exhibitors to distribute promo codes. Anchor sponsors for 2026 included Amphenol (Host), Keysight, Molex, and Samtec (Diamond), and Cadence, Rohde & Schwarz, and TE Connectivity (Platinum). Notable attendee logos span Apple, Google, Nvidia, Intel, Cisco, Broadcom, Meta, Marvell, Arista Networks, and Juniper Networks, though these are attendees rather than paying customers.
DesignCon firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DesignCon
- Legal name
- DesignCon (Informa Markets, a trading division of Informa PLC)
- Website
- https://designcon.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- DesignCon is an annual Silicon Valley conference and exposition for chip, board, and systems design engineers, focused on signal and power integrity. Managed by Informa Markets, it draws 5,400+ attendees and 190+ exhibitors across a 15-track program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DesignCon industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Electronics Design Conference and Trade Show
- akta.pro primary industry
- Engineering & Technology Congresses (THAHAJAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Meeting & Conference Planning & Coordination (HSACADAA)
Keywords
Where DesignCon is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Santa Clara
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
DesignCon business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Exhibitor Booth Fees: Companies pay for exhibit space at the conference. Pricing varies by booth size and location, managed through sales representatives.
- Conference Registration Fees: Attendees pay for various pass types including Expo Package (complimentary to $199), and education packages (All-Access, Premium Education, Standard Education) with group discounts of 10-25% for teams.
- Sponsorship Packages: Companies purchase sponsorship tiers (Host, Diamond, Platinum, Gold) and various branding/marketing opportunities including pre-event marketing, onsite branding, and thought leadership speaking slots.
- VIP Guest Invites Program: Exhibitors can upgrade their presence with Smart Bundle packages including upgraded directory listings, lead retrieval app licenses, and promotional materials.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Expo Package - Free to $199 |
| Subscription | Annual | All-Access Package - Full conference access with daily lunches |
| Subscription | Annual | Premium Education Package - Enhanced conference access |
| Subscription | Annual | Standard Education Package - Basic conference access |
| Other | Annual | Group Discounts - 3+ attendees |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
DesignCon product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DesignCon produces an annual three-day in-person conference and exposition at the Santa Clara Convention Center for engineers and executives who design chips, boards, and systems. Its program comprises 15 technical tracks, 100+ sessions, keynotes, panels, tutorials, an expo floor with 190+ exhibitors of EDA, test/measurement, components, and interconnect products, and year-round educational content delivered through the DesignCon On Demand webinar series and the DesignCon Community portal.
Product overview
DesignCon is the premier high-speed communications and system design conference and exposition held annually in Silicon Valley. The core offering consists of the DesignCon Conference (15-track technical program with paper sessions, tutorials, and industry panels) and the DesignCon Expo (exhibit hall with hundreds of suppliers and interactive demos). Supporting offerings include education packages (All-Access, Premium Education, Standard Education, and Expo packages), the On Demand Webinar Series, and awards programs (Engineer of the Year, Best Paper Awards, and 40 Under 40). The event serves chip, board, and systems design engineers seeking signal and power integrity solutions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- DesignCon Annual Conference (Technical Program) Three-day in-person technical conference for chip, board, and systems design engineers, comprising 15 technical tracks, 100+ educational sessions, keynotes, panels, and tutorials held at the Santa Clara Convention Center.
- DesignCon Exposition (Expo Floor) Exhibit hall at DesignCon featuring 190+ exhibitors showcasing EDA software, test and measurement equipment, components, connectors, cabling, materials, and PCB fabrication/assembly services to qualified design engineering attendees.
- DesignCon On Demand (Webinar Series)
Quantifiable outcome
- 97% of 2025 exhibitors stated DesignCon is important for their business
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use DesignCon
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
DesignCon technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
DesignCon partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered host, diamond, platinum, minor, gold and core.
- AmphenolhostAmphenol serves as the Host Sponsor for DesignCon 2026, providing highest-level visibility and branding throughout the event.
- KeysightdiamondKeysight is a Diamond sponsor, offering test and measurement solutions and maintaining a significant presence at the expo with featured speaker representation (Heidi Barnes, DesignCon 2017 Engineer of the Year).
- MolexdiamondMolex is a Diamond sponsor, participating as a major exhibitor in the chip, board, and systems design expo.
- SamtecdiamondSamtec is a Diamond sponsor with significant presence. Richard Mellitz of Samtec was named DesignCon 2022 Engineer of the Year.
- CadenceplatinumCadence Design Systems is a Platinum sponsor providing electronic design automation solutions.
- Rohde & SchwarzplatinumRohde & Schwarz is a Platinum sponsor providing test and measurement equipment solutions.
- TE ConnectivityplatinumTE Connectivity is a Platinum sponsor at DesignCon 2026.
- TektronixminorTektronix is a networking sponsor for DesignCon.
- AnritsugoldAnritsu is a Gold sponsor providing measurement solutions.
- SynopsysgoldSynopsys is a Gold sponsor providing electronic design automation solutions.
- Design NewsminorDesign News is an official media partner covering DesignCon events and announcements.
- IEEE EMC SocietyminorIEEE EMC Society is a partner organization supporting the technical program.
- Santa Clara Convention CentercoreThe official venue for DesignCon events, providing conference and expo facilities in Santa Clara, CA.
- Southwest AirlinesminorSouthwest Airlines offers discounted fares for DesignCon attendees (1-3% pending fare class) with travel dates around the event.
- United AirlinesminorUnited Airlines offers 2-10% discounts on flights using promotion code ZRC3408222.
- Delta Air LinesminorDelta offers 2-25% discounts on flights using Meeting Event Code NM4RY.
- Hertz Car RentalminorHertz provides discounted car rental rates for DesignCon attendees with CDP Code 2188961.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
DesignCon competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- DATE (Design, Automation & Test in Europe): DATE is a leading European conference and exhibition for EDA, chip design, and test, serving the same electronic design engineer audience as DesignCon but primarily in the EMEA market. Overlaps on EDA/vendors and academic-industry hybrid audience.
- ECOC (European Conference on Optical Communication): ECOC is Europe's leading optical communications conference and exhibition, covering the same high-speed communications technology themes as DesignCon but serving primarily the EMEA market. Comparable format and exhibitor community, but primarily a regional peer outside North America.
Direct peers
- Embedded World: Embedded World is a leading international conference and exhibition for embedded systems, covering chips, boards, and system-level design. Comparable size, format, and exhibitor base; overlaps with DesignCon's chip/board engineering audience in EMEA.
- DAC (Design Automation Conference): DAC is the premier event for electronic design automation, chip design, and embedded systems, with a similar academic + industry mix to DesignCon. Overlaps significantly on EDA exhibitors (Cadence, Synopsys, Siemens) and the chip design attendee community.
- SEMICON West: SEMICON West is a major semiconductor manufacturing trade show featuring leading chip and equipment exhibitors. Comparable large-scale industry expo with exhibitor-driven revenue model and adjacent audience to DesignCon's semiconductor and systems design engineers.
- IEEE ECTC (Electronic Components and Technology Conference): IEEE ECTC is a premier conference on electronic packaging, components, and interconnect technologies — directly relevant to DesignCon's board-level and signal integrity topics. Overlaps on attendees and exhibitors in connectors, substrates, and high-speed packaging.
- OFC (Optical Fiber Communication Conference): OFC is the largest global conference and exhibition for optical communications and networking, covering high-speed optical and interconnect technologies. Overlaps with DesignCon on high-speed link design, signal integrity, and shared exhibitors like Keysight, Molex, and TE Connectivity.
- SMTA International: SMTA International is a major conference and expo for electronics manufacturing and assembly, covering PCB and board-level production. Overlaps with DesignCon's board design attendees and shared exhibitor base in components and test.
- IEEE IMS (International Microwave Symposium): IEEE IMS is the premier event for high-frequency and microwave engineering, including high-speed signal integrity. Overlaps with DesignCon's technical audience on RF/high-speed topics and on test-and-measurement exhibitors like Keysight, Rohde & Schwarz, and Anritsu.
- DVCon (Design and Verification Conference): DVCon is the leading conference and expo for design and verification of chips and electronic systems, targeting the same EDA and chip/board design engineer audience as DesignCon. Direct head-to-head competitor in the electronics design conference market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
DesignCon social profiles
Digital presenceDesignCon financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DesignCon leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
DesignCon funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DesignCon M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DesignCon
What does DesignCon do?
DesignCon produces an annual three-day in-person conference and exposition at the Santa Clara Convention Center for engineers and executives who design chips, boards, and systems. Its program comprises 15 technical tracks, 100+ sessions, keynotes, panels, tutorials, an expo floor with 190+ exhibitors of EDA, test/measurement, components, and interconnect products, and year-round educational content delivered through the DesignCon On Demand webinar series and the DesignCon Community portal.
Is DesignCon a public or private company?
DesignCon is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was DesignCon founded?
DesignCon was founded in 1994. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is DesignCon based?
DesignCon is headquartered in Santa Clara, United States, in the North America region.
How does DesignCon make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Exhibitor Booth Fees are the primary driver. The others are conference Registration Fees, sponsorship Packages and VIP Guest Invites Program.
Who are DesignCon's main competitors?
Regional players on record are DATE (Design, Automation & Test in Europe) and ECOC (European Conference on Optical Communication). Direct peers are Embedded World, DAC (Design Automation Conference), SEMICON West, IEEE ECTC (Electronic Components and Technology Conference), OFC (Optical Fiber Communication Conference), SMTA International, IEEE IMS (International Microwave Symposium) and DVCon (Design and Verification Conference).
Does DesignCon have an API?
No public API is recorded for DesignCon.
What industry is DesignCon in?
DesignCon's product category is Electronics Design Conference and Trade Show. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHAJAE, Engineering & Technology Congresses, with a secondary code of HSACADAA, Meeting & Conference Planning & Coordination.