It has now been a couple of weeks since FlightSimExpo 2026 concluded, bringing thousands of people to Saint Paul, MN, to enjoy the latest in flight simulation. In that time, I’ve had the chance to reflect on what I enjoyed about the show, what I feel could be done differently, and areas I think perhaps need to be sunsetted for the future. Not only that, but it gives me a chance to look back on the amazing work our team did as a whole to bring our biggest content coverage yet to those who could not make it.
I suppose this story begins back in January 2026. We all knew that FlightSimExpo was going to be taking place in Saint Paul, but there was a dark backdrop to the city itself. Politics aside, it was commonly seen by many (nationally and internationally) as though Saint Paul was not a particularly safe place to visit. That, alongside stories of people being regularly denied entry at the US border, certainly did not help the optics.
Speaking to developers, it was starting to appear as though many people were looking to skip this year’s event, which, of course, would have an adverse effect on attendance numbers and the overall show quality. In fact, the situation was so serious that event organisers seriously debated whether 2026 should pivot to a different host city. As news spread that the city was more open, slowly but surely, things began to feel a bit more settled.
If you’ve been keeping up to date with us, you will know that in April 2026, Evan (FSA, event organiser), Greg, and I spent a few days in Saint Paul, touring the location, the venue, and nearby attractions on a mission to share what the city would be like. Suffice it to say, this had a big impact, with many people at the show attributing their attendance to the video, as it helped give them the reassurance that the city would be a great place for the show. As I’ve mentioned countless times now, if you liked the vibe and feel of Providence back in 2025, you likely will like Saint Paul’s offerings.
The feelings amongst the exhibitor and sponsor community shifted significantly following the April video, and big new names were regularly being announced. The main stage on Friday now had a great number of names ready for announcements, the FSElite Stage began to fill up, and platform holders were now committing to attending in meaningful ways. Suddenly, June was here, and the show was full steam ahead.
Ironically, the only story I heard of someone having issues at the border this year was from me. A rogue banana from Heathrow was forgotten about, and the (cute) sniffer dogs quickly informed the agents of my contraband. Following that slight delay, everything else about getting to the city was smooth sailing. The airport being close to the city made things very easy; the hotel was clean, tidy, and welcoming, plus all the local bars and restaurants were within walking distance. On the first night (I arrived Tuesday), there were a handful of recognisable faces to hang out with and have some great catch-ups.
Whilst it may have been many months since last seeing many of these people, it is always effortless to pick up the conversation from where we left off. For me, it’s important to arrive early to make sure things are prepared, and I have time to actually talk to people rather than rushing to the next thing I need to do.
Those first few days, for us at least, are spent checking out the venue, getting the stage set up, and ensuring that our team are prepped with the information they need. By the time Thursday rolled around, most of our team were in the city, ready to take on a busy weekend. Before that, a behind-closed-doors Developers Conference took place. This conference is a private event specifically for exhibitors and sponsors. It’s jointly hosted by FSElite and FSA as a means to get developers and publishers in a room to discuss the threats and opportunities currently facing the industry. The contents of that discussion are private, but it’s always eye-opening to hear what challenges people are facing.
What’s more, it’s a fantastic opportunity for developers to find ways to collaborate, share ways to support one another, and be introduced to potential new business partners. Consider some of the announcements over the weekend: Parallel 42 x SayIntentions.AI, for example. I’m not saying that specific collaboration happened because of the Developers Conference, but it’s these types of connections that this small morning event can help bring to the community for the greater good.
As that concluded, our team bustled back to the exhibit floor, conducted final stage checks, and began setting up perhaps my favourite space of the show: the FSElite News Room.
I cannot overstate the gratitude we have towards the team at FSA for enabling us to have a private office off the show floor, allowing our team to have a private room to work and collaborate. Over the course of the weekend, we wrote every single announcement and press release, all whilst filming over 30 video interviews for the community. Having a dedicated workspace away from the hustle and bustle made an incredible difference to our ability to work efficiently and comfortably. It’s because of this space that we were able to put out coverage of each announcement within minutes of it happening on stage during FSExpoFriday.
FSExpoFriday, the biggest stage in flight simulation, certainly had a stacked line-up. One thing I feel FSA have gotten right now is the flow of the show. Having no specific timetable means that the public is left in anticipation about what is coming next. Some may say that they want a timetable to know exactly when to be in the room for their favourite developer, but I would argue that takes away from the surprise and delight. Plus, it gives the lesser-known names a chance to still have a decent-sized audience, whilst everyone grabs a drink until those big developers turn up.
For me, the point of FSExpoFriday is to bring new product reveals and announcements to the community. I think this year was a mixed bag in terms of exciting and new reveals. There were some cool announcements from SayIntentions.AI and Thrustmaster, but nothing really blew anyone out of the water. I think the most effective announcement came from Grinelli Designs. They had a great presentation, followed by the news that the F-100 would be on the show floor to fly… and then revealing it was out now. It was mic-drop after mic-drop after mic-drop. It’s those kinds of announcements that other developers (software or hardware) should take seriously. It was the talk of the show for many, and their constantly busy booth proved that they did the announcement justice.
Rehearsals well underway for FSExpoFriday
Stepping back before FSExpoFriday, we hosted our pre-show on YouTube. We conceived this idea last year (very last minute), and it was our way of building a bit of hype before the show and discussing what we thought would happen before anything was revealed. This year, we found ourselves in a really high-end production studio and recorded nearly two hours of content. We are really happy with how it turned out and thankful for how many of you tuned in. Whilst we were off the mark on some of the reveals, we hope you enjoyed the discussion. It’s likely to become a fixture of our coverage moving forward, so let us know what you’d like to see more of in the future from the pre-show.
After Microsoft concluded with their keynote, for the first time ever, the show floor was opened to the public on Friday afternoon. What was exciting was the fact that people could go directly from being hyped up about the announcements down to the show floor to meet those developers and try out those new products. The buzz was incredible, and it was amazing to see so many people head down to the floor despite the already long afternoon.
The question is, did I think the Friday exhibition floor opening worked? I’m honestly undecided. It meant that there was more time to try things out, but it did make Friday an incredibly long day, with most of us finishing at 19:30. I also felt that it took some of the excitement and momentum out of the usual Saturday morning buzz, as that had now shifted towards Friday instead.
Saturday, therefore, felt slower paced than usual from both an attendee and show floor perspective. But we still had plenty to do, with the FSElite Stage now becoming the next big place for product reveals, developer updates, and Q&A sessions.
We began the FSElite Stage with a few video trailers and an overview from DFFlyer, before then having Navigraph come up and share some new details on what they’ve been working on. Navigraph has always been a huge supporter of these shows and our stage as a way to speak directly to the community. We then had some great talks from developers such as Vector, FSS (revealing a new aircraft), WingFlex, AviaSim, and the return of Airline2Sim. Between those, we had a few other developers share video updates for those who weren’t able to attend in person.
Not only did we use the stage for developers, but we also dedicated time to members of the community for interesting talks. The Veterans in Flight Sim group took time to share their insights on stage, and then Scott from Minnetonka High School shared how he uses flight simulation to support learning and development through history lessons. All the sessions were streamed online, and the fantastic tech and stage direction team did a fantastic job of ensuring everything ran smoothly.
At 16:00 on Saturday, Microsoft also used the stage to host the first-ever in-person Red Bull Air Racing eSports competition. This saw people compete at the show beforehand to be in with the chance of winning a place to compete against a number of content creators for the opportunity to be crowned the best Red Bull Air Racer. This was a complex set-up that required coordination from FSElite, the Microsoft team, FSA, and the on-site tech crew in order to have two sim setups on stage, a commentator feed, and the ability to broadcast to multiple locations—all whilst being entertaining on stage.
That hard work paid off when the entire event ran incredibly smoothly. It was also extremely popular, with the entire stage area packed. Every seat was full, and hundreds more stood around the stage to watch the antics unfolding. After 40 minutes of frantic air racing, we had a winner who was then presented with a commemorative plaque on stage by Jorg Neumann (Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator) himself. It was a special moment that will hopefully be replicated in some form in future years at these shows.
As all of this was happening, members of the FSElite team were out on the show floor conducting interviews, capturing social media content, and doing their best to bring the show to those of you at home. We always encourage people to attend, but we know it’s not always possible for everyone, which is why we work so hard to bring you as much content as possible. In total, this year, we recorded 40 video booth tours or interviews. As it seems tradition at this point, we were hampered by some technical issues with our microphones, meaning some videos we shot were completely unusable.
After we finished recording, we then sent them to a team of people at home who worked just as hard to edit and prepare them for YouTube. With over 30 videos edited and uploaded within a week, it was a truly Herculean effort to accomplish all of this. It was great that so many developers took the time to speak to us and show off their new products.
By the time Sunday rolled around, the pace slowed down for us all, giving me time to really explore the show floor. Some real standouts for me were the Grinelli Designs booth and Turtle Beach. I loved the immersive experience Grinelli Designs offered and the opportunity to fly a brand new aircraft was really impressive. Their smoke machine firing off occasionally as the blimp floated above their stand ensured that they won the community award for Best Exhibit Booth. Turtle Beach impressed me with their lounge-style set-up and, considering this was a return to the industry for the team, it certainly left a lasting impression.
There were plenty of other great booths too. Some other standouts included Thrustmaster, Microsoft, Skalarki / AviaSim, and WinCTRL. Speaking of WinCTRL, that team never ceases to impress with their huge product range on display. I will say, having them at the front of the exhibit hall added a bit of a choke point, and I would like to see them positioned a little deeper into the hall next time to ensure that movement is a bit easier.
Overall, it felt like a very hardware- and combat-heavy show. Software developers were few and far between this year, which is disappointing to see. No big software names like PMDG, A2A Simulations, Flightbeam, or Orbx were on display. As much as I loved seeing Synaptic bring their A220, it was a little sad not to see iniBuilds there in a bigger capacity, especially after they impressed with their dome and overhead displays in previous years. Perhaps Las Vegas will bring some of those names back into the fold in 2027.
Another area I felt was really lacking this year was the lack of things to buy. FlightSim WebShop did an excellent job of bringing the goods for people to purchase, but there were very few opportunities to spend money. It sounds crazy, but one of the biggest things people want from these shows is the chance to try something and then buy it. I get it—it’s a risk bringing stock to these shows (especially with tariffs)—but the audience is chomping at the bit to bring things home with them. That said, DG Pilot being present meant people were able to take home some excellent-quality aircraft models.
One of the most significant reasons to attend these shows is always the community aspect. On Friday morning, we conducted the first-ever Flight Sim 5K Fun Run. In all honesty, asking people to rock up at 07:30 on a Friday morning seemed like a tall ask. But 20 people turned up. Twenty! Even now, I cannot believe the attendance for what was simply an event put on to force me out early to get a run in. What was even cooler was that some locals found the event on Strava and decided to join. We had a mix of runners and walkers, but you could hear the conversations between everyone as they socialised, and there was a genuine sense of community. How we’ll do it in Vegas is still unknown, but something similar must be part of the 2027 agenda.
But one thing that was missing this year was the usual post-FSExpoFriday social event. Whether it was due to a lack of sponsorship or budget, it was notably absent this year. It’s a shame, as there was no official way for the community and developers to simply socialise. I get it—it’s a huge cost and usually requires sponsorship for it to run—but it was certainly an element missed by myself and many others.
I think the lack of a social event represented the challenges faced by the organisers and exhibitors this year. I’m not saying that things felt cut back, but there was a sense of greater conservatism than usual. It’s understandable; we’re in a strange economic climate with rising costs and uncertain outcomes. Plus, there was the challenge of the location itself, perhaps not being as appealing as previous venues, meaning that ticket numbers were not where they needed to be. Couple that with some pretty last-minute exhibitor additions, and it felt like much of FlightSimExpo 2026 came together a little later than usual.
Despite that, I am always so impressed with the quality of FlightSimExpo as a whole. The production value of FSExpoFriday is the highest it’s ever been, and the FSElite Stage (if I say so myself) was the best produced it has ever been. Some exhibitors really brought excellent displays, and I hope they continue to support the show and expand their presence in the future.
So how does the future of FlightSimExpo 2027 look? Well, going back to Vegas seems to be either hit or miss. Personally, I think Vegas has always been a good choice for the show. It goes back to its roots, and many people always say that Vegas offers a chance to attend the show and still make it a trip in itself. As an event planner, I do find Vegas tough (costs, climate, and logistics), but generally speaking, the Vegas shows always seem to draw big audiences. Big audiences encourage more exhibitors, which then brings more opportunities for big announcements.
So yes, I think Las Vegas is a smart move. As for keeping the show there for multiple years, I am very much in the YES camp. I appreciate that many want the show to move from city to city to keep things fresh, but after moving cities each year, I’m ready for the show to stay put for a few years. Planning these events is difficult enough, but having to learn a new city, understand the logistical requirements, and figure out the nearest bar is always 50% of the workload. Probably an unpopular take, but I genuinely think leaving the show in Vegas for a few years (not forever) will only help grow the show.
As always, a massive shout-out to the volunteers at the show, the event staff, the RiverCentre staff, and the City of Saint Paul for hosting FlightSimExpo 2026. None of this would be possible without their dedication and hard work. Of course, a huge thank you to Evan and Phil, Co-Founders of FSA/FlightSimExpo, who constantly work to make the show happen every year, even when headwinds make things challenging.
We’re excited for the future of FlightSimExpo and how it will continue to evolve and grow the industry that we all love.
