First half of 2026: projects, new formats, and international connections

More than 160,000 visitors and participants at events, new formats for professional engagement, and expanded international cooperation – that is what the first half of 2026 looked like for RESTEC.

During this period, we delivered 14 projects across the industrial, innovation, energy, pharmaceutical, transport, timber, and socio‑cultural sectors.

The largest project of the half‑year was the 5th St. Petersburg Tax Forum, which brought together over 7,000 participants. The anniversary forum's programme covered a wide range of tax regulation issues and business‑government interaction, confirming the public's sustained interest in open discussion of the tax agenda.

The IPhEB International Forum gathered more than 2,500 specialists. One of the most notable outcomes was the work of the “Contract‑Expo” programme – the volume of preliminary agreements reached 5.244 billion rubles. During the forum, RESTEC held negotiations with partners from India and Turkey on expanding international participation in future projects.

The industrial and innovation track united the Petersburg Technical Fair, HI‑TECH, and the St. Petersburg Industrial Congress. These events brought together over 3,800 specialists from Russia, the CIS countries, Asia, and the Middle East.

The energy track included industry events in different regions of the country. In Khabarovsk, as part of the TECHNO‑SUMMER 2026 forum, which gathered about 9,000 participants, RESTEC organised the “Energy of the Far East” and “Automation. Safety. Communications” exhibitions. In St. Petersburg, the “Energy and Electrical Engineering” exhibition united 5,000 specialists from seven countries and 58 exhibitors, confirming the project's relevance as a platform for professional networking.

The winter and spring “Orthodox Rus” fair‑exhibition in St. Petersburg was visited by about 14,000 people. Exhibitors from Russia, Belarus, Israel, and Montenegro took part.

The largest event of the half‑year was the International Transport Festival “TransportFest”, which attracted a record 129,000 visitors. Over three days, the festival brought together transport history, modern technologies, the professional community, and thousands of spectators, impressing participants and guests with its scale and rich programme.

Alongside the spring projects, preparation for autumn events continued. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak signed a directive from the Government of the Russian Federation “On holding the International Exhibition and Conference on Shipbuilding and High‑Tech Equipment Development for Continental Shelf Exploration (OMR)” in St. Petersburg on 6–9 October 2026, prompting active preparations for the forum programme.

In the first half of the year, new formats for the business programme gained traction: negotiation spaces, direct business matching programmes, and specialised industry events. Such formats are increasingly defining the practical value of participation for professional audiences.

International participation remained an important part of most of the company's projects. Participating countries included: Belarus, Kazakhstan, China, Turkey, Israel, the UAE, Algeria, Germany, Senegal, Uruguay, the UK, Italy, and others.

The first half of 2026 required the RESTEC team to work simultaneously across several industry sectors, each with its own audience, communication logic, and event organisation requirements. The ability to work equally confidently across such diverse fields remains one of the company's key strengths.