The Touring Exhibitions Pavilion, Teo’s annual curated event for the global touring community in Paris, brought together over 250+ international exhibitions professionals from 13 to 15 January 2026. Hosted in partnership with Museum Connections, at the heart of the large international museum fair in Paris, this year’s Touring Exhibitions Pavilion welcomed professionals to a bigger-than-ever hub, to network, discover, and celebrate the latest innovations in international touring exhibitions.
An international touring village
The Touring Exhibitions Pavilion’s expansive, purpose-built area at the centre of Museum Connections was imagined as a vibrant environment to unite members and professionals from museums and the cultural, heritage, science, tourism, and leisure sectors. A spacious designed lounge encircled by dedicated stands for members of the community, created a dynamic and welcoming setting where exhibition specialists could connect, share a coffee, meet with peers and explore projects and expert perspectives. The Pavilion welcomed participants from all around the world, with exhibition professionals joining the event from France, Australia, Canada, Hungary, Greece, Japan, Korea, Italy, Syria, China, Brazil, the USA, Scotland, Switzerland, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, England, Germany, Turkey, Sweden and many more.
Attending Museum Connections in Paris was truly an exceptional experience—one of the best conferences I’ve ever had the pleasure of joining. My sincere thanks go to Manon and her incredible team at TEO for curating an event that so thoughtfully brings together museums and exhibition producers from around the world. The intimate scale of the conference fostered meaningful conversations, authentic networking, and a genuine sense of shared purpose. It’s rare to find a gathering that so effectively strengthens our industry as a whole, and I left feeling inspired, energized, and deeply grateful for the connections made.
- Matthew Adams
The Walt Disney Archives
We were really pleased to participate in 2026’s Touring Exhibitions Pavilion as part of such an interesting and diverse line up of participants. The Pavilion area was a great space to get away from the bustle of the conference floor and meet with other attendees. The TEO team were incredibly organised and professional throughout and we look forward to building on the new connections we made throughout the event.
- Calum MacGillivray
The National Museums Scotland
The Touring Exhibitions Pavilion at Museum Connections 2026 was once again an exceptional platform for the international exhibitions community. TEO created a professional, inspiring and well-curated environment that truly encourages dialogue, exchange and collaboration. The Pavilion brings together the right people, new ideas and the right energy — from museum professionals and organisers to partners and decision-makers. For Expona, it was an excellent opportunity to present our exhibitions, engage in high-quality conversations, and strengthen long-term partnerships. The organisation, visibility and overall atmosphere were outstanding. Congratulations to the TEO team for another successful and meaningful edition.
- Alex Susanna
Expona Exhibitions
Kudos to the entire TEO team for their tireless work and commitment to the traveling exhibitions community! The TEO Pavilion has evolved into a global meeting point where old friends catch up, and new relationships are made. Thank you for everything that you do!”
- Nicholas Kondoprias
PANART
Spotlighting New Exhibitions, Expert Insights and Key Trends
The curated event presented two highly popular fast-paced conference sessions on new exhibitions, inviting international exhibition producers to the stage to shed light on their latest productions and creative developments – and they drew crowds ! The audience discovered a wealth of new international touring projects, featuring original collections, immersive productions, interactive exhibits, IP experiences, and outdoor displays.
A third new talk dedicated to touring exhibitions welcomed to the stage Michele Smith, CEO of the Museum of POP Culture (MoPOP) and Raphaël Chanay, Director of Exhibitions at the Palais de la découverte et Cité des sciences et de l’industrie. In this inspiring talk convened by Agnes Bertocci-Ruiz, Director of Global Business Development at the American Museum of Natural History, the speakers shared their expert insights into how touring exhibitions can power organisations’ economic, reputational, and mission impact, all the while driving economic sustainability, and creating lasting strategic value for museums and heritage, attraction, tourism and event venues alike.
The Museum Connections conference was one of the most organised and engaging experiences I have had during my tenure working exhibits for the past 18 years. The TEO Pavilion was an incredible meeting place for like-minded exhibitors to chat, have a coffee, and engage with other colleagues. TEO being a central point within the conference allowed many visitors to engage in printed material, lectures, and exhibit pitches while also allowing the freedom to roam and feel less pressured to engage if you were only window shopping. The TEO founders and employees were always there fostering connections, confirming their guests were happy, and assisting with advice and recommendations on how best share information about travelling exhibits. The Museum of Pop Culture will be back again next year, thank you TEO!
- Samer Fouad
The Museum of Pop Culture
Engaging Exhibition Visits and Social Events
The on-site conference programme also included the informal Pavilion meet-up in the lounge area, providing a space for visitors and exhibitors to mingle, spark conversations, and lay the groundwork for future partnerships.
On the Wednesday, the conference was wrapped up with a friendly and lively cocktail evening which gathered the Pavilion participants near the Museum Connections venue.
The third day of the event gave the opportunity for international visitors to enjoy exclusive exhibition visits hosted by Teo members and partners, for an opportunity to discover new cultural experiences and narratives, and continue conversations:
Universcience – Cité des sciences et de l’industrie & Palais de la découverte proposed curatorial visits of their three exhibitions Cats & Dogs, Dance and Gardening, followed by a networking luncheon on site.
Visitors rediscovered ice and sand deserts in the eponymous exhibition Deserts currently on show at the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, enjoying a dedicated visit by the exhibition’s museographer.
Cité Immersive des Fables opened the doors of its permanent venue in Bastille for an immersive experience around the La Fontaine fables.
Tempora invited visitors to discover the humorous exhibition Geluck expose le Chat at their Musée Maillol.
The Citéco team greeted guests for a detailed curatorial visit of the their new children’s exhibition, The Mysteries of Money.
Our second year participating in the Touring Exhibitions Pavilion at Museum Connections was an outstanding experience and a clear step up in impact. We felt genuinely supported and thoughtfully highlighted, and the time and care the TEO team invested—both in advance and on site—in promoting Flying Fish, our exhibitions, and our services made a tangible difference to our visibility and the quality of conversations we had at the booth.
The Pavilion itself felt like a true hub this year: well-located, energetic, and designed to encourage meaningful meetings and informal exchanges with colleagues. With exhibitors and attendees from around the world offering a wide range of content and services, it created space for rich conversations across every facet of our industry. Add to that the chance to reconnect with old friends, meet new ones, and spend time with some of our favorite colleagues, and it was genuinely a joy to be part of.
The curated museum visits were a fantastic bonus. Deserts at the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle were a standout moment. Overall, the Pavilion is poised to deliver a high return on our investment, and we will absolutely be participating again next year.
- Anna Clark
Flying Fish
A Warm Thank You
The Teo team wishes to thank sincerely all the visitors, participants, speakers, partners and booth holders who contributed to making the 2026 Pavilion such a buzzing, friendly and inspiring event.
Warm thanks to the teams from National Geographic Traveling Exhibitions, American Museum of Natural History, World Press Photo Foundation, Universcience – Cité des sciences et de l’industrie & Palais de la découverte, Histovery, Dino Don, Expona, Guide ID, Disgusting Food Museum, EFM Global Logistics, Ride FX – Immersive Culture and Flying Fish for joining us with a booth and contributing to making the Pavilion such a welcoming space.
I have been a regular attendee at the Museum Connections fair over the past years. It was my first time exhibiting, and I must say I have been impressed by the number and quality of connections I made on our booth within the TEO Touring Exhibitions Pavilion. I would recommend attending the conference to anyone in our small travelling exhibitions world! Great job to Manon and her team in organising! The TEO pavilion is now a not-to-be-missed area at Museum Connections!“
- Agnès Ruiz
The American Museum of Natural History
Warm thanks to the teams from the American Museum of Natural History, National Museums Scotland, Universcience, Expona, PANART Connections, Cité de l’espace, Museum d’histoire naturelle de Toulouse, Project Holocene, Flying Fish, Philharmonie de Paris, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Cap Sciences, Contemporanea Progetti, Natural History Museum London, Histovery, Cités Immersives, World Press Photo Foundation, The Museum of Pop Culture, PangeiArt, Australian National Maritime Museum, Science Museum Group, Alegria Exhibition, Dino Don, Imagine, Layers of Reality, Exhibition Hub, Loom Prod, The Walt Disney Archives, VRXP, Mediapro Xperiences, Science North, Lascaux International Exhibition, Chatsworth House Trust, Alison Jackson, UNCEDED: Voices of the Land, Unframed Collection and National Geographic for participating in our conference sessions and contributing to making this event so unique.
The 2026 Touring Exhibitions Pavilion was a resounding success for our non-profit and has opened up international possibilities for locating our exhibit that otherwise would not have been known to us. The team at TEO was encouraging and welcoming in their support and willingness to connect organizations where collaboration was a possibility. The attention placed on fostering a community of global industry participants made conversations effortless and allowed for a welcoming and supportive atmosphere both within the Pavilion and at the off-site events. Paris is an international hub for the museums industry, and I would encourage anybody interested in professional or business development in this sector to strongly consider attending in 2027.
- Jason Olsen
UNCEDED: Voices of the Land
Warm thanks to the teams of partners Bematrix and La Romaine for designing and building such a beautiful Pavilion space for this year’s event.
Special thanks to partners who welcomed our participants for exhibition visits : Universcience – Cité des sciences et de l’industrie & Palais de la découverte, Citéco – Cité de l’économie, Cités Immersives, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle and Tempora. And sincere thanks to the whole Museum Connections team for their continuous support in making the Paris Touring Exhibitions Pavilions a success !
See You Next Year!
We are already looking forward to welcoming exhibitions professionals from around the world at next year’s Touring Exhibitions Pavilion, and have begun weaving together ideas and inspiration for the 2027 event. Stay tuned for the opening calls for participants in June 2026.
We can’t wait to welcome you back to Paris for the 2027 Pavilion!
About the authors & contributors
Teo
Teo is the global resource for the international touring exhibitions community. Created for hosts, producers and specialists of international touring exhibitions, Teo is a global living resource for sharing best practices and fostering new international collaborations in the world of travelling exhibitions.
