The world’s most important augmented reality conference opens its doors today. AWE USA returns to Long Beach, California from June 15–18, 2026, bringing together the global spatial computing and XR community for one of the world’s largest events dedicated to the future of immersive technology.
This year the theme is “I, Spatial: Humans Empowered by Spatial AI,” a framing that tells you exactly where the conversation has moved — it is no longer just about hardware, but about what happens when spatial computing and artificial intelligence collide.
What Is AWE?
Since 2010, AWE has been the world’s number one XR and AI community, helping connect, educate, and enable commercial growth and market adoption across the ecosystem. Now in its 17th year, it has grown into the defining annual gathering for everyone building the future of spatial computing — from hardware engineers and software developers to enterprise buyers and investors.
This year’s event features technology from more than 250 exhibitors, hundreds of spatial computing product leaders, and a global network of 5,000 spatial peers across the expo floor.
Snap CEO Headlines the Main Stage
The most anticipated keynote comes from Snap Inc. Snap co-founder and CEO Evan Spiegel will headline AWE USA 2026 with a keynote address titled “Making Computing More Human,” taking place on Tuesday June 16 from 9:30 to 10:00 a.m. PT on AWE’s Main Stage, and will be livestreamed at experience.snap.com/awe-2026.
Throughout AWE, Specs Inc. will celebrate the innovation and creativity of its developer community, unveil new tools for building the next generation of computing, and demonstrate the latest advancements across the Specs platform.
Auggie Awards on June 17
This year’s Auggie Awards cover 18 categories, highlighting the top global innovations in XR, with winners announced live on June 17 during the ceremony held on AWE’s Main Stage. The awards recognise the best in AR hardware, software, enterprise deployment, and emerging startups.
The AWE Startup Pitch Competition also returns, spotlighting the next generation of XR innovation by showcasing emerging companies developing transformative AR and VR technologies, with finalists selected for their originality, technical innovation, and potential to shape the future of immersive computing.
Why AWE 2026 Matters
AWE 2026 lands at a genuinely pivotal moment. Android XR is shipping. Google’s audio glasses arrive this fall. Samsung’s Galaxy Glasses are coming. XREAL’s Project Aura launches before year end. Meta has opened its display glasses to developers. The expo floor this week will likely be where many of these products get their most detailed public demonstrations yet.
For anyone following the AR industry, this is the week to pay close attention.
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