This year's conference program pairs 180+ sessions across 12 tracks with dedicated programming for the next generation of manufacturing talent
LAS VEGAS (July 30, 2026) — FABTECH, North America's largest metal forming, fabricating, welding, and finishing event, will host an expansive education program Oct. 21-23 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, featuring 180+ expert-led sessions across 12 tracks focused on modernization and workforce development. The program gives attendees practical tools and strategies to solve today's manufacturing challenges.
FABTECH brings together the technologies, approaches, and insights manufacturers need to thrive in the AI-driven era, covering automation, smart factories, workforce transformation, and real-world business results.
As manufacturers adopt new technologies, developing the workforce needed to support that transformation remains a critical challenge. The average welder in the U.S. is 51, and experienced tradespeople are leaving the workforce faster than new talent is coming in.
“As retirements continue to outpace the number of people entering the trade, upskilling our current workforce has never been more critical,” said Tracy Garcia, CEM, FABTECH group director at SME. “This year's program is built to invest in every generation of manufacturing talent, making it easy for someone brand new to the industry and a 20-year veteran alike to find sessions that move their career, and their business, forward.”
Conference Program Delivers Focused Learning Across Dedicated Tracks
This year's tracks put two challenges at the center of nearly every session: how shops modernize without breaking what already works, and how they build a workforce that can run what they build. Key themes include:
AI & Smart Manufacturing Transformation — industrial AI strategy, shop-floor intelligence, digital twins, and connected factory ecosystems
Automation, Robotics & the Autonomous Factory — adoption roadmaps, collaborative robotics, and real-world ROI
Operational Excellence & Cost Optimization — reducing downtime, lean practices, and predictive maintenance
Workforce Development & Leadership Evolution — upskilling, career pathing, and closing the labor gap
Digital Transformation & Connected Factory — ERP modernization, real-time data, and cybersecurity for digital shops
Advanced Fabrication Technologies — laser, forming, and finishing innovations
Business Growth & Competitive Advantage — capital investment, scaling, and regional supply chain strategy
Attendees can customize their learning path across the full program, with sessions led by industry veterans, innovators, and thought leaders sharing real-world case studies and expertise. The speaker lineup includes leaders from manufacturing companies, technology providers, educational institutions, consulting firms, and organizations representing expertise from across the industry's evolving ecosystem.
FABTECH Introduces Premium FAB Pass Experience
New for 2026, FABTECH is launching FAB Pass, an exclusive premium upgrade designed for attendees who want an all-inclusive event experience. FAB Pass includes full access to all conference sessions and keynotes, VIP Lounge access, daily FABTECH Bistro lunch tickets, early entry to special events, jump-the-line privileges for registration and select activities, exclusive FABTECH merchandise benefits, and other premium perks. The package is designed to help busy executives, operations leaders, engineers, and high-intent attendees spend less time navigating logistics and more time learning, networking, and conducting business.
“FAB Pass reflects our commitment to delivering more value and flexibility to attendees,” said Garcia. “For professionals looking to maximize every minute at FABTECH, it provides a streamlined experience that combines premium access, convenience, and exclusive benefits in one package.”
Keynotes and Panels Bring Leadership Into Focus
Keynotes
FABTECH's keynote lineup this year centers on leadership, both on the shop floor and in the front office.
The New AI Power Shift: Risks, Rewards, & Readiness for 2027 & Beyond with best-selling author and acclaimed podcast host, Amber Mac
Oct. 21: 8:30 – 9:30 AM PT
Mac shares a practical blueprint for leading through the AI power shift, empowering teams, and making smarter decisions in an increasingly AI-driven world.
Championship Culture in Manufacturing: Discipline, Teamwork, and Excellence with NFL legend Jerry Rice
Oct. 22: 8:30 – 9:30 AM PT
Rice, one of the most decorated athletes in NFL history, will draw on his career building winning teams to talk about the discipline and culture required to run a high-performing shop.
The Creative Edge: How Craftsmanship and Grit Drive Fabrication with Steve Darnell, founder of Welder Up and the creative force behind Vegas Rat Rods
Oct. 23: 10 – 11 AM PT
Darnell will make the case that creativity is a competitive edge in fabrication, sharing how pushing a team to innovate and doing the job right the first time can set a shop apart.
Leadership Exchange Panel Series
FABTECH's Leadership Exchange series puts industry veterans in conversation about the issues shaping the year ahead: the skills gap, supply chain pressure, reshoring, and the push to modernize.
State of the Metal Fabrication Business 2026: Executive Insights on Growth, Risk, and Competitive Advantage
Oct. 21: 12:30 – 1:30 PM PT
Panelists will address macroeconomic conditions, capital investment priorities, technology adoption at scale, workforce strategy, and geopolitical and supply chain risk, with a focus on how leadership teams are making decisions in an uncertain market.
Building Tomorrow's Workforce: How to Attract, Train, and Keep Next-Gen Employees
Oct. 22: 12:30 – 1:30 PM PT
A multigenerational panel will share strategies for attracting, training, and retaining talent across a workforce that spans decades of experience.
Follow the Money: Hidden Funding, Tax Strategies & Profit Levers for Fabricators
Oct. 23: 12:30 – 1:30 PM PT
With budgets tight, this panel brings together experts in funding, tax law, R&D incentives, facility design, and performance optimization to help attendees find opportunities they may be missing.
Special Events Spotlight Skill and Leadership
WeldArt World Championship
Oct. 21-23: 9 AM – 5 PM PT
Experience the excitement of the inaugural WeldArt World Championship at FABTECH 2026. Watch the world's top welders compete live in the Round of 16, showcasing exceptional craftsmanship, creativity, and technical skill as they vie for a place in the global finals in Düsseldorf.
Women of FABTECH: Not Who They Had in Mind; Leadership, Manufacturing, and Redefining What a CEO Looks Like with Vanessa Heim, President & CEO, Brenco Industries
Oct. 22: 7:30 – 9 AM PT
Now in its 11th year, Women of FABTECH honors the women who have shaped the metal fabrication industry and continue to pave the way for the generations behind them. Heim will share how she built an unconventional path to the corner office and challenge attendees to rethink who gets to lead a manufacturing business.
Emerging Leaders Program Returns
FABTECH's half-day program runs Oct. 22 from 12 – 3 PM PT, giving rising leaders practical tools to grow into their next role. The schedule includes a networking lunch, a keynote, and a series of skill sprint sessions.
“The cost of developing an emerging leader is small. The cost of not developing one is enormous,” said HR Huntsman, founder and president of Leader's Edge, who is speaking at and sponsoring the program. “The Emerging Leader Program gives high-potential employees practical leadership tools, peer connections, and a clear framework for creating value, so they return to work better prepared to lead projects, influence teams, and contribute at a higher level.”
Across every stage of a manufacturing career, from someone just entering the trade to the executives setting next year's strategy, FABTECH's 2026 conference program meets manufacturers where the industry actually stands: a workforce retiring faster than it can be replaced, supply chains shifting closer to home, and shop floors under pressure to modernize without blowing the budget. From AI-driven fabrication to funding strategy to hands-on leadership training, FABTECH remains where the industry's toughest decisions, about people and about machines, get made.
For more information, visit fabtechexpo.com or follow us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok. To secure a complimentary exhibit hall pass, attend a conference session or upgrade to the new FAB Pass premium experience, register here. Members of the press can register for a media pass here.