The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is to host its annual Conference & Expo at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas on June 22–24, 2026, bringing together thousands of fire, electrical and life safety professionals from across the United States and around the world for one of the industry’s most comprehensive annual gatherings.
The event is positioned as a major forum for education, innovation, standards development and professional exchange across all areas of fire protection and life safety, spanning code compliance, emergency response, emerging technologies, building safety and public education.
NFPA Conference & Expo attendee information
The Conference & Expo will feature more than 130 educational sessions covering the latest issues, challenges and trends shaping the safety industry.
These sessions are designed to reflect the breadth of modern fire and life safety practice, including topics such as emergency preparedness and response, global safety issues, industrial hazards, electrical safety, fire protection systems and building and construction safety.
The program also highlights the increasing role of innovation in the sector, with discussions extending to emerging technologies and how they are reshaping safety strategy, compliance frameworks and operational decision-making.
The scale of the educational offering reinforces the NFPA Conference & Expo’s position as a central meeting point for professionals working in safety-critical industries. By bringing together subject matter experts, practitioners and policymakers, the event provides a structured environment for exploring both established best practices and new approaches to managing risk in increasingly complex built and natural environments.
Key exhibition
Alongside the educational program, the NFPA Expo will feature more than 420 exhibitors, creating a large-scale marketplace for products and services designed to support compliance with prevailing codes and standards. Exhibitors will showcase technologies and solutions relevant to the design, construction and operation of buildings and facilities across a wide range of sectors.
This includes systems and tools that support fire protection, electrical safety, facility management, and emergency preparedness reflecting the broad scope of NFPA standards and their application in real-world environments.
The exhibition floor is intended to serve as both a demonstration space and a networking hub, where attendees can engage directly with manufacturers, solution providers and technical experts.
The organizers said the emphasis on compliance-related technologies underscores the importance of NFPA codes and standards in shaping how buildings and facilities are designed and maintained, as well as how safety systems are implemented and evaluated over time.
Theater sessions
Another distinctive feature of the 2026 event is the inclusion of three NFPA Specialty Theaters, each offering targeted programming tailored to specific professional audiences and operational challenges. These theaters provide focused sessions that allow attendees to explore specialized topics in greater depth, complementing the broader conference program.
The Facility Manager Theater will address a range of operational and technical issues relevant to those responsible for building safety and performance. Topics include fire protection system inspections and testing, the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) in facility management, strategies for reducing nuisance alarms, safety considerations related to pyrotechnics and wildfire preparedness.
This combination of themes reflects the expanding responsibilities of facility managers, particularly as buildings become more technologically advanced and exposed to a wider range of environmental and operational risks.
The Responder Theater is designed for fire service and emergency response professionals, offering sessions focused on frontline operational challenges and emerging research. Planned content includes an update on the Firefighter Cancer Cohort Study, insights into high-rise firefighting tactics and discussions on leadership accountability within fire and rescue services.
The program also explores the role of AI in fire apparatus and aerial platforms, reflecting growing interest in how advanced technologies can support emergency response operations.
Additional sessions in the Responder Theater will address findings from the recently completed Needs Assessment of the U.S. Fire Service survey, as well as research into the cleaning efficacy of firefighter personal protective equipment (PPE) following incidents involving lithium-ion batteries.
The agenda also includes strategies for raising the standard of safety in emergency medical services (EMS).
The third track, the NFPA Products and Solutions Theater, will provide attendees with an overview of NFPA’s own tools, resources and products. This includes guidance materials and solutions designed to support professionals in applying NFPA standards in practical settings.
Industry focus
In addition to its technical and industry-focused program, the 2026 NFPA Conference & Expo will also feature specialized educational initiatives aimed at specific audiences. One of these is the NFPA Spotlight on Public Education (SOPE), a three-day program dedicated exclusively to individuals working in public education and community risk reduction. This track will cover a range of public health topics and emphasize the role of public education in reducing fire risk and improving community safety outcomes. It highlights the growing importance of communication, outreach and behavioral change strategies in preventing incidents before they occur.
Another specialized program is the Spotlight on Latin America, a Spanish-language initiative designed to address current industry trends affecting Latin American regions. This program provides targeted sessions for Spanish-speaking attendees, focusing on regional safety challenges and developments within fire protection and life safety sectors. It reflects NFPA’s broader international engagement and recognition of the global nature of safety standards and practices.
A key feature of the opening general session will be a keynote address delivered by Dan Chuparkoff.
Chuparkoff, who has held leadership roles at organizations including Google and McKinsey, has spent three decades guiding technological transformation across multiple industries. His presentation will focus on navigating technological change, with an emphasis on how AI-driven innovation is reshaping professional environments and creating new opportunities for growth and adaptation.
His keynote is expected to draw on his experience as both a technology leader and educator, offering insights into how organizations can better understand and harness innovation to remain resilient in the face of disruption. The inclusion of a keynote focused on AI and transformation reflects the broader conference theme of integrating emerging technologies into safety, infrastructure and organizational practice.
