Construction industry events 2026
Every US trade show, conference and estimator meetup worth knowing — drywall & wall-and-ceiling, painting & coatings, estimating associations, and construction tech. Dates, venues and costs checked against the organizers' own websites.
Last updated: July 11, 2026 · Always confirm dates on the official site before booking travel.
The next 12 months at a glance
Every event from July 2026 through July 2027, in date order. Industry tags: Drywall Painting Estimating Tech General
| Month | Dates | Event | Location | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2026 | Jul 21 | ASPE Orlando 50 Chapter Meeting | Virtual | Estimating |
| Jul 22–24 | AGC Construction Safety & Health Conference | Minneapolis, MN | General | |
| Jul 23 | ASPE Webinar: How AI is Transforming Estimating | Zoom | Estimating | |
| Jul 29 – Aug 2 | FWCCA Southeastern Wall & Ceiling Convention | Caribe Royale, Orlando, FL | Drywall | |
| Aug 2026 | Aug 4–6 | AGC Technology Conference | Minneapolis, MN | Tech |
| Aug 5–6 | AGC CLC Leadership Development Conference | Minneapolis, MN | General | |
| Aug 5–7 | ABC Carolinas Construction Convention | Hilton Head Island, SC | General | |
| Aug 11–12 | Houston Build Expo | NRG Park, Houston, TX | General | |
| Aug 12–14 | AGC Oregon-Columbia Summer Convention | Riverhouse Lodge, Bend, OR | General | |
| Aug 25–28 | IWF Atlanta | Atlanta, GA | General | |
| Aug 27 | ASPE Denver #5 Sporting Clay Fundraiser | Bennett, CO | Estimating | |
| Sep 2026 | Aug 30 – Sep 2 | APWA PWX (public works) | Houston, TX | General |
| Sep 14–15 | PCA Craftsmanship & Painting Conference | Nashville, TN | Painting | |
| Sep 15–18 | PCA Residential Conference | Nashville, TN | Painting | |
| Sep 16–18 | CISCA TECH East | Alexandria, VA | Drywall | |
| Sep 24–26 | ASPE Estimators Summit 2026 | Rosen Centre, Orlando, FL | Estimating | |
| Sep 29 – Oct 1 | AWCI Industry Leaders Conference | Indian Wells, CA | Drywall | |
| Oct 2026 | Sep 30 – Oct 1 | South Florida Build Expo | Fort Lauderdale, FL | General |
| Oct 7–9 | CISCA TECH West | West coast — see CISCA site | Drywall | |
| Oct 13–14 | Charlotte Build Expo | Charlotte, NC | General | |
| Oct 25–28 | PCA Women in Paint / PCA en Español | San Diego, CA | Painting | |
| Nov 2026 | Nov 4–5 | Los Angeles Build Expo | Los Angeles, CA | General |
| Nov 10–13 | PCA Commercial Conference | Grove Park Inn, Asheville, NC | Painting | |
| Dec 2026 | Dec 9–10 | Phoenix Build Expo | Phoenix, AZ | General |
| Jan 2027 | Mid-Jan (TBA) | World of Concrete 2027 | Las Vegas Convention Center, NV | General |
| Late Jan (TBA) | Painting Profits Summit 2027 (APPC) | TBA (2026: Chattanooga, TN) | Painting | |
| Feb 2027 | Feb 15–19 | PCA EXPO 2027 | TBA (2026: Orlando, FL) | Painting |
| Feb (TBA) | NAHB International Builders' Show 2027 | TBA | General | |
| Mar 2027 | Mar (TBA) | ASPE chapter season + AWCI webinars ongoing | Nationwide | Estimating |
| Apr–May 2027 | Apr 12–15 | BUILD27: AWCI's Convention + Expo | Gaylord Texan, Grapevine, TX | Drywall |
| Spring (TBA) | NWCB Wall & Ceiling Conference 2027 | TBA (2026: Las Vegas, NV) | Drywall | |
| Jun–Jul 2027 | Jun (TBA) | AACE International Conference & Expo 2027 | TBA (2026: Las Vegas, NV) | Estimating |
| Late Jul (TBA) | FWCCA Southeastern Convention 2027 | TBA (2026: Orlando, FL) | Drywall |
Drywall & wall-and-ceiling events
The wall-and-ceiling circuit runs on association shows: AWCI nationally, NWCB in the Northwest, FWCCA in the Southeast, CISCA for ceilings and interior systems. The flagships cluster in spring and fall — the FWCCA convention is the one major summer show.
| Dates | Event | Location | Who it's for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 29 – Aug 2, 2026 | FWCCA Southeastern Wall & Ceiling Convention & Trade Show | Caribe Royale Resort, Orlando, FL | Wall & ceiling contractors, estimators, PMs — 100+ exhibitors, ~700 attendees. Trade floor free for contractors; golf tournament and awards luncheon. | This summer |
| Sep 16–18, 2026 | CISCA TECH East | The Westin Alexandria Old Town, Alexandria, VA | Built for project managers, supervisors and estimators in ceilings & interior systems. | Fall |
| Sep 29 – Oct 1, 2026 | AWCI Industry Leaders Conference | Grand Hyatt Indian Wells Resort, Indian Wells, CA | Executive-level wall-and-ceiling contractor leadership. | Fall |
| Oct 7–9, 2026 | CISCA TECH West | West coast (see CISCA site) | Western edition of CISCA's hands-on technical event. | Fall |
| Apr 12–15, 2027 | BUILD27: AWCI's Convention + Expo | Gaylord Texan Resort, Grapevine, TX | The largest US wall-and-ceiling trade show — drywall, ceilings, framing, plaster, EIFS, and software exhibitors. Booth sales opened July 1, 2026. | 2027 |
| Mar 15–18, 2026 | BUILD26: AWCI's Convention + Expo | New Orleans, LA | Held — see BUILD27 above for the next edition. | Held |
| Apr 30 – May 2, 2026 | NWCB Wall & Ceiling Conference & Trade Show | The M Resort, Las Vegas, NV | Held — Northwest Wall & Ceiling Bureau's annual show returns spring 2027. | Held |
| Jun 11–13, 2026 | TLPCA Convention (Texas Lath & Plaster) | Galveston, TX | Held — Texas wall-and-ceiling association annual convention. | Held |
Painting & coatings events
The Painting Contractors Association (PCA) anchors the painting calendar: the giant EXPO each February, then a fall run of focused conferences. The coatings-manufacturing side (American Coatings Show) is biennial. There are no national painting events in mid-summer — plan around February and September.
| Dates | Event | Location | Who it's for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 14–15, 2026 | PCA Craftsmanship & Painting Conference | Nashville, TN | Professional painting contractors — "master the art and science of painting excellence." | Register now |
| Sep 15–18, 2026 | PCA Residential Conference | Holiday Inn & Suites Nashville Downtown–Broadway, Nashville, TN | Residential painting contractors; back-to-back with Craftsmanship — one trip covers both. | Register now |
| Oct 25–28, 2026 | PCA Women in Paint / PCA en Español | San Diego, CA | PCA community conferences for women in the painting trade and Spanish-speaking contractors. | Fall |
| Nov 10–13, 2026 | PCA Commercial Conference | The Omni Grove Park Inn, Asheville, NC | Commercial painting contractors — the highest-value segment of the trade. | Fall |
| Feb 15–19, 2027 | PCA EXPO 2027 | TBA (2026 was Disney World Swan & Dolphin, Orlando) | The largest US painting-contractor trade show and convention. | 2027 |
| Jan 29–31, 2026 | Painting Profits Summit (APPC) | Chattanooga, TN | Held — growth-stage painting business owners (avg ~$3.5M revenue). Watch for 2027 dates. | Held |
| Feb 16–20, 2026 | PCA EXPO 2026 | Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin, Orlando, FL | Held — see EXPO 2027 above. | Held |
| May 5–7, 2026 | American Coatings Show & Conference | Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, IN | Held — coatings manufacturers & chemists. Biennial: next edition Mar 28–30, 2028 in Denver. | Held |
Construction estimator meetups & associations
If you estimate for a living, two associations matter: ASPE (American Society of Professional Estimators — local chapters, national webinars, and the annual Summit) and AACE International (cost engineering, heavier on industrial). Most ASPE chapters meet September–May and pause for summer; the national webinars run year-round.
| Dates | Event | Location | Who it's for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 21, 2026 · 5:30pm ET | ASPE Orlando 50 Chapter Meeting — Prescriptive vs. Performance Specs | Virtual | Estimators nationwide; speaker Kevin Wagoner on the cost impact of spec types. | This month |
| Jul 23, 2026 · 1pm CT | ASPE Estimator's Edge Webinar — How AI is Transforming Estimating Analysis | Zoom (national) | All estimators; Rebecca Kassa, PhD (Simplar Foundation) on AI-powered estimating software. | This month |
| Aug 27, 2026 | ASPE Denver #5 — Sporting Clay Fundraiser | Kiowa Creek Sporting Club, Bennett, CO | Denver-area estimators; $150 individual / $850 team of five. | This summer |
| Sep 24–26, 2026 | ASPE Estimators Summit 2026 | Rosen Centre Hotel, Orlando, FL | The national annual gathering of professional construction estimators; $169/night room block. | Register now |
| Sep 2026 onward | ASPE local chapter meetings resume | Chapters nationwide | Monthly dinner meetings (typically 2nd week, Sept–May) — find your chapter on the ASPE site. | Recurring |
| Jun 28–30, 2026 | AACE International Conference & Expo | MGM Grand, Las Vegas, NV | Held — AACE's 70th-anniversary flagship for cost estimating & project controls. Next edition mid-2027. | Held |
Construction technology conferences
Where preconstruction and estimating technology gets evaluated and bought. If you're weighing AI takeoff tools, these are the rooms where the comparisons happen.
| Dates | Event | Location | Who it's for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 4–6, 2026 | AGC Technology Conference | Minneapolis Marriott City Center, Minneapolis, MN | Tech & operations leaders at GCs and specialty contractors — AI, data, digital modeling, precon technology. Register at tech-con.agc.org. | This summer |
| Jul 1–2, 2026 | Nashville Build Expo | Music City Center Hall D, Nashville, TN | 150+ exhibitors, 36 free seminars incl. AI for contractor owners. Free to attend. | Held |
| Aug 11–12, 2026 | Houston Build Expo | NRG Park Center Hall D, Houston, TX | Free regional expo with contractor education classes (confirm exact dates with the organizer). | This summer |
| Fall 2026 | Build Expo — fall cities | Fort Lauderdale (Sep 30–Oct 1) · Charlotte (Oct 13–14) · Los Angeles (Nov 4–5) · Phoenix (Dec 9–10) | Same free format across four more metros. | Fall |
Regional & general contractor associations
ABC and AGC chapter conventions are where GC and specialty-contractor leadership — including drywall and paint subs — network regionally. Summer is chapter-convention season.
| Dates | Event | Location | Who it's for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 22–24, 2026 | AGC Construction Safety & Health Conference | Minneapolis, MN | Safety and operations leaders at commercial contractors. | This summer |
| Aug 5–6, 2026 | AGC CLC Leadership Development Conference | Minneapolis, MN | Under-40 emerging construction leaders (runs alongside the Tech Conference). | This summer |
| Aug 5–7, 2026 | ABC of the Carolinas Construction Convention | The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa, SC | NC/SC merit-shop contractor leadership; AI innovation on the agenda. Member $1,250 · registration closes Jul 29. | This summer |
| Aug 12–14, 2026 | AGC Oregon-Columbia Summer Convention | Riverhouse Lodge, Bend, OR | Pacific NW commercial construction professionals. Member $875 (early $725) · non-member $1,200. | This summer |
| Aug 25–28, 2026 | IWF Atlanta | Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, GA | Woodworking & millwork industry — adjacent trade audience. | Adjacent |
| Aug 30 – Sep 2, 2026 | APWA PWX | Houston, TX | Public works professionals — infrastructure & municipal buyers. | Adjacent |
Frequently asked questions
What is the biggest drywall trade show in the US?
AWCI's BUILD Convention + Expo is the largest trade show dedicated to the wall and ceiling industry. BUILD26 ran March 15–18, 2026 in New Orleans; BUILD27 is April 12–15, 2027 at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, TX. On the regional circuit, FWCCA's Southeastern Convention (Orlando, late July) and the NWCB show (Las Vegas, spring) are the majors.
Are there drywall or painting trade shows in July or August 2026?
One major one: the FWCCA Southeastern Wall & Ceiling Convention, July 29 – August 2, 2026 in Orlando. The painting calendar has no national summer events — PCA's next conferences run September 14–18 in Nashville. The industry's flagships cluster in spring and fall.
Where do construction estimators meet and network?
ASPE runs local chapter meetings (September–May in most cities), national Estimator's Edge webinars year-round, and the annual Estimators Summit — September 24–26, 2026 in Orlando. AACE International covers cost engineering with a June Conference & Expo and local sections. CISCA's TECH events are explicitly built for estimators in ceilings and interior systems.
Which conferences cover AI in estimating?
The AGC Technology Conference (August 4–6, 2026, Minneapolis) is the flagship construction-tech event. ASPE's July 23, 2026 national webinar is specifically about how AI is transforming estimating analysis. If you can't make either, you can see AI takeoff working on your own drawings in the Pilars live demo.
When is the next PCA EXPO?
PCA EXPO 2027 runs February 15–19, 2027 (the 2026 edition was held at the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin in Orlando). It's the largest US painting-contractor trade show.
See AI takeoff on your plans instead.
The demos you'd walk the trade-show floor to see — running on your own drawing set, this week.