This May, the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) will host the 2026 Building Innovation Conference at The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner, in McLean, Virginia, featuring a strong lineup of respected leaders from across the built environment. The annual conference brings together influential voices from government, the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, technology, research, and academia to drive timely discussions that advance innovation, strengthen coordination, and improve outcomes nationwide.

The conference will open with remarks from Dr. George Guszcza, President and CEO of NIBS, who will set the stage for two days of expert-led dialogue focused on aligning systems, scaling innovation, advancing off-site construction, and improving nationwide infrastructure delivery.

A featured fireside chat, “Modernizing Federal Project Delivery: From Fragmentation to Data-Driven Execution,” with Major General (Ret.) Kimberly Colloton of the U.S. Army and Blake Shiver, Vice President and General Manager of Public Sector at Procore Technologies, will explore how data integration, standards alignment, and technology adoption can improve accountability, speed, and performance across federal capital programs.

Throughout the conference, speakers from across the public and private sectors will address housing innovation, industrialized construction, digital infrastructure, permitting modernization, and lifeline infrastructure resilience.  Presenters include Jeremy Blain, U.S. Managing Director at Alvarez & Marsal Public Sector; Russ Wilcox, CEO of ArtifexAI; Scott Pollack, CEO of SRPlanning; and Jaymes Cloninger, CEO of Motivf Corporation, who will participate in panels on innovative housing design and delivery strategies.

Technology and data-driven delivery will remain a central theme, with speakers including Nolan Browne, CEO of ADL Ventures; Aaron Holm, Founding Partner at Helix; and Shicong Cao, Licensed Architect, AI Strategist, and Founder of DataDrivenAEC, who will examine the digital backbone needed to scale industrialized and offsite construction models.

Colin Whitlatch, Chief Technology Officer at Kahua; Stephen Devito, Director of Technology at Procon; Joan O’Neil and David Jackson of the International Code Council; and Nicole Rogers, Chief Building Official for the District of Columbia Department of Buildings, will focus on public-sector innovation and regulatory modernization. The panel “How Building Code Officials Are Using Technology to Accelerate Permitting” will share insights on how digital platforms and data-driven workflows can help jurisdictions modernize approvals while maintaining safety and compliance.

Additional sessions will focus on investment in lifeline infrastructure, emergency preparedness, resilience, and offsite construction, and streamlining housing production, featuring experts including Alexandra Lampson, Senior Program Manager for Critical Infrastructure and Resilience at the DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, and Michael McWhirter, Water Market Leader at V3 Companies. Ivan Rupnik and Tyler Schmetterer of MOD X, who lead national efforts to modernize housing delivery through system-based and offsite construction approaches, will moderate sessions addressing housing systemization.

The conference will conclude with a keynote address by Dr. Daniel Kaniewski, a nationally recognized resilience leader and former Deputy Administrator for Resilience at FEMA, who will offer a forward-looking perspective on strengthening infrastructure, reducing risk, and building long-term resilience across communities. His remarks will underscore the importance of aligning policy, investment, and innovation to meet the growing challenges facing the built environment.

“Building Innovation brings together the people actively shaping how our buildings and infrastructure are planned, delivered, and operated,” said Dr. George Guszcza, President and CEO of NIBS. “This year’s speakers reflect the depth of leadership and cross-sector expertise needed to move from isolated innovation to aligned, scalable impact.”

Registration information, schedule updates, and additional event details are available at the Building Innovation 2026 Conference website: https://nibs.org/building-innovation-conference. Federal, State, and Local government employees are eligible for complimentary registration.

For more information, contact events@nibs.org for more information.