BUILD26 Seminars Tackle AI, Labor, and Steel Framing

Conferences in New Orleans focus on helping contractors navigate immediate challenges and long-term shifts.

Mar. 17, 2026 at 5:34am

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The BUILD26 conference in New Orleans is hosting a series of seminars aimed at helping contractors address a range of issues, from economic uncertainty and workforce development to emerging technologies like artificial intelligence. The sessions cover topics such as strategic planning, technical installation guidance, safety psychology, and productivity tools.

Why it matters

The construction industry is facing significant challenges, including tariffs, inflation, labor shortages, and the need to adapt to new technologies. The BUILD26 seminars are designed to provide contractors with the knowledge and strategies they need to navigate these issues and maintain a competitive edge.

The details

The seminars at BUILD26 cover a wide range of topics, including strategic planning, technical installation guidance, safety psychology, and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence. Presenters address issues such as tariffs, inflation, interest rates, and labor shortages, and encourage contractors to treat software, training, and workflow optimization as productivity tools rather than overhead expenses. The sessions also focus on cold-formed steel framing, composite wall assemblies, and drywall finishing operations, emphasizing the importance of early design review and compliance with industry standards. Workforce development is another major focus, with sessions examining generational workforce management, succession planning, and recruitment strategies. Artificial intelligence is also explored as a tool for reducing administrative workload, improving coordination, and helping workers make faster decisions in the field.

  • The BUILD26 conference is taking place in New Orleans.
  • The event returns to New Orleans after a decade.

The players

BUILD26

An event that hosts seminars focused on helping contractors navigate immediate field challenges and long-term structural, economic, and workforce shifts affecting interior finishing and structural framing work.

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The takeaway

The BUILD26 seminars reflect a shift toward integrated business and technical education, encouraging contractors to think of construction performance as a combination of material science, workforce management, digital technology, and economic awareness. Firms that can balance these factors are expected to maintain stronger backlogs, more predictable margins, and higher quality outcomes across project portfolios.