2026 MEP Conference Offers Contractors Digital Tools and Solutions to Drive Profitability
Key Highlights
- The conference featured 28 sessions and more than 50 exhibitors showcasing construction technology and software solutions.
- The event was hosted by major industry associations including MCAA, NECA and SMACNA, emphasizing collaboration and innovation.
- The 2027 MEP Conference is scheduled for January 25-27 in Tampa, FL, continuing the focus on industry advancements.
The recent 2026 MEP Conference held in Austin in late January offered contractors 28 sessions and the latest in construction technology products and software exhibited by more than 50 exhibitors, including at least two distributors – Ferguson and Graybar Electric Co.
Hosted by the Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA), National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA), the conference’s goal was to provide contractors with information on new tools, software, technology and processes to help them improve productivity and profitability.
David Sevin, key accounts manager for Endeavor Business Media’s EC&M and Electrical Wholesaling brands, sat in on the session, “Innovation from Within: A Contractor’s Journey to Build What the Market Missed,” to learn how James Ferry II, owner of Ferry Electric Co., Pittsburgh, PA, built a software solution that helps keep all employees more engaged with the company and its safety policies, as well as more connected to each other. It provided value to employees through recognition and rewards for engagement and safe behaviors, and was the basis for ConnexWork, a software program now used by contractors across the country.
“Jim didn’t begin with a product idea,” said Sevin. “He began with a safety concern inside his own company. After some digging, he realized the root issue wasn’t safety at all. It was a challenge familiar to many contractors: how do you build culture, alignment and communication across a workforce that traditional software simply can’t reach?
“Many field employees don’t have company e-mail. Many don’t have company devices. Some are with you for only a project or a season. Union rules and jobsite realities make typical “log into the platform” solutions unrealistic. And trade professionals have little interest in tools that feel designed only for management.”
The2027 MEP Conference will be held Jan. 25-27 in Tampa, FL.