TechForum 2026 Wrap Up
TechForum 2026 was a great success, marking the 50th, Golden Anniversary of the technical conference with record-breaking attendance of approximately 215 attendees gathering in Denver, Colorado for three days of technical insights, networking, and hands-on learning. From the wildly popular Golden Casino Night and the immersive social tour of Meow Wolf to plant tours of AZZ Galvanizing – Denver and Intermountain Electronics and the networking event at Holey Moley, this year’s event celebrated 50 years of industry excellence with a mix of education, innovation, and Colorado hospitality.
The event began Monday evening with the Sustaining Member Committee Meeting at the Courier Kitchen & Bar, kicking off a week of collaboration and industry connection.
Tuesday began with the Clean Energy Steel (CES) Construction Center Meeting, while some attendees enjoyed a mesmerizing social tour at Meow Wolf, sponsored by Hasco-Thermic Ltd. After registration and lunch sponsored by ANI Metal, the afternoon opened with Announcements & Introductions before diving into technical sessions. Highlights included Melissa Lindsley (AGA) presenting AGA’s 5-Year Strategic Plan, Ryan Monnig (Monnig Industries, AGA Awards Chair) celebrating Past AGA Award Winners, and Lora Stadelman (V&S) and Crystal Garcia (Valmont Coatings) sharing insights on Perspective Matters. Next a Virtual Plant Tour of V&S Galvanizing New York was presented by Amber Jackson, a practical guide on Technology & Security Improvements was shared by Alexandra Densmore (Elevate Services Group), and John Roy (Race Rock / Connecticut Galvanizing) presented, Managing Wet Storage Stain in Hot-Dip Galvanizing: Science, Solutions, and Customer Care. The evening culminated with the Golden Casino Night, a one-time marketplace event celebrating the conference’s 50th anniversary.
During the conference, attendees participated in live Slido polls that offered a glimpse into the pulse of the galvanizing community. When asked where future TechForums should be held, Nashville and Miami rose to the top. A look at attendee experience showed that 32% were first-time attendees, while 36% had attended 2-4 events, a strong mix of fresh faces and familiar ones. When asked to name their HDG mentor or hero, Russ Patterson, Bob Messler, and Barry Dugan were among the most frequently mentioned names, a testament to the lasting impact of industry leaders.
For Casino Night, vendors were represented by casino tables rather than their usual booths -blackjack, poker, roulette, and more - giving everyone a chance to try their luck alongside industry peers. Luis Delgado took home the golden high roller title by turning $500 (in poker chips not USD) into an impressive $51,500 in winnings, earning prizes including the top prize, a pair of Bose headphones.
Wednesday began with breakfast sponsored by CIC Pittsburgh before attendees began another strong morning of technical sessions. Bob Woods (Zaclon LLC) and John Roy (RaceRock) kicked off the day by Recognizing Peers and Elevating HDG, highlighting the importance of acknowledging contributions made by competitors and collaborators alike. The first ever AGA awards recognizing Emerging Leaders in Galvanizing (ELiG) were then presented to Lora Stadelman (V&S) and Jack Middleton (Young Galvanizing) for their willingness to take leadership in the industry early on. Eric Smith (Eastern Alloys) was also honored with a "Zinc Handshake" in recognition of a career of contributions to galvanizing.
Presentations then continued with Michael Patterson (Western Technologies) on Challenges with the Design of a Hybrid Galvanizing Furnace, Jason Scarborough (AZZ Metal Coatings) on Before the Dip: Customer Communication Before Galvanizing, Joe Husseini (EverZinc) on Zinc Pricing & the LME to Plant Operations, and Daniel B. Nothaft, PhD (Uplift Geosystems LLC) finished up the morning session with Regeneration of Hydrochloric Acid Using Bipolar Electrodialysis. After lunch, sponsored by AZZ Metal Coatings, attendees loaded up on busses for the annual galvanizing plant tour of AZZ Galvanizing – Denver and a tour of Intermountain Electronics, Inc., giving a firsthand look at both galvanizing operations and advanced electronics manufacturing. Later on, the dedicated WiG Meeting & Networking Happy Hour for the Women in Galvanizing group met followed by a night of put-put and conversation at Holey Moley for the networking event sponsored by Teck Metals Ltd.
Thursday morning opened with breakfast sponsored by APR Plastic Fabricating, Inc., followed by the final round of technical sessions. Eric Michaud (Corbec, Inc.) presented on his fish-boning investigation (FBI) with Fish-Boning on HDG Steel, Travis Buckingham (Steelhead Technologies) explored Positioning Your Galvanizing Shop for Growth in the AI Era, and a panel discussion navigated EHS Questions for Administrative and Customer Service Teams, featuring Sally Buck and Alyssa Weber (Valmont Coatings), Andrew Marchioni (V&S Galvanizing), and Christine Kleen (AGA). The morning concluded with Emmanuel presenting his Latin America Update, Jeff Suda's presentation on CES Initiatives, Brandon Jones (AGA) shared the 2025 Process Survey Results, Alana Fossa finished up by delivering AGA Research & Technical Department Updates. The conference wrapped up after lunch with Alana teaching Master Galvanizer Seminar #1: Overview of the Galvanizing Process, Quality, and Inspection, giving attendees the opportunity to deepen their technical knowledge.
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View all event photos from TechForum 2026 here
A heartfelt thank-you goes out to all attendees, speakers, exhibitors, and plant hosts who made TechForum 2026 in Denver such an extraordinary milestone. Your participation continues to drive innovation and excellence throughout the hot-dip galvanizing industry. We look forward to welcoming you to TechForum 2027, October 5–7 in Salt Lake City, UT!