The 2026 AIChE Spring Meeting and 22nd Global Congress on Process Safety (GCPS) is set for April 12–16, 2026, to be held at the George R. Brown Convention Center and Hilton of the Americas in Houston, TX. At this premiere event for industrialists and process safety professionals, you can expect innovative exhibits, networking receptions, and — of course — top-notch technical programming. Can’t-miss events at the meeting include an opening reception on Sunday, April 12 from 6:00–7:30 pm, as well as a daily ticketed luncheon on April 13, 14, and 15 at noon.
Key sessions and events to attend at Spring
Kicking off the meeting on Monday, April 13, at 8:00 am is the AGILE Award Keynote Address. Hear from Steven Prusak, President and CEO of Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP, as he shares insights on leadership, innovation, and excellence in the chemical process industries. Prusak has been an AIChE member for over three decades, and he was nominated for this prestigious award on behalf of the AIChE Foundation based on his deep commitment to the chemical engineering profession and investment in the next generation of chemical engineers. Later that day, attend the Monday Spring Meeting & GCPS luncheon to learn from featured speaker and process safety expert Amir Gerges, the Chief Health, Safety & Environment Officer at Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).
Technical sessions at the Spring Meeting are organized into over a dozen topical conferences, including the 29th Topical Conference on Refinery Processing, the Energy Transition Topical Conference, and the 26th Topical Conference on Gas Utilization, among many others. The Ethylene Producers’ Conference (EPC) is back for its 38th meeting, with sessions on safety, operations, rotating equipment, and feedstock contaminants planned. The EPC will also feature tutorial sessions on commissioning and hydrogenation.
22nd GCPS promises progress on process safety
Did you know that the Loss Prevention Symposium (LPS) was the very first symposium in what would become the GCPS? The first LPS proceedings emphasized the value of sharing experiences to avoid learning safety lessons the hard way. At the 2026 GCPS, the LPS will celebrate its 60th anniversary and its long-standing commitment to preventing serious incidents in the process industries.
This milestone year will feature a special invited session on Tuesday, April 14, where renowned experts will take us on a journey through time, reflecting on six decades of loss prevention. An invited panel will explore current and future challenges that we need to overcome together to achieve “A World Without Process Safety Incidents.” Celebrations will continue throughout the GCPS with a panel discussion, snacks, giveaways, and opportunities to engage with past and present LPS contributors.
In addition to the 60th Annual LPS, the GCPS is organized into five tracks: the 41st Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS) International Conference; the 28th Process Plant Safety Symposium (PPSS); the 15th Process Safety Management Mentoring (PSM2) Symposium; and Perspectives on Process Safety from Around the World. In total, the 22nd GCPS received over 370 abstract submissions; only a select portion were accepted, underscoring the technical rigor of the conference program.
The GCPS will open with a Plenary Session on Monday, April 13 from 9:30–10:20 am, after the AGILE lecture. Later that day, the GCPS Poster Session will be held from 5:30–7:00 pm. An informal encore Poster Session will take place during the Tuesday, April 14, coffee break from 9:30–10:30 am. Wrapping up the GCPS is the ever-popular Case Histories and Lessons Learned session on Wednesday, April 15 from 1:30–5:00 pm.
All short courses will be held on Sunday, April 12. If you are interested in attending a short course to earn CEU/PDH hours, short course information can be found here. And, once again this year, the CCPS is offering their “Bring a Young Professional Promotion;” refer a young professional colleague and they will receive a 50% discount off the registration fee.
The AIChE Spring Meeting and GCPS will bring the global chemical engineering community together in Houston to share knowledge, strengthen process safety culture, and help shape the future of the process industries. Register today!
This article originally appeared in the Institute News column in the February 2026 issue of CEP. Members have access online to complete issues, including a vast, searchable archive of back-issues found at www.aiche.org/cep.
