The Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) today announced the full schedule of workshops and events for the 2026 Texas Emergency Management Conference, which will be held May 26 – May 29, 2026, at the Fort Worth Convention Center.
“This year’s event highlights the vast skill sets and leadership throughout the emergency management community here in Texas,” said Texas Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd. “It is critical that we continue strengthening coordination, sharpening the tools in our toolboxes, and learning from one another. The Conference brings together the best in the field to help ensure Texas communities remain ready to meet any hazard.”
This year’s sessions span a wide range of focus areas, including emergency sheltering, crisis communications, emerging technologies supporting first responders, disaster finance and grant management, recovery operations. Additional sessions will highlight cybersecurity, infrastructure protection, and whole community coordination. Participants will leave with actionable insights and practical tools to enhance operational readiness and long term support capabilities across multiple levels of government and the private sector.
Workshops will be led by subject matter experts representing local, state, and federal agencies, as well as private sector partners and nonprofit organizations.
The Opening Session will take place on May 26 at 1:00 p.m., and the Texas Emergency Management Awards Luncheon will be held on May 28 at noon. Both events will be hosted in the Convention Center Arena. Exhibit hall hours are scheduled for Wednesday, May 27, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Thursday, May 28, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The full workshop schedule is available online on the conference website.
Additionally, the Conference will feature a series of courses offered through TDEM’s national training partners. Many classes are available at no cost, regardless of conference registration status, while others are exclusive to registered attendees. The Conference will also host emergency medical services training opportunities, including CPR instruction, opioid overdose prevention education, and training on the administration of opioid overdose reversal medication.
Additional training opportunities are available through PreparingTexas.org.
TDEM will administer the Associate Emergency Manager (AEM) and Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) exams during the Conference from noon to 2:30 p.m. May 29. Participants must register through the International Association of Emergency Managers website by May 8, 2026.
The Conference attracts more than 4,000 elected officials, first responders, emergency managers, and decision makers from across Texas and the nation. The exhibit hall features over 180,000 square feet of space, providing attendees the opportunity to connect with industry leaders and explore innovative products and services that support emergency management operations.
Register for the 2026 Texas Emergency Management Conference at tdem.texas.gov/conference.
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