Registration for SFPE Annual Conference & Expo Now Open

June 27, 2023

The Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), a world-leading professional society for fire protection and fire safety engineering, announces the opening of registration for the SFPE Annual Conference & Expo.

Held at the Bethesda North Marriott Conference Center in Washington, D.C./Bethesda, Maryland, USA, from Oct. 8-10, the SFPE Conference & Expo is the place where fire protection engineers and fire safety professionals come together to learn, network, engage, and be inspired.

The conference will feature 65-plus presentations structured around the topics of building design, energy storage, fire-safety and water-based systems, sustainability, fire service, engineering strategies in the wildland urban interface, and much more.

The opening keynote will feature James Milke, PhD, PE, FSFPE, discussing changes to the profession of fire protection engineering, and Charles Bailey, division chief of fire and rescue operations in Montgomery County, discussing how changes in the built environment impact fire department performance. Additional general sessions include the topics of automatic storage and retrieval systems, smoke detection in high-ceiling spaces, fire safety science research, and highlights of the forthcoming SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering.

A panel discussion on the integration of sustainable technologies, poster presentations, a series of rapid-fire IGNITE sessions, and sessions specifically curated on SFPE Foundation initiatives will also be featured. A total of 14.25 hours of professional development credits are available.

“The SFPE Annual Conference & Expo will soon be here, providing the opportunity for our fire protection engineering community to learn about emerging trends and the latest technical developments, alongside invaluable networking opportunities,” stated Jimmy Jönsson, FSFPE, president of SFPE and conference chair. “In addition to the vast knowledge transfer, this year’s annual conference will build upon this summer’s sustainability webinar series by featuring facilitated discussions on the topic of fire resilience and sustainability, and provide an update on how the Society’s new strategic plan will advance engineering best practices, increase competency in the field of fire protection engineering, and further position SFPE to lead globally.”

“On top of the opportunities to build their professional network, fire protection engineers consistently remark to me how much they learn when attending SFPE events,” said Chris Jelenewicz, PE, FSFPE, interim CEO, Society of Fire Protection Engineers. “We’ve lined up some of the sharpest minds in fire protection engineering to share their knowledge at our conference and pre- and post-conference seminars, plus the top companies in our industry to showcase their newest products and services – I encourage each and every fire protection engineering professional to join us for what we expect will be SFPE’s most-attended annual conference and another sold-out expo hall.”

The event will provide additional value to attendees through a three-day exposition featuring 75 companies proudly showcasing their products and offerings. The SFPE Annual Conference & Expo is generously sponsored by Blazemaster Fire Protection Systems, DITEK, Fire Lion Global, General Air Products, Johnson Controls, Peerless Pump, Reliable Automatic Sprinkler, Siemens, SprinkGUARD, Victaulic, Viking, and Wagner Fire Safety.

SFPE will also host four seminars prior to and immediately following the conference. These seminars require an additional registration fee and are open to both conference attendees and those not attending. Topics include the following:

- October 8: Introduction to Ethics for Fire Protection Engineers; Instructors Carl F. Baldassarra, PE, FSFPE, and Raymond A. Grill, PE, FSFPE
- October 11-12: Smoke Control Essentials; Instructors Jeffrey Tubbs, PE, FSFPE, and Jim Quiter, PE, FSFPE
- October 11-12: Introduction to Fire Risk Assessment; Instructor Francisco Joglar, Ph.D., PE
- October 11-12: Dust Explosion: Hazard Recognition, Assessment, and Management; Instructor John M. Cholin, PE, FSFPE, M.E.E.

Make plans to join your peers as the global fire protection and fire safety engineering community convenes at the SFPE Annual Conference & Expo.

Discounted registration is available through Tuesday, Aug. 29. To learn more and to register, visit sfpe.org/annual23 or call 301-718-2910.