If you’ve ever found yourself wishing you had more time at the end of the NSC Safety Congress & Expo, you’re not alone. With hundreds of educational opportunities, a massive Expo Floor, networking events and conversations happening around every corner, it’s impossible to do everything.
The good news? A few simple strategies can help you focus on what’s important to you and make the most of your week.
One of the best ways to maximize your experience is to arrive early and take advantage of the Professional Development Seminars before the main event starts. These in-depth learning opportunities are designed for safety professionals who want to go beyond a traditional conference session and really dig into a topic. Whether you’re looking to earn credentials, sharpen an existing skill or tackle a specific workplace challenge, there’s likely a seminar built for you.
Before arriving onsite, spend a little time exploring the session catalog either on the website or mobile app. Having a plan before you arrive makes a huge difference.
Some pro tips that have served me well over the years:
Get your badge as early as possible. If I’m arriving the day before, I pick up my badge that afternoon. It saves time and allows you to avoid the crowds before the Opening Keynote. If morning pickup is your only option, do yourself a favor and grab your preferred morning beverage first!
Download the conference mobile app. Build your schedule, bookmark sessions and identify exhibitors you want to visit. The app becomes your roadmap for the week and makes it much easier to adjust as plans inevitably change.
Be strategic about the Expo Floor. With more than 1,000 exhibitors, trying to see everything can become overwhelming. My approach is to divide the floor into sections and tackle it over multiple visits. I usually start around the perimeter and work inward. Many attendees naturally head toward the middle aisles first, so this strategy often helps me avoid the heaviest traffic while still seeing what I came for. Bonus tip: Make sure you have space in your luggage for the samples and swag you’ll collect.
Prioritize based on your goals. Congress offers learning labs, safety huddles, meetups, networking events and countless informal conversations. That’s a good problem to have, but it can create schedule overload. If education is your primary goal, protect that time and build networking around it. If networking is your priority, allow for more time on the Expo Floor and attend the meetups. If you’re evaluating products, services or technology, create a target exhibitor list and stick to it.
Speaking of networking, I approach it the same way I approach educational sessions – with a plan. Before Congress, I make a list of contacts who I know will be there. For people I know well, I’ll arrange a meeting over coffee or lunch ahead of time. For people I’d like to get to know better, I’ll send a note through the mobile app or LinkedIn to see if they have a few minutes between sessions.
Finally, be sure to check out the new Safety Social Lounge. It’s designed as both a networking hub and a place to recharge. You’ll find opportunities for first-time attendees, international attendees and private receptions for Advanced Safety Certificate earners and NSC Division members to connect. If you’re not familiar with NSC Divisions, Congress is one of the easiest places to learn about them and meet the leaders and volunteers who make them successful.
If you’ll be at the 2026 NSC Safety Congress & Expo, please stop by Booth 1823 and say hello. I’d love to hear what sessions you’re excited about and whether any of these tips helped you make the most of your week.
Safe travels, and I’ll see you in Indy!
Abby Ferri is director of NSC Networks at the National Safety Council. In this position, she works with a team that provides unique forums for member company interaction, facilitates benchmarking, aligns special projects across the organization, and delivers safety consulting and thought leadership. Abby is a leader in global risk management and worker safety with more than 20 years of experience.
