Contributor: Carli Frugé – Digital Content Coordinator, VPPPA
VPPPA’s 2026 Safety+ Symposium took place Aug 30 – Sept 2 in Nashville, TN. Gathering nearly 2,000 attendees and 150 exhibitors, a vibrant melody of community could be heard in the famous Music City.
“Safety+ provides an exceptional opportunity for all of us to learn and engage with VPP professionals,” said Terry Schulte, VPPPA Chairperson during the Opening General Session. “Workplaces that have achieved workplace safety and health excellence, leaders, and employees at every level are here to listen and share practical experience in supporting your organization.”
The Opening General Session also featured keynote speaker Ryan Campbell, who delivered a powerful presentation on experiencing the highest of highs, the lowest of lows, and finding peace in the space in-between after a severe plane accident. His 1960 pink Cadillac became his symbol for being intentional about making space for joy in his life. Campbell spoke at length about how joy and self-care can help relieve everyday pressure and help build capacity to manage stress, encouraging attendees to consider what their pink Cadillac is.
Educational opportunities are a significant aspect of VPPPA’s Safety+. The first day featured six multi-hour deep dive sessions covering the following sessions:
- VPP Application Workshop
- Journey Toward Safety Excellence: The Roadmap to Success
- MEWP Safety Culture Lab: From eLearning to Hands-On Competency
- MOC Escape Room Game
- Mastering the Fundamentals of Safety Management
- Power Skills for Emerging Leaders
These deep dive sessions offered a more in-depth learning experience. In addition to the deep dives, VPPPA’s Safety+ offered 57 breakout sessions for a total of 63 workshops. Workshop topics included Safety Leadership, Human & Organizational Performance, Construction, Process Safety Management, and more to provide attendees with well-rounded educational offerings.
Alongside the deep dives and breakout sessions, VPPPA introduced their Innovation Stations. These sponsored slots provide companies with the ability to have a dedicated showcase of their product directly to attendees. The Innovation took place in a separate area of the Expo Hall with a total of 13 demonstrations throughout the week. CLEAR Audit Management was one of the Innovation Station participants.
“CLEAR brings a new level of innovation to VPP, so being included in the Innovation Station was a great fit for us and a valuable opportunity to be a part of something different at Safety+,” said Kristen Denney, founder of CLEAR Audit Management. “We really appreciated the emphasis that allowed innovation to be spotlighted in a format that went beyond a traditional workshop. The combination of a panel discussion, audience interaction, and dedicated networking that we were able to incorporate made the session feel much more active and collaborative.”
VPPPA’s Safety+ also hosted a CEO panel featuring Matt DeSoto of Miter Brands, Ryan Odendahl of KWEST Group, and Tim Sirofchuck of AECOM. U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor (OSHA) Dave Keeling joined the panel, with VPPPA Executive Director Chris Williams moderating the discussion.
“The CEO Panel at VPPPA’s 2026 Safety+ provided a unique, senior-level perspective on the impact of safety and health of the entire company, and the emphasis on collaboration between OSHA, management, and front-line labor,” said Williams. “Hearing about safety as the core value at the heart of every decision, at every level, from leadership emphasized that safety is shared. This panel reinforced our belief that VPPPA’s Safety+ is where the best come to get better – including the C-Suite.”
While networking and education remained a key aspect of Safety+, attendees had the opportunity to experience the beautiful neon lights of Broadway at the famous Whiskey River Saloon. The gathering was sponsored by Honeywell and ISN, bringing together 750 people to celebrate and socialize. With live music, a mechanical bull, and a rooftop area overlooking Broadway, Whiskey River was the perfect space for safety professionals to bond.
Another new feature of VPPPA’s Safety+ was the addition of VPP site tours. This year’s tour list included Georgia Pacific, Hendrickson Trailer Suspension, Kirby Building Systems, SPX Aids to Navigation, Marathon Nashville Asphalt Terminal, and the new Nissan Field. This provided attendees with a full debut of established VPP sites to see their safety processes firsthand.
To close out VPPPA’s 2026 Safety+, 50 golfers turned out for an afternoon of camaraderie and competition at The Hermitage Golf Course outside Nashville. Continuing the theme of Safety+, golfers networked and bonded on the links and in the clubhouse.
VPPPA’s 2026 Safety+ in Nashville proved to be a successful symposium with multiple opportunities to learn, network, and connect with fellow professionals. VPPPA’s 2027 Safety+ will take place in Indianapolis August 22-25.
Workshop submissions for VPPPA’s 2027 Safety+ are due October 1, 2026. Click here to submit a proposal.