Part of the Conversation

The 2025 Crane & Rigging Workshop hosted by the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association (SC&RA) gathered more than 850 crane and rigging professionals, setting new attendee records. Building on the momentum, the 2026 Crane & Rigging Workshop, which will be held September 22 to 24, at the Hilton Omaha and the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska, is set to bring the industry together again for 11 educational sessions, 20 speakers, eight networking events, and a 96-booth exhibit center during the three-day event.

“Beyond the numbers, though, what makes the Workshop special is the breadth of the experience,” noted Beth O’Quinn, SC&RA senior VP, Crane & Rigging. “Attendees can hear directly from experts on the issues affecting their businesses, participate in important committee discussions, explore new products and solutions, and connect with peers from across the industry. There really is something valuable happening throughout the entire event.”

The workshop also serves as more than a networking event. It gives attendees a chance to learn from their peers while exploring some of the industry’s most pressing issues, including safety, regulations and standards, risk management, technology, and evolving equipment practices.

Educational Sessions

The 2026 event features several educational sessions that are designed to address current challenges occurring in the industry, rather than broad theoretical topics.

“We start planning the educational sessions many months before, based on committee feedback, and the content of these sessions are very much grounded in what’s happening on jobsites and in the office right now,” O’Quinn said.

As nationally accredited Lift Director certification becomes a growing requirement among owners and contractors, the opening session, Lift Director Essentials: Roles & Responsibilities on Crane Jobsites, will provide attendees with a closer look at the responsibilities and qualifications associated with the role. The session will cover ASME B30.5 responsibilities, recent qualification requirement updates, their real-world implications, and when and how OSHA standards apply.

The workshop will also take a closer look at planning, with Planning Load Handling Activities: ASME P30.1 and Its Practical Application. This session will examine the key components of effective lift planning, including defining the scope of work, identifying site and operational constraints, selecting appropriate equipment, and coordinating execution details. Using case studies and examples, the session illustrates how thorough planning can contribute to safer and more efficient operations.

The educational lineup will also look at what the industry can learn from past incidents. What Happened? Accident Reconstruction & Application will break down a real accident to identify potential pitfalls and demonstrate how accident reconstruction techniques can be incorporated into safety practices.

Together, the sessions emphasize the event’s practical approach to education.

“It’s all about the issues companies are dealing with every day — safety, compliance, risk, and efficiency,” O’Quinn added.

These sessions are designed to give attendees information they can take back to their companies and apply to everyday operations.

Committee Meetings

The three day workshop will also feature four committee meetings, designed to provide valuable insight to emerging trends and issues within the industry.

“In terms of new information and canary-in-the-coal-mine issues, the committee meetings are where it’s at,” O’Quinn stated. “This year our committee meetings will feature some educational elements that we believe will be talked about long after the workshop is over.”

The committees include the Crane & Rigging Group Tower Crane Committee, Labor Committee, and Governing Committee, as well as the Crane & Rigging Safety Education and Training Committee, featuring Hard Hat Courage: Confronting Suicide in the Construction Community. Hard Hat Courage, from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, addresses the high suicide rates in construction and intends to prioritize mental health alongside physical safety. The committee is designed to leave attendees with an understanding of the impact suicide has on the industry, as well as resources, support, and skills for combating it. 

“Committee meetings are often overlooked by first-time attendees,” O’Quinn noted, but she emphasized their importance. “These meetings are open to all attendees and hold significant value in the issues discussed and their impact on careers and businesses.”

Safety and Risk

Hard Hat Courage marks an important step for the industry, bringing more attention to mental health and suicide prevention alongside the physical safety concerns that have long been part of construction. It also reflects a broader look at safety throughout the Crane & Rigging Workshop, where sessions address not only what happens on the jobsite, but also the risks that can affect a company’s operations.

Attendees can take part in the Exclusive One-on-One Time with Insurance Experts or attend Fix the Fundamentals and Actually Save Money — What Underwriters Wish Every Crane Company Understood breakout sessions. This session will examine factors that can affect a company’s risk profile, including hiring practices, driver monitoring, contract language, lift plans, operator communication, and documentation.

By addressing both personal and business risks, the workshop gives attendees a more complete look at the challenges that can impact safety and day-to-day operations.

AI and Technology

A key theme, both within the industry and across the broader business world, is how technology and artificial intelligence (AI) are shaping the future. The keynote session, The AI Leader: Creating Incredible Productivity, Profit, & Growth, presented by Nikolas Badminton, adds to the conversation with real-world examples of how businesses can integrate AI to improve productivity and growth.

“Nikolas Badminton will share how you can leverage AI for greater efficiency, stronger profitability, and long-term growth,” O’Quinn noted. “And honestly, the question isn’t whether AI will impact your business; it’s how you’ll use it to stay competitive.”

The breakout session Tech Made Simple: Everyday Tools That Make Your Crane & Rigging Business Run Smoother takes a more practical approach, focusing on easy-to-implement technologies for businesses that may still rely on pen and paper, phone calls, and spreadsheets.

Technology is just one part of the broader conversation around evolving industry practices.

As O’Quinn explained, “There’s also growing interest in AI applications for the business side. On the equipment and practices side, sessions cover the rise of synthetic chain — its benefits, limitations, and proper use — plus better tower crane maintenance standards and refined approaches to planning and engineering lifts. It’s a good mix of practical tech adoption and evolving rigging methods.”

Evolving Practices

The Workshop will also explore how changes in equipment and rigging practices are influencing day-to-day operations. The Rise of Synthetic Chain: The Lowdown on Its Benefits, Limitations, and Proper Usage will look at where synthetic chain can be used, along with considerations for inspecting, repairing, and removing it from service.

Maintenance will also be addressed through Raising the Standard: Tower Crane Maintenance That Delivers. The session will examine maintenance as an important part of keeping tower cranes operating safely and reliably, while also considering its impact on productivity and overall project performance.

These sessions are designed to reinforce the importance of staying current as equipment and rigging practices evolve, while keeping safety, reliability, and performance at the forefront of every lift.

Exhibit Center and Networking

The exhibit center, featuring 96 booths, is already sold out for the workshop, and offers attendees time to interact with manufacturers, software providers, training companies, insurance representatives, and more.

O’Quinn highlights the significance of the exhibit center. “It’s consistently one of the most valuable parts of the event because there’s dedicated time without competing sessions, so you can really talk with suppliers, see what’s new, and make connections that lead to better solutions back home,” she said. “It’s sold out year after year because decision-makers are there and the conversations are productive.”

Beyond exhibitors, the Crane & Rigging Workshop offers multiple networking opportunities, from the First-Timers Briefing, committee meetings and networking breaks to two evening receptions, there’s plenty of occasions for collaboration.

“For someone attending for the first time, my advice is simply to get involved,” O’Quinn added. “Attend a committee meeting, introduce yourself at a reception, sit next to someone you don’t know at a session, and spend time in the Exhibit Center. With professionals from top companies and nearly a dozen countries typically represented, the connections people make here often become some of the most valuable takeaways.”

Real-World Lifting

The workshop will also take a moment to feature the SC&RA’s 2026 Rigging Jobs of the Year during Top This: Showcasing the Year’s Leading Rigging Triumphs. The 2026 winners of the competition will present their lifting successes, showcasing to attendees examples of engineering, planning, and innovation applied to actual challenges.

This year’s winners include PSC Crane & Rigging in the under $300,000 and $1 million to $3 million categories, Sarens USA Inc. in the $300,000 to $1 million category, and Mammoet Americas in the more than $3 million category. The presentations offer a closer look at the planning, problem-solving, and execution behind some of the industry’s standout projects.

More than Sessions

This event is more than education, more than networking, more than just your usual trade show.

“The Workshop is focused specifically on the crane and rigging industry, and that creates a level of relevance that’s difficult to replicate,” O’Quinn pointed out. “Attendees are surrounded by people who understand the work and who are dealing with many of the same safety, operational, regulatory, and business issues.

“What distinguishes this event is the combination of education, industry involvement, the level of networking available, and relationships. You can learn from an expert in a session, contribute to an important discussion in a committee meeting, discover a new solution in the Exhibit Center, and then have a candid conversation with a peer. The Workshop isn’t simply about hearing what’s happening in the industry — it’s an opportunity to be part of the conversation.”

For the crane and rigging professionals heading to Omaha, the 2026 Crane & Rigging Workshop presented by SC&RA offers a chance to connect with peers, learn from the industry, and be part of where it’s headed. Registration is open at scranet.org/crw2026.