CONFERENCE RECAP
THE 2026 SPORTS FIELD MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION( SFMA) CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION was held January 18-22, 2026, in Fort Worth, offering attendees the opportunity to share information with other successful members of the sports field management industry. The sports field management industry’ s premier event featured education tracks, networking opportunities, a full trade show, SAFE fundraisers, the SFMA Student Challenge, Seminar on Wheels, and much more.
This year’ s keynote presentation featured SFMA leadership, who provided a recap of CEO Paula Sliefert’ s“ Listening Tour,” as well as an update on the future initiatives and plans for the organization. For full coverage of their discussion points, listen to the related podcast at https:// sportsfieldmanagementonline. com / podcast / or wherever your favorite podcasts are found.
The opening general session“ Inside the Pitch: Field Managers’ Perspective on Preparing for FIFA World Cup 2026” provided an inside look at the preparation and operational demands faced by facilities participating in the upcoming FIFA event. The discussion explored key timelines, preparation milestones, and required work, as well as training facility and base-camp design, operational adjustments, and behind-the-scenes challenges. The conversation also examined the long-term legacy of these projects and their impact on sports field management. The session was moderated by John Sorochan, Ph. D., and panelists included Weston Appelfeller, CSFM, Ryan Bjorn, Alan Ferguson, David Graham, Robert Heggie, Ewen Hodge, Tyler Morris, CSFM, John“ Trey” Rogers, Ph. D., and John Wright, Jr.
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