Las Vegas in March is hard to beat, and ACCA 2026 delivered. Four days at Caesars Palace brought together contractors, industry leaders, and Strategic Partners from across the country for a conference that was equal parts actionable and energizing with packed sessions, meaningful conversations, and a few evenings that nobody seemed to want to end.
Awards, recognition, and a gavel handoff
The week started Sunday night in the Roman Ballroom. Colony Air Conditioning & Heating of Colony, Texas, took home the Residential Contractor of the Year award, and the acceptance speech was an honest, warm reminder of why most people got into this business in the first place. The evening also marked a leadership transition, with Eddie McFarlane passing the Board Chair gavel to Kurt Hudson — who received a special shoutout from the Boston-based Dropkick Murphys — for 2026–27, rivaling McFarlane’s bagpipe procession at ACCA 2025 in Austin last year.
Keith Kong made everyone a believer
Kong opened the main stage Monday morning with something between a psychology lecture and a magic show — except nothing about it felt like a trick. The room was fully locked in, and the buzz lasted well into the coffee break.
Ryan Berman on why businesses stop being bold
Berman took the stage Tuesday with an empowering session on courage in business. With so many people in that room quietly navigating AI reshuffling how work gets done, a workforce that’s hard to find and harder to keep, and a general sense that the old playbook isn’t working like it used to. He didn’t offer easy answers. He made the case that the willingness to make a real call, even a hard one, is itself the advantage.
Copeland threw a great party
Copeland set the bar for conference evenings on Monday night at the Apollo Pool. Flowing drinks, great food, a live DJ, and warm desert air — nobody was in any rush to call it a night. Copeland even sent someone home with a YETI cooler.
AI, workforce, and the business of growing smarter
The breakout tracks were packed all week, with AI and workforce development drawing the most energy. Sessions on AI-powered call centers, lead generation, and what scaled operations look like in 2026 drew intrigued audiences who want to know what the technology is capable of now and how it’s expected to grow.
Recruiting, hiring, retention, and technical sessions were just as well-attended, drawing from real experience with Q&A to match.
Contractors talking to contractors
The MIX Groups® MIXer drew a strong turnout, with members who have been part of the program for years — some for decades — showing up ready to talk about what it has actually done for their businesses. The conversations were honest and engaging. For contractors considering joining, hearing it directly from peers in that setting made for a compelling case.
Nobody got to leave without doing the work
The closing session wrapped up the week with something other than a final speech. Rather than sending attendees off with a list of takeaways, Kelly Irons put them to work — an interactive session that got people out of their seats, engaging with each other, and sitting with the part of change that nobody loves: actually doing it. It was the perfect end to an action-packed week.
ACCA 2027 is at National Harbor, Washington, D.C., March 10–12, and if this year is any indication, you won’t want to wait on registration. Early bird pricing is open now! Register Now
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