Conference Programme 2026 – World Demolition Summit

2026

Conference Programme & Speakers

World Class Demolition & Recycling:
Driving growth through innovation, safety & sustainability

Tuesday 3 - Wednesday 4

Wednesday 4

Thursday 5

Exclusive to VIPs

VIP Programme

3 November 2026

14:00 - 17:00

VIP Tour

18:30 - 20:00

VIP Reception

To register or upgrade to the VIP package please contact:

Dejuan Gomez

Conference – Day 1

4 November 2026

08:00 – 12:00

VIP - World Demolition Summit Tour

Open to all delegates

12:00 - 13:15

Registration & networking buffet lunch

Sponsored by

13.15 – 13:20

Welcome & housekeeping from the conference chair

13:20– 13:40

Official WDS 2026 welcome from the EDA

13:40 – 14:10

To be confirmed

14:10 – 14:40

To be confirmed

14:40 – 15:10

To be confirmed

15:10- 16:00

Coffee Break & Networking

Sponsored by

16:00 – 16:30

The future of demolition: using robotics and AI for sustainable material recovery in deconstruction

Mohanad will show how using robotics and AI can improve sustainable waste recovery by identifying materials in real time before demolition takes place.

Mohanad is the principal industrial AI scientist at TU Delft’s faculty of civil engineering and geosciences. He leads the AI work package of the EU Horizon Europe DISCOVER project, developing an AI-powered, multi-sensor platform for material identification in circular construction and automated demolishing. His work integrates AI, computer vision, NIR spectroscopy, XRF and LIBS analysis on automated demolition platforms. Mohanad has over 10 years of industrial AI experience across the construction, mining and healthcare sectors.

16:30 – 17:00

Case study: Snelgrove elevated water tank demolition

Camille and Rachelle will share how Tri-Phase successfully negotiated the unique constraints posed by the dismantling of a 43-metre (141 ft) elevated water tank.

17:00 – 17:05

End of day remarks

17:45 – 20.00

Official Welcome Drinks

Sponsored by

Open to all delegates

Conference – Day 2

5 November 2026

08:00 - 09:45

Networking Breakfast

Networking opportunity and breakfast before the start of the conference

Sponsored by

09:45 – 10:15

Best of the Best 2025: Dismantling of the Rheinbrücke-Neuenkamp bridge

John and Jorn will present the Rheinbrücke-Neuenkamp bridge dismantling project, which was crowned ‘Best of the Best’ at the World Demolition Awards 2025.

10:15 – 10:45

Engineering control of squat risk in modern thin-walled concrete stack demolition

Mark will examine a 200-metre (650 ft) concrete stack demolition where progressive collapse modelling identified a high probability of hinge instability.

10:45 – 11:30

Coffee Break & Networking

Sponsored by

11:30 – 12:15

To be confirmed

12:15 – 12:45

Resilient demolition: building circularity from the private sector in informal and volatile contexts

Miguel will discuss Grupo Mitre’s integrated approach to demolition and C&D waste recycling, including the development of Argentina’s first private recycling facility.

12.45 – 14:15

Lunch Break & Networking

Lunch sponsored by

14:15 – 14:45

Complex exclusion zone management

14:45 – 15:15

Demolition without a footprint: achieving 95% recovery of materials through circular demolition

Jose Carlos Juan Muñoz, site manager, Erri Berri (Spain)

Jose Carlos Juan Muñoz is site manager at Erri Berri Construcciones y Excavaciones, with solid experience in demolition and construction projects.

Throughout his career, Jose has worked on complex demolition operations, contributing to innovative and sustainable solutions in the sector. This includes the demolition of the Camp Nou football stadium in Barcelona.

Jose is highly committed to every project he is involved in, with a strong focus on efficiency, safety and technical precision.

He holds a technical engineering degree in Civil Works (Civil Construction) from Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV).

15:15 – 16:00

Coffee Break & Networking

Sponsored by

16:00 – 17:00

To be confirmed

18:45 – 23:00

World Demolition Awards Gala Dinner

World Demolition Awards 2026

5 November 2026

18:45 - 19:45

Pre-awards Drinks Reception

Sponsored by

19:45 - 22:00

World Demolition Awards & Gala Dinner

Celebrating excellence in the demolition industry with awards and networking

22:00 - 23:00

Post dinner drinks

Our 2025 Speakers were

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Simon Hébert

Project Director

Delsan-AIM

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Jason Curtsinger

Tennessee Valley Authority

VIP KEYNOTE

Stephen Farner

International Vice President

Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA)

VIP KEYNOTE

Michele O’Rourke

CEO

O’Rourke Wrecking Company

Dr. Mahesh Bailakanavar

Associate Principal

Thornton Tomasetti

Peter Bauer

Segment Leader, Building & Deconstruction

Volvo CE

Kate Bester

Contracts and project manager

Jet Demolition

Jose Blanco

Secretary General

European Demolition Association (EDA)

Rick Boyd

Director Generation Projects

Dominion Energy

Connie Clearwater

Vice President, Marketing, Communication & Business Development

Priestly Demolition Inc.

Chris Dowdell

Senior Demolition Project Manager

Koch

Alex Ellison

PR & Marketing Manager

Brown & Mason

Dr. Ray Gallant

Vice President of Sustainability and Productivity Services

Volvo Construction Equipment

Alex Hadden

SHEQ Director

Brown & Mason

Cormac McLean

Managing Director

PDC Explosives Engineering

Michael Metzner

Owner

Metzner Recycling

Ryan Priestly

Chief Exectutive

Priestly Demolition Inc. (PDI)

Bill Schaab

Senior Vice President

American Demolition & Nuclear Decommissioning

Stefan Stockhaus

CEO

Steelwrist

Roni Szigeti

CEO & Co-Founder

FieldFlō

Andrew Turk

Sr. Project Manager

Cameco

Richard Vann

Founder and managing director

RVA Group

2026

Conference Programme & Speakers

World Class Demolition & Recycling: Driving growth through innovation, safety & sustainability

Tuesday 3 - Wednesday 4

Wednesday 4

Thursday 5

Thursday 5

Exclusive to VIPs

VIP Programme

3 November 2026

14:00 - 17:00

VIP Tour

18:30 - 20:00

VIP Reception

To register or upgrade to the VIP package please contact:

Dejuan Gomez

Conference – Day 1

4 November 2026

08:00 – 12:00

VIP - World Demolition Summit Tour

Open to all delegates

12:00 - 13:15

Registration & networking buffet lunch

Sponsored by

13.15 – 13:20

Welcome & housekeeping from the conference chair

13:20– 13:40

Official WDS 2026 welcome from the EDA

13:40 – 14:10

To be confirmed

14:10 – 14:40

To be confirmed

14:40 – 15:10

To be confirmed

15:10- 16:00

Coffee Break & Networking

Sponsored by

16:00 – 16:30

The future of demolition: using robotics and AI for sustainable material recovery in deconstruction

Mohanad will show how using robotics and AI can improve sustainable waste recovery by identifying materials in real time before demolition takes place.

16:30 – 17:00

Case study: Snelgrove elevated water tank demolition

Camille and Rachelle will share how Tri-Phase successfully negotiated the unique constraints posed by the dismantling of a 43-metre (141 ft) elevated water tank.

17:00 – 17:05

End of day remarks

17:45 – 20.00

Official Welcome Drinks

Sponsored by

Open to all delegates

Conference – Day 2

5 November 2026

08:00 - 09:45

Networking Breakfast

Networking opportunity and breakfast before the start of the conference

Sponsored by

09:45 – 10:15

Best of the Best 2025: Dismantling of the Rheinbrücke-Neuenkamp bridge

John and Jorn will present the Rheinbrücke-Neuenkamp bridge dismantling project, which was crowned ‘Best of the Best’ at the World Demolition Awards 2025.

10:15 – 10:45

Engineering control of squat risk in modern thin-walled concrete stack demolition

Mark will examine a 200-metre (650 ft) concrete stack demolition where progressive collapse modelling identified a high probability of hinge instability.

10:45 – 11:30

Coffee Break & Networking

Sponsored by

11:30 – 12:15

To be confirmed

12:15 – 12:45

Resilient demolition: building circularity from the private sector in informal and volatile contexts

Miguel will discuss Grupo Mitre’s integrated approach to demolition and C&D waste recycling, including the development of Argentina’s first private recycling facility.

12.45 – 14:15

Lunch Break & Networking

Lunch sponsored by

14:15 – 14:45

Complex exclusion zone management

14:45 – 15:15

Demolition without a footprint: achieving 95% recovery of materials through circular demolition

15:15 – 16:00

Coffee Break & Networking

Sponsored by

16:00 – 17:00

World Class Demolition & Recycling:
Driving growth through innovation, safety & sustainability