ATSSA’s 56th Annual Convention & Traffic Expo heads to Houston

NEWS RELEASE

ATSSA’s 56^th Annual Convention & Traffic Expo heads to Houston

Event brings 28 education options, 245 exhibits, 4,000+ roadway safety experts and countless opportunities for advancing roadway safety

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (Feb. 9, 2026) – ATSSA’s 56^th Annual Convention & Traffic Expo kicks into high gear on Feb. 23 featuring keynote Chad Hymas, who will share insights only someone who suffered a life-altering accident can provide.

Chad Hymas

Hymas, now 51, became a safety advocate after a mistake on his ranch left him paralyzed from the chest down. Making his living as a speaker wasn’t the original plan but after tragedy struck, he had a choice to make about his future and turned that adversity into an opportunity to help others.

Today he travels the world delivering inspirational messages, often bringing his son, Kyler, who gives his perspective on the accident that impacted the entire family. Chad Hymas authored “Doing What Must Be Done,” a best-selling book in which he discusses his journey of resilience and shares lessons on “overcoming adversity and embracing life’s challenges with courage and determination.”

Hymas is making his return to ATSSA’s Annual Convention & Traffic Expo and this year will talk about “Leadership in the Line of Fire – When Safety Isn’t Optional.”

ATSSA’s 2026 Convention & Traffic Expo takes place Feb. 20-24 at Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center where 245 exhibitors will fill the nearly 300,000-square-foot Expo Hall with everything from heavy duty vehicles to technology small enough to wear in a roadway worker’s vest.

Hymas headlines the Convention’s jampacked 90-minute general session on Feb. 23, which also includes an emotional tribute to people killed in work zones, a leadership update, national awards and a legislative update providing insights into Capitol Hill advocacy in a critical year where a new surface transportation bill is needed before the current one expires in September.

Convention Highlights:

Friday, Feb. 20 – The event kicks off with the 13^th Annual Sporting Clays Event and the 34^th Annual Golf Classic Tournament, both of which benefit the American Traffic Safety Services (ATSS) Foundation.

Saturday, Feb. 21 – ATSSA members bring their collective expertise into addressing industry issues through committee and council meetings.

Sunday, Feb. 22 – The Expo Hall grand opening takes place at 2 p.m. Before that, take advantage of Education Day, which provides more than two dozen education sessions covering the gamut of the roadway safety infrastructure industry, including how artificial intelligence (AI) is being employed to help save lives and solve traffic issues, plus discussions of connected work zone equipment, the evolution of portable traffic signals, a “historic milestone” for cable barrier and the advantages of orange pavement markings to name a few.

Monday, Feb. 23 – After the general session, zip over to the Traffic Expo area where the focus is on innovation. Then explore the rest of the exhibit area, take part in the New Products Rollout (NPRO) Tour, join the NPRO micro session and learn the winner of this year’s Innovation Award. Meet the winners of this year’s national awards at the ATSSA Pavilion.

Tuesday, Feb. 24 – The morning starts with the always packed Circle of Innovation where public agency officials discuss challenges and successes from around the country. Then return to the Traffic Expo for additional micro education sessions, conversations with exhibitors and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) sponsored demonstration on innovations in nighttime operations.

Register for the 2026 Convention. Full details and ongoing updates are available at Expo.ATSSA.com.

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