December 2025 Vol. 80 No. 12
Features
UIC 2026: Moving your business forward starts here
The infrastructure problems you're facing today didn't exist five years ago. And the ones coming next year? You can't solve them with last decade's playbook. UIC 2026 exists to close that gap – two concentrated days where you get ahead of the curve instead of scrambling to catch up.
Join infrastructure peers for two comprehensive days of learning and business building connections, Jan. 27-28, 2026, at the Henry B. González Convention Center, San Antonio, Texas. Registration is live at UI-Conference.com, and the clock is ticking.
What you'll walk away with
UIC 2026 runs on a simple structure: mornings for learning, afternoons for connecting. From 8 a.m. to noon, you're in education sessions earning PDHs and CEUs through the University of Texas at Arlington. These aren't overview presentations – they're tactical sessions built around case studies, real project data and lessons learned the hard way.
From noon to 5 p.m., the action moves to the exhibit hall. Center Stage panels bring industry experts together to tackle the questions everyone's asking but nobody's answering. Technical Theater sessions let manufacturers demonstrate technology in real time—not brochure specs, actual performance. And the floor itself? That's where you meet the vendors who can solve the specific problems on your desk right now.
You'll leave with continuing education credit, vendor contacts who understand your challenges, and strategies you can start using the day you get back. The exhibit hall is where this happens. A large crowd of professionals – engineers, contractors, senior management, utility operators – will flood the hall with budgets and authority to make decisions. These aren't tire-kickers. They're the people who control billions in purchasing power, and they're at UIC to find solutions.
Get rewarded for doing what you're already doing
The Connected Buyer Program costs nothing to join and takes zero extra effort. When you register for UIC, add it to your pass. Then do what you were planning to do anyway: walk the exhibit hall, talk to suppliers, check out their solutions. Every time you get scanned at a booth, you earn entries into the drawing. Five scans = one entry.
The prizes: a Bergara Integrally Suppressed Rifle valued at $3,400, or round-trip AeroMexico tickets. Winner gets announced Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 28, right before the exhibit hall closes. You need to be present to win.
But here's what actually matters. The program gives you a framework to be more intentional on the floor. Instead of gravitating toward the same three vendors you already know, you're incentivized to explore. You ask better questions. You meet suppliers you might've walked past. And whether you win the rifle, the tickets, or nothing at all, you're building relationships that pay off on your next project. More details at ui-conference.com/buyer-program.
Don't miss these moments
UIC 2026 includes four experiences that go beyond typical conference programming. Each one recognizes something important about where our industry stands.
CUIRE Training Schools
Monday, Jan. 26, same convention center. The Center for Underground Infrastructure Research & Education at the University of Texas at Arlington runs its 24th Annual Pipeline and Trenchless Technology Training and Certification Schools right before UIC kicks off. Four half-day programs cover the technical foundations you need: Pipe Maintenance and Repair (morning), Horizontal Directional Drilling (morning), Cured-In-Place Pipe (afternoon), and Microtunneling, Direct Pipe and Pilot Tube (afternoon). These aren't overview sessions – they're taught by CUIRE board members and industry experts covering real-world applications, case studies and the technical details that matter when you're planning or executing projects. Visit cuire.uta.edu/cuireschools2026 or call (817) 272-9177 for details and to register for this program.
BAMI-I Utility Investigation School
Monday, Jan. 26 – Thursday, Jan. 29; same convention center. This runs parallel to UIC and dives deep into subsurface utility engineering – ASCE standards, geophysics tools and utility risk management. Built for engineers, surveyors and project managers dealing with congested infrastructure where accurate utility data isn't optional. Full details and registration at bami-i.com/event/27th-uis.
The Awards: MVP + UI Honors
Tuesday, Jan. 27, noon-1:30 p.m. UCTA's Most Valuable Professional Award and Underground Infrastructure's UI Awards merge into one ceremony. Jeff Haby from San Antonio Water System takes the 2026 MVP honor, and the UI Awards finalists get their moment. This is where the industry comes together to recognize the people and projects pushing infrastructure forward. Tickets are $85 – just add while completing your registration.
HDD Reunion and Hall of Fame
Wednesday, Jan. 28, 5:15-7:00 p.m. The Class of 2026 gets inducted into the HDD Hall of Fame. Whether you've been in HDD since the beginning or you're new to directional drilling, this night celebrates the community that makes it work. Earlier that day, 1–2:30 p.m., catch the Center Stage panel with the Hall of Fame honorees. Hear their stories, ask your questions and see what built this industry. Reunion tickets are $50 and can be added to your conference registration. A limited number of sponsorships are still available – contact Josh@UndergroundInfrastructure.com or Peter.Royall@GulfEnergyInfo.com.
Education built around what you actually need
The UIC 2026 program runs on 12 concurrent tracks over two mornings – Jan. 27 and 28, 8 a.m. to noon. Sessions are organized by discipline: sewer, water, asset management, HDD, microtunneling, spray liners, damage prevention, emerging technology and AI-powered solutions. Every session earns PDHs and CEUs through the University of Texas at Arlington.
These aren't theory sessions. Tuesday's keynote comes from Andrea Beymer, Executive VP and COO at San Antonio Water System, talking about how SAWS became a Leading Utility of the World. The rest of the program? Case studies from cities solving real problems – Corpus Christi crossing their ship channel via HDD, Houston dealing with emergency sewer repairs, McKinney tracking down hidden leaks identified by inline inspection, Austin Water using tunneling for large-diameter utilities in environmentally sensitive areas, and many other valuable sessions from around the country.
Track topics cover the full spectrum: confined space safety, engineering ethics (meets P.E. license renewal requirements), AI-powered manhole inspections using 360-degree scanning, curved microtunneling for deep interceptors, epoxy rehabilitation of lift stations, and regulatory compliance for CIPP emissions. If you're dealing with aging infrastructure, consent decrees, or trying to choose between replacement and rehabilitation, there's a session built around that exact decision.
Afternoons shift to Center Stage panels in the exhibit hall – HDD contractor roundtables (separate sessions for small-rig and big-rig operators), HDD Hall of Fame panel with the Class of 2026 inductees, and focused discussions on consent decrees and safety protocols. Full program details at UI Conference.com/education-training.
Where the deals happen
More than 1,400 infrastructure professionals are expected to UIC. The breakdown: 22 percent engineers, 20 percent senior management and VPs, 25 percent business operations, 18 percent owners, presidents and directors. They come because two focused days deliver what months of scattered meetings can't – direct access to solutions, vendors, and decision-makers.
For exhibitors, UIC concentrates your buyers into one location. Options include booth space near Technical Theaters, 25-minute Technical Theater presentations that earn attendees credit, sponsorships for the Innovation Lounge and networking events, and high-visibility track sponsorships that put your logo on every other seat back.
All exhibitors get recognition in Underground Infrastructure magazine, the event app, email campaigns, and full-conference passes for your team. Secure your space: Josh@UndergroundInfrastructure.com or Peter.Royall@GulfEnergyInfo.com.
Register now—rates won't get better
UIC pricing is straightforward:
- 2-Day Full Conference: $740
- 1-Day Conference: $425
- Exhibit Hall Only: $85
Register at UI-Conference.com. Full program, exhibit space details, and hotel booking information are all there.
Hotel and logistics
A Second hotel has been added: The Emily Morgan San Antonio – a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel
Address: 705 East Houston Street, San Antonio, TX 78205
Rooms and rates
- 1 King Bed: $159.00
- 2 Queen Beds: $159.00
- 2 Queen Beds – Alamo View: $159.00
Book at: https://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/gulfenergy-uic2026-emilymorganhotel/
Contact information
Event: UIC 2026—Henry B. González Convention Center, San Antonio, TX
Dates: January 27–28, 2026
Program, registration, hotel: UI-Conference.com
Exhibitor inquiries: Josh@UndergroundInfrastructure.com, Peter.Royall@GulfEnergyInfo.com
Registration inquiries: Karen@UndergroundInfrastructure.com
See you in San Antonio!
Karen Francis
UIC Convention Director
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