Agenda Topics & Call for Speakers

Smart Buildings Exchange Fall Conference | November 9-10, 2026 | Downtown Seattle

What’s on the SBX Agenda?
We’re excited to announce the SBX 2026 agenda. Grounded in our theme, “Accelerating Performance at the Speed of Innovation,” this year’s topics center on one question: what will it take to move smart buildings from promising projects to genuine, repeatable scale? The agenda digs into the practical barriers and opportunities that matter most right now—financing structures, policy alignment, AI-driven operations, and what it will take to make smart buildings the norm rather than the exception.

SBX is built on practitioner knowledge and real-world experience. As noted in the grid below, we’re actively looking for speakers, panelists, and moderators who can bring grounded, honest perspectives to our attendees — not polished sales pitches, but genuine insight from the work you’re doing in the field.

We’re especially interested in voices from:

• Building owners, managers, and operators
• Engineers, commissioning professionals, and energy managers
• Sustainability and decarbonization leaders
• Utility and policy experts
• Technology providers with real-world deployment stories
• Finance and capital professionals working on building performance

We’ve designed this year’s program to be direct, substantive, and honest. We’re interested in hosting multiple perspectives; disagreement is ok and leads to progress. If you have real experience, a grounded perspective, or a passionate point of view on any of these topics, we want to hear from you.

Sponsorship Opportunities for Smart Buildings Exchange (SBX) 2026 are now available! Please view our 2026 Sponsor Prospectus for full details on sponsorship levels and benefits.

SBX 2026 focuses on a defining challenge for our industry: how to capitalize on innovation and accelerate smart buildings adoption in a rapidly changing environment. In a world of rising costs, AI, evolving expectations, connected building systems, and growing building and cybersecurity concerns, the need for smarter, more resilient, and more scalable solutions has never been clearer. SBX 2026 will bring together leaders from across the built environment to examine what is driving progress, what is holding it back, and what it will take to move from promising innovation to widespread implementation.

The 2026 conference theme, “Accelerating Performance at the Speed of Innovation,” reflects both the urgency of the moment and the opportunity in front of us. As technologies advance and pressures on the built environment intensify, buildings are being asked to do more: reduce costs, improve resilience, respond to grid needs, support occupant outcomes, and deliver stronger performance in an increasingly complex operating environment. SBX 2026 will create space not just for inspiration, but for debate, problem-solving, and clearer pathways to action.

If you haven’t already registered for SBX 2025, now is your chance as the event is nearly sold out!

In addition to the great line up of inspiring speakers and engaging sessions, chance to win prizes for attending, and the happy hour reception from 5-6pm featuring live music by Bossa In Wonderland, SBX 2025 provides the opportunity to network with our event sponsors: McKinstry, Seattle City Light, ATS Automation, BetterBricks, DB Engineering, LONG Building Technologies, MacDonald-Miller Facility Solutions, Puget Sound Energy, Washington State Department of Commerce, and Overcast Innovations.

Register to join us today!

SBX 2025 agenda highlights include:

Register to join us today!

If you haven’t already registered for SBX 2025 now is your chance as spots are quickly filling up!

In addition to the great line up of inspiring speakers and engaging sessions, and chance to win prizes for attending, the happy hour reception from 5-6pm will feature live music by Bossa In Wonderland, an acoustic jazz quartet playing jazz standards and originals in a Samba and Bossa Nova Style. Plan to stay and enjoy live music, appetizers, and alcoholic/non-alcoholic beverages while engaging with sponsors and networking with attendees!

SBX 2025 agenda highlights include:

Register to join us today!

This year, when you attend SBX 2025 on November 5th you will be entered into a prize drawing for two great prizes: a $500 airline travel voucher and a $250 Hyatt travel voucher! All you need to do is check in at the registration table and be present when the first drawing happens at the beginning of the event at 1pm and again when the second drawing happens during the networking happy hour from 5-6pm.

SBX features a great line up of inspiring speakers and engaging sessions, and by just showing up you have a great chance at winning these prizes.

We look forward to seeing you there — register now to join us at SBX on November 5th!