The official agenda for this year’s IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Conference, happening May 4-8 in Birmingham, Ala., includes industry experts sharing the latest in technical trainings, the Portland Cement Association Spring Economic forecast, a panel addressing how the new, fast-paced U.S. presidential administration is affecting the industry both at home and abroad, MIT scientists with the latest research on the development of Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage infrastructure, and more.

David Simchi-Levi, an internationally recognized thought leader in supply chain management and analytics, will be the featured speaker at the May 6 Opening General Session. He will be followed by a panel discussion with senior leaders from across the supply chain who will share insights into today’s real-world challenges and the dire need to build more targeted logistics networks.

On May 7, at the PCA Industry Insights Session, Paul Chadwick, the extraordinary writer who brought comic superhuman “Concrete” to life through critically acclaimed storytelling, will be this year’s keynote speaker. Chadwick will explain what inspired him to choose cement and concrete to encase a human spirit, and why he set Concrete forth on the unforgettable adventures the character encounters.

View the conference’s complete agenda of days and times of events here.

“This year’s line-up manages to touch on many of the new and possibly pivotal challenges faced by the cement, concrete, and construction industries today,” said Mike Ireland, PCA President and CEO.

“Attendees will hear from the experts on everything from what it will take to provide resilient infrastructure for CCUS projects, to how U.S. cement manufacturers are working to align their priorities with those of the Trump White House, while still advancing with their plan to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.” For more information or to register for the 2025 IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Conference, visit www.cementconference.org.

PCA gratefully acknowledges the 2025 Capstone sponsors for their generous support of the conference: Cement Alliance, Christian Pfeiffer, DALOG, DCL, FLSmidth Cement, Industrial Ally, A Salas O'Brien Company, MMR,  Refratechnik North America, Inc., Schneider Electric, Sintek North America, thyssenkrupp Polysius North America, and Vortex.  Planning is already underway for next year’s IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Conference. It will be held in sunny Fort Lauderdale, Fla., April 26–29, 2026. PCA is a proud co-host of the annual event.