The belt matters — the championship prize from CISCA’s Contractor Challenge. So do the tools that come with it, the roughly $80,000 in community donations, and the candid conversations about where future backlog is coming from. But what drew nearly 475 ceiling professionals to Grapevine, Texas, for the 2026 CISCA Summit was something less tangible: an industry that is busy, cautiously optimistic, and looking to grow — not just in revenue, but in people, processes, and ideas, with attendance up from last year and momentum visible across the show floor.

The State of the Association

CISCA Executive Director Jim Moody described the event as a milestone moment. The awards dinner, he said, had a “packed room” and an “amazing atmosphere of celebration.” For the first time in recent memory, the organization is also on track to turn a profit on the Summit, a sign of financial health and operational maturity.

That progress is tied to a broader strategic reset. Following a planning session in Dallas last August that brought together board members and stakeholders, CISCA is now implementing new initiatives to strengthen the association’s future.

“I think we’re starting to implement the things that the task force came back with,” said Anthony Brooks, president of Platinum Drywall in Little Rock, Arkansas. “I feel good, positive energy.”

Michael Coakley, president of C.J. Coakley Co. in Fairfax, Virginia, credited leadership changes and renewed focus for creating momentum. “We’ve done a really good job with our Emerging Leaders program, revitalizing membership, and we’re going to have some good initiatives to bring new people in,” he said. “We’ve got a lot to offer.”

At the same time, Coakley emphasized that growth must be intentional. “I don’t think we should grow just for growth’s sake,” he said. “You need quality with quantity.”

Education was a clear priority this year. A technology panel explored the tools reshaping contractor operations, with frank discussion about both successes and limitations. Another session, led by an acoustician, dug into the science behind ceiling systems — giving attendees a deeper understanding of the work they perform daily.

“We really put more emphasis on education this year,” Moody said. “It was a deep and fascinating presentation — helping people understand the science behind what they do.”

The format resonated with contractors like Jason Gordon, president and CEO of Heartland Acoustics & Interiors. The Summit’s “speed learning” sessions — short, 30-minute presentations with manufacturers — allowed teams to absorb a wide range of information efficiently.

“As a contractor member, that was really good for our team,” Gordon said. “We got to jump in and hear from a lot of manufacturers without the drag of an all-day format.”

An economic forecasting session also drew strong interest, reinforcing trends contractors are already seeing: strong demand from data centers, steady healthcare work, and softer corporate office construction.

What the Market Is Telling Contractors

The consensus view among attendees was relatively consistent: the market is solid overall, though uneven, with improved visibility compared to a year ago.

That aligns with broader industry data. Total U.S. construction spending is projected to grow modestly in 2026, but gains are concentrated in infrastructure and data centers, while segments like multifamily and office remain weaker. For ceiling and interior contractors, that means opportunity exists — but it is selective rather than broad-based.

Material costs remain a concern, particularly as input prices have outpaced bid increases in recent periods. At the same time, labor shortages continue to shape how contractors plan and price work.

“Overall, I think it’s strong,” Gordon said. “A lot of data center work. That tends to be the theme.”

His company is also active in healthcare construction, while corporate office work has softened. Regionally, he pointed to the Pacific Northwest as a weaker market, influenced by tech-sector spending cycles.

That variability reflects a larger challenge: workforce constraints. Labor shortages — both in skilled trades and field management — remain one of the industry’s most persistent issues, affecting everything from scheduling to project execution.

For Brooks, the Arkansas market has historically been more stable than others. “We don’t really hit the highs that a lot of other markets hit, but we also don’t hit the lows,” he said. “It’s just kind of steady.”

What is changing, however, is the arrival of data center work. “Arkansas is kind of late to the party,” he said, “but we’re finally beginning to get data centers coming into our market.”

In the Mid-Atlantic, Coakley’s work spans large-scale and high-profile projects, including a major Kalahari resort development, a hospital for the National Institutes of Health, and renovations at the Federal Reserve’s Washington headquarters.

“I think Washington is a fun place to be a contractor,” he said. “Buildings you see in the news all the time — we get to work in those places.”

Products, Materials, and Technology

The product showcase, featuring four full rows of booths, mirrored the trends contractors described in the field. PET-based products continue to gain momentum.

“It’s exploded over the last five to eight years,” Gordon said. “No slowing down there.”

Advances in wood-look PET materials are increasingly competing with natural wood, which several contractors noted is softening in demand. The gap in appearance has narrowed significantly, while cost differences remain substantial.

“Architects are starting to swap them out,” Gordon said.

Coakley pointed to insulation products with highly realistic wood printing as an example of how far the technology has come. “If you were three feet away, you wouldn’t know it wasn’t wood,” he said.

Durability improvements also drew attention. Armstrong highlighted a tile enhancement designed to reduce edge breakage — a practical benefit for contractors dealing with installation damage and callbacks.

“You can grab it, twist it, and pull it, and it won’t break,” Coakley said. “It’s taking a product architects already like and making it better for contractors.”

Technology adoption remains a mixed experience. Gordon described a crowded landscape of software vendors, with new platforms constantly entering the market. “There’s no shortage of startup software companies,” he said. 

While his company has successfully implemented some tools, others have proven costly failures. “We’ve had some strong successes, but also some flops — and those are painful.”

The current focus is artificial intelligence, particularly applications that go beyond surface-level productivity gains.

“We’re trying to find ways to leverage it for real work,” Gordon said. “Not just surface-level tasks, but deeper capabilities. We know it’s possible — it’s just about dedicating the time.”

Building the Next Generation

One of CISCA’s most impactful initiatives is its Emerging Leaders program, now nearing its tenth year.

Created by Coakley after his own early experience feeling out of place at a CISCA event, the program is designed to make the association more accessible. Participants are paired with mentors, visit manufacturer facilities, and build relationships across the country.

“By the time they’re done, they’ve met probably a hundred people,” Coakley said. “It’s not intimidating anymore.”

The program currently includes 58 participants across four cohorts, with multiple graduating classes already completed. As the alumni network grows, it is increasingly shaping the association’s culture and leadership pipeline.

CISCA Cares, the organization’s philanthropic initiative, is also expanding its impact. Now in its third year, the program has distributed more than $80,000 to schools in host communities, along with tool donations to technical programs. At the 2026 Summit, nearly $60,000 was raised for two Grapevine-area schools.

“The heart of it is to show kids that somebody cares at a point when it can make a real difference,” Moody said.

Competition, Community, and the Road Ahead

The Contractor Challenge remains the Summit’s most visible and energetic event. Eight teams competed in 2026, with T-P Acoustics defeating defending champion M&H Building Specialties to claim the title. The competition highlights the craftsmanship and precision of the trade while delivering a high-energy experience for attendees.

“The contractor challenge and the product showcase are big highlights,” Gordon said. “It’s the most engaging part for everybody.”

Looking ahead, CISCA plans to return to Las Vegas in 2027, though Moody suggested the association may shift toward smaller venues in the future.

“When people disperse, you lose some of the magic,” he said. “This is a networking meeting — a connections meeting. Tighter spaces help facilitate that.”