The industry meets for its annual knowledge check-up in Willingen
The 54th major seminar of the Association of the Construction Industry, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering (VDBUM) will take place from February 10 to 13, 2026, under the motto “Building bridges – shaping the future!” at the tried-and-tested venue, the Sauerland Stern Congress Hotel in Willingen. The motto is quite ambiguous, as the topics of the three-day event include both the renovation of infrastructure and breaking new ground.
For many years, around 1200 industry executives have been taking advantage of the VDBUM’s compact training program at the beginning of the construction year. Researchers, manufacturers, and users value this solution-oriented industry forum as a place to learn about new technologies and processes, discuss possible applications, and practice dealing with new guidelines.
More than 100 exhibitors will once again be presenting their latest product ranges in the indoor and outdoor areas of the convention center, including, for the first time, Autobahn GmbH des Bundes and Deutsche Bahn AG. Both companies will be providing information about their upcoming major projects and intend to hold individual talks with industry representatives attending the seminar. The three main partners, Hochtief AG, Kiesel GmbH, and Wirtgen Group, have already been confirmed. “We have succeeded in securing three partners who represent virtually the entire spectrum of the industry,” says VDBUM Managing Director Dieter Schnittjer.
As is tradition, the major seminar will begin with the opening of the trade exhibition and the subsequent opening gala, where the keynote speech will get participants in the mood for the two seminar days. Alexandra von Lingen has once again been recruited to moderate the evening gala and the panel discussion the following morning. Here, industry experts will discuss current topics based on the seminar motto before the three-part lecture program begins with around 50 specialist presentations. With around four months to go, the VDBUM team is still busy with the detailed planning, coordinating topics, and inviting speakers.
Presentation of two industry awards
On the second gala evening, the prestigious VDBUM sponsorship award will be presented for the 13th time, and on the third gala evening, another award ceremony will take place to crown the new German champion in construction machine simulator driving. This evening also offers an opportunity to discuss the experiences in a smaller group and to maintain and expand personal networks – the evening will be rounded off with a short stage program. Let yourself be surprised.
The VDBUM attaches great importance to promoting young talent. Therefore, the sponsorship program for students and master craftsmen will of course be continued. Together with its partners, the association enables young professionals to participate in the event free of charge in order to get a taste of the industry and establish contacts with company representatives.
“We have modernized our large-scale seminar over the past two years and made it fit for the future,” says Dieter Schnittjer. The schedule has been streamlined, new presentation formats implemented, and the presentations designed to allow more room for discussion. All of the optimizations were extremely well received by the participants, as demonstrated not least by the working group day. For the past two years, this has taken place on the Friday after the end of the large seminar and has enjoyed strong participation from the outset. The five working groups “Electrical Engineering,” “Tower Cranes,” “Workshop 4.0,” “Construction Logistics,” and “Hydrogen in Heavy Transport” have developed solutions in face-to-face and virtual meetings over the course of the year and will present and further develop these at the Working Group Day 2026. The newly founded “General Technology” working group will also meet here for the first time.
