Central Fabricators Association upcoming events

2026 Spring Meeting | May 3-5 2026 | Detroit MI (03 May 2026)

Sun, 03 May 2026 21:00:00 GMT

May 3-5, 2026

250 West Larned
Detroit, MI 48226

SUNDAY, May 3, 2026

Special Evening Event (optional)

sponsored by

Join us for a special evening of major league baseball as the Detroit Tigers meet the Texas Rangers. We will be hosted in a private space with a panoramic view of Comerica Park out at the top of right field.

Gates open at 6:15 PM with a game start time of 7:20 PM

If you plan to attend this special event - your registration MUST be received no later than April 28 in order to receive your tickets in time to attend.

Transportation on your own.

MONDAY, May 4, 2026
11:00 AM- 1:00 PM

CFA Board of Directors Meeting

2:30 PM – 5:00 PM

GENERAL SESSION

You asked for it - You've got it - focus on Artificial Intelligence

Six Dimensions of AI Readiness

Most AI efforts don’t struggle because of the technology. They struggle because the right know-how is hard to find, hard to trust, and hard to reuse—it’s scattered across people, folders, emails, and outdated documents. In this session, Scott Wiemels, CEO of 24G, shares a practical way to think about AI readiness as knowledge readiness. You’ll learn why knowledge pipelines matter: repeatable processes for capturing what your team knows, keeping it current, and delivering it to the right people at the right time, so you get real results from AI and from everyday operations. The session includes a straightforward AI Readiness Snapshot across six areas: Leadership Buy-In, Knowledge Accessibility, Process Documentation, AI Tool Usage, Culture & Change Readiness, and Governance & Version Control.

Presenter:

Scott Wiemels is the CEO and founder of 24G, a knowledge transformation company helping organizations turn scattered expertise into governed knowledge pipelines and AI-ready systems that drive performance. With 17+ years of leading digital transformation for Fortune 1000 brands, he brings a practical perspective on operationalizing AI through a trusted knowledge infrastructure.

Following Scott's presentation, we will hear from a panel of CFA members about their AI experiences.

6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

SPONSOR DINNER & RECEPTION

Detroit Foundation Hotel
Enjoy a wonderful evening of camaraderie in the historic setting of the Apparatus Room.

The apparatus bays where Detroit’s fire trucks stood ready are now gathering spaces where friends meet and business gets done. Those iconic brass poles that carried firefighters to action? They’re still here, reminding us daily of the courage and community that built this great city.

This is sure to be a special evening.

TUESDAY, May 5, 2026
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Fabricator Round Tables + Breakfast + Large Group Debrief
Contact CFA with any topics you would like to see discussed via j.metsker@centralfabricators.org. The Fabricator Round tables are limited to CFA members only.

10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
PEER LEARNING GROUP Session (for committed members only)
There is an additional Annual fee to participate in the Peer Group. Unless you have paid this fee, please do not sign up for this portion of the meeting. Committed participants will receive a separate agenda and communication regarding the Peer Group session. Committed companies can bring up to 2 participants. Lunch will be provided.

Notes and Hotel Rooms:

CFA has arranged for a room block at the hotel. Please make your reservations for the entire event by registering with CFA.
The rate for these rooms is $269 per night (subject to tax).
These RATES are applicable until April 1, 2026 or until the room block is full. Occasionally our room block sells out, so reservations are taken on a first come first served basis.

ALL guests who are attending ANY events MUST be registered in order to attend any portion of the meeting.

IMPORTANT:

When you register using our online system you should receive a registration confirmation within 30 minutes of online registration. If you DO NOT receive a registration confirmation, it likely did not go through.

Please contact Julie Metsker at the office to confirm receipt of your registration if you DO NOT receive an email confirmation of your registration.

2026 Summer Meeting | August 9-11 2026 | Oak Brook, IL (09 Aug 2026)

Sun, 09 Aug 2026 22:00:00 GMT

August 9-11, 2026

The Drake Oak Book

2301 York Road
Oak Brook, IL 60523

Details to be announced

2026 | October 9-11 | CFA's 100th Anniversary (09 Oct 2026)

Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

October 9-11, 2026

JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort

5402 East Lincoln Drive, Scottsdale, Arizona, 85253

How to Book

All room reservations must be made directly through the CFA-exclusive hotel portal. The portal supports reservations with arrivals beginning Thursday, October 8 and departures through Sunday, October 11.

If you plan to stay outside of these dates, the portal will not accommodate your reservation. In that case, please contact Julie Metsker and she will forward that to the hotel for their assistance.

Prior to registration, please carefully review the Calendar of Events.

OVERVIEW

Because multiple attendee groups and sponsorship levels are involved, the registration process may vary depending on your organization’s participation.

All attendees, including anniversary sponsors, members, vendors, and guests, will register through CFA’s online event registration system.

Before registering, please review the information below and the event schedule to ensure you select the correct options and choose the events you and your guests plan to attend throughout the weekend.

GALA SPONSORS

Your company has committed to sponsoring the Anniversary Gala and receives event tickets based on your sponsorship level.

When registering, please register each individual attending your organization’s events using the Ticket type: Gala Sponsor. Please be prepared to reference the name of the sponsoring company.

Sponsorship ticket allocations:

Platinum – up to 8 attendees
Gold – up to 6 attendees
Silver – up to 4 attendees

Guests of Gala sponsoring companies may also register using the Ticket type: Gala Sponsor. Please be prepared to reference the name of the sponsoring company.

CFA MEMBERS (NON-GALA SPONSOR)

CFA members who have not committed to a Gala sponsorship may register up to two (2) employees from their organization at no cost.

Additional attendees beyond the two-person limit, or guests who are not spouses/partners of the member company, will be invoiced $800 per person.

CFA ANNUAL VENDOR SPONSORS (NON-GALA-SPONSOR)

CFA Annual Vendor Sponsors who have not committed to a Gala sponsorship may register up to two (2) representatives from their organization at no cost.

Without a Gala sponsorship, additional attendees beyond the two-person limit are not permitted.