Back by popular demand for its third consecutive year, The Design District @METALCON returns to Las Vegas from October 21–23, 2025, bringing together leading architects, engineers, designers and specifiers for three days of targeted education, cutting-edge products and high-level networking—all centered on building better, designing smarter, achieving bold design, lasting resilience and high-performance results with metal.
Sponsored by PPG and produced in partnership with AEC Daily, The Design District @ METALCON is a dedicated area on the show floor that offers tailored programming, AIA-approved learning, and access to a showcase of innovative products for both exterior and interior applications.
What to Expect in 2025
- Up to a Full Year of Continuing Education Credits —All in One Place: Attendees can earn up to a full year’s worth of AIA Learning Units (LUs), including Health, Safety, and Welfare (HSW) credits, with exclusive sessions focused on performance, resiliency, sustainability, acoustics, fire resistance and more.
- Morning Kick-off Sessions: Each morning kicks off with featured presentations from industry leaders, including Brian Zamora, Architect & Fabricator (formerly with Frank Gehry Partners) “A Walk Through the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center & Eisenhower Memorial” Erla Dögg Ingjaldsdóttir & Tryggvi Thorsteinsson, Principals of Minarc “Breaking the Cycle of Wildfire Destruction”
- Inspiring Keynote Speakers: Clint Romesha, Medal of Honor recipient and author of Red Platoon, presents “Always Forward – Lessons in Leadership and Resilience,” sharing leadership and resilience lessons from the Battle of Kamdesh, as portrayed in The Outpost. Alex Chausovsky, economic and labor market expert, presents Economic and Labor Market Update – What to Expect in 2025 & Beyond, offering key forecasts and strategic insights for the year ahead.
- Live Case Study in Metal Design: Check out the 2,500 sq. ft. steel-frame Barndominium on the show floor—soon to be a Eagles Landing, a Montana retreat for veterans.
-
Curated Sessions Tailored for Design Professionals:
- Modern Solutions: Advancing Performance in Metal Building Insulation
- Acoustic Solutions for Metal Buildings
- Designing Metal Buildings for Circularity: Reuse and Recycling Strategies
- Advanced, Cost-Effective, Field Touch Ups, Repair and Restoration Solutions for Architectural Metal
- Breaking the Cycle of Wildfire Destruction: The Urgent Need for Fire-Resilient Construction
- Spel(Li)ng (Be)auty in Met(Al)
- Seeing Double: Adopting Twins for De-Carbonization, Resilience, and Circularity
- Sacred Geometry and Metal Roofing: A Match Made in Heaven
- Understanding…And Documenting…the Environmental Footprint of Aluminum Extrusions
- Product Innovation from 250+ Exhibitors: Explore the latest in metal façades, cladding, coatings, roofing systems and envelope solutions across the expansive METALCON exhibit hall.
- Exclusive Networking & The Design District @ METALCON: The on-floor Design District offers a space to recharge and connect with colleagues. Networking events throughout the show include the Welcome Party, Metal & Mimosas, Speed Networking and Oktoberfest Happy Hours.
“The continued growth of The Design District reflects the expanding role of metal in high-performance, sustainable and resilient design,” said Judy Geller, Vice President of Tradeshows at METALCON. “We’ve created a unique, immersive experience for professionals who are driving innovation in the built environment.”
