Beyond Compliance: Inside VPPPA Safety+ 2026

Aug. 30–Sept. 2 in Nashville, Tenn., VPPPA Safety+ will bring together safety professionals for four days of leadership, education and hands-on learning focused on strengthening workplace safety.

• By Stasia DeMarco
• Jul 01, 2026

For more than four decades, the Voluntary Protection Programs Participants' Association (VPPPA) has built its annual Safety+ Symposium around a simple idea: workplace safety is driven not only by compliance, but by leadership, collaboration and continuous improvement.

That philosophy will be on full display Aug. 30–Sept. 2, when safety professionals, frontline workers, executives and government representatives gather at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville for the 2026 VPPPA Safety+ Symposium. The annual event is designed to help organizations strengthen safety and health programs through education, networking and practical learning experiences that attendees can apply long after they return to work.

Unlike conferences focused primarily on regulatory updates, Safety+ emphasizes the people, leadership and systems that sustain world-class safety performance. This year's program reflects that mission through an executive CEO panel, an opening keynote centered on resilience, OSHA outreach training, interactive demonstrations, Innovation Stations and VPP site tours.

Leadership at Every Level

A highlight of the conference will be the CEO Panel, where three corporate leaders will discuss how safety influences organizational success.

Matt DeSoto, CEO of MITER Brands; Robert Hart, President and CEO of AECOM Construction Management Services; and Ryan Odendahl, President and CEO of The Kwest Group will share how leadership commitment shapes safety culture, employee engagement and business performance.

For safety professionals, the session offers a valuable opportunity to hear directly from executives responsible for integrating safety into enterprise strategy. Rather than focusing solely on regulatory compliance, the discussion is expected to examine how organizations build cultures where safety becomes a core business value and a driver of operational excellence.

As workplace risks become more complex, executive support remains one of the strongest predictors of successful safety programs. The panel underscores the growing recognition that safety is no longer viewed simply as a compliance function but as a strategic investment in people and organizational performance.

The Human Side of Safety

The conference's opening keynote shifts the conversation from organizational leadership to personal resilience.

Ryan Campbell's remarkable story has inspired audiences around the world. After becoming the youngest pilot to fly solo around the globe, Campbell survived a devastating airplane crash that left him paralyzed. Rather than allowing the accident to define him, he rebuilt his life and now speaks internationally about resilience, mindset and overcoming adversity.

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