2026 GAWDA Central Regional Meeting at Notre Dame
The 2026 GAWDA Central Regional Meeting concluded GAWDA’s Regional Meeting season August 3–4 at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. Following enthusiastic reviews of previous events in South Bend, the Central Regional returned to the historic campus, with the Notre Dame football field providing an impressive backdrop for the meeting.
Workshops, Speakers and Networking
The event kicked off on Monday, August 3rd, with two GAWDA Growth Workshops, presented by the GAWDA Young Professionals Committee. Attendees could either attend the “Ops Track,” which was presented by the CGA’s Paul Pflieger on how CGA can support GAWDA members’ businesses, or the “Sales Track,” which was presented by GAWDA Past President Jack Butler on Lessons he has learned throughout his illustrious career in GAWDA and at Butler Gas.
Then, members got to visit with exhibitors during the opening reception event, before the educational dinner concluded the evening. During dinner, attendees heard from a great panel of speakers, including GAWDA Past President Eric Wood, the “Weld Scientist” Nate Bowman, and Hypertherm’s Jake Brown.
Tuesday was all about fun, as members golfed the famous Blackthorn Golf Club to conclude the event. Thank you to the hundreds of members who made the journey to South Bend. We can’t wait to see you again next year!
