Why Lab Users Belong at the Lab Design Conference
The Lab Design Conference returns May 10-13, 2027, in Dallas, TX, bringing together the professionals who plan, design, build, renovate, and upgrade today's laboratory environments. If your organization is planning a new laboratory, renovating an existing facility, or simply looking for ways to improve the performance of your current space, this is your opportunity to learn directly from the people who have already been through the process.
One of the most valuable aspects of the Lab Design Conference is hearing firsthand from lab users and facility stakeholders—the scientists, lab managers, principal investigators, operations leaders, EHS professionals, and facility managers who must live with the decisions made during a laboratory project long after construction is complete. Their experiences often reveal the lessons that don't appear in project portfolios or case studies.
That's why we're inviting laboratory end users, facility stakeholders, and project teams to submit proposals for the 2027 conference. We're looking for practical, educational presentations that go beyond showcasing beautiful facilities. We want honest conversations about what worked well, what didn't work and why, and what you wish you had known before your project began.
Whether your project was a new build, renovation, laboratory relocation, or adaptive reuse, your experience can help other organizations avoid costly mistakes, make better decisions, and create laboratories that truly support scientific research.
Real-world lessons matter
The most memorable conference sessions aren't polished success stories—they're candid discussions about challenges, unexpected obstacles, and the decisions that shaped the final outcome.
Did your project stay on budget? What caused delays? Were users involved early enough? Did your new lab perform the way you expected after occupancy? Looking back, what would you do differently?
These are the questions attendees want answered.
Lab owners and facility stakeholders attending the conference are often preparing for projects of their own. They want practical guidance from peers who have recently navigated funding challenges, stakeholder disagreements, equipment planning, phased renovations, commissioning, occupancy, and post-project adjustments.
Your experience, including the successes and the setbacks, can provide valuable insight for organizations facing similar decisions.
Lab end user perspective is valuable
The people who use the laboratory every day bring a perspective that can't be replicated. We're especially interested in presentations featuring:
Scientists and principal investigators
Laboratory managers
Operations and facility managers
Environmental health and safety professionals
Research administrators
Core facility directors
Project owners and institutional stakeholders
Even better, consider presenting alongside your architect, engineer, laboratory planner, contractor, or owner's representative to share multiple perspectives on the same project. Remember to budget time for audience Q&A in your presentation. We welcome proposals for traditional lecture-style presentations, roundtable sessions, and panel discussions—interactive sessions are highly encouraged.
Topics we're looking for
Our conference program focuses on practical education, not product promotion. Presentations must be educational, non-commercial, and focused on actionable takeaways that attendees can apply to their own projects. We're interested in sessions covering topics such as:
Lessons learned from laboratory renovations, expansions, and adaptive reuse projects
Experiences planning and occupying new laboratory facilities
Strategies for maintaining research during construction
What laboratory users wish they had known before their project began
Effective collaboration between project teams and end users
Laboratory flexibility and designing for future growth
Sustainable laboratory design from the user's perspective
Selecting laboratory casework, furniture, flooring, lighting, and other building components
Occupancy, commissioning, and post-project performance
Budget challenges, schedule changes, and difficult project decisions
Unexpected obstacles and how your team responded
Laboratory relocations and change management
Designing spaces that improve productivity, collaboration, safety, and the overall user experience
Sessions that qualify for AIA Health, Safety, and Welfare (HSW) continuing education credit are especially encouraged. Tell us how your project improved occupant health and well-being, enhanced laboratory safety, created a more functional and equitable environment, or addressed other design decisions that positively impacted the people who use the facility every day.
Help shape the conversation
The Lab Design Conference has always been built around knowledge sharing between peers. Whether you're planning your first laboratory project or beyond, hearing directly from people who have recently completed similar work can help you make better decisions and avoid common pitfalls.
If you've completed a laboratory project—or are in the middle of one—we encourage you to share your experience. Your lessons learned could help another organization save time, reduce costs, improve collaboration, or create a better laboratory for the people who work there every day.
And if your organization is planning a laboratory renovation, expansion, relocation, or new build—whether it's next year or several years down the road—the Lab Design Conference offers an opportunity to learn from peers who have already navigated the process, helping you make more informed decisions before your project begins.
The call for speakers is open through August 21, 2026. We welcome proposals from laboratory end users, project teams, and collaborative presentations that provide multiple perspectives on the same project.
We look forward to seeing you at the 26th annual Lab Design Conference in Dallas, May 10-13, 2027!
