Key takeaways
- CRC moved from mid November to late October this year. Book travel and dinners sooner than usual.
- The 2026 awards program is sponsored by Travelers.
- The best restaurants near the venue take reservations about 30 days out. Reserve before you fly.
- Billy is a NexTech Exhibitor and will show live Procore, Sage 300 and Viewpoint Vista integrations for COI tracking.
IRMI CRC 2026 heads to Washington, DC this year, running October 25 to 28. Last year’s Construction Risk Conference in Indianapolis drew more than 1,700 risk managers, brokers, underwriters, claims leaders and contractors. Expect a similar crowd, a new city and a tighter window than usual.
If it’s your first CRC, our 2025 first timer’s guide still covers the basics. This one is about making 2026 in DC count.
What’s new at IRMI CRC 2026
The dates. October 25 to 28 is a few weeks earlier than the 2025 conference. If your company books travel on a calendar cadence, flag it now.
The city. Washington brings a different mix than Indy or Orlando. Expect stronger representation from federal project contractors, surety, and public owner risk teams, and plan your networking accordingly.
The awards sponsor. The Gary E. Bird Horizon Award, the Bill McIntyre Leadership Award and the Words of Wisdom Award are presented with Travelers as the 2026 sponsor. The awards lunch remains one of the best rooms at the conference to meet peers running similar programs.
Agenda highlights already announced
- Preconference seminar: Commercial Liability Insurance for Contractors. 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. A full day on CGL wording, additional insured endorsements and contractual risk transfer.
- General session: First Brood, an economic update for the construction industry. 8:30 to 9:45 AM. The opening keynote sets the context for every pricing and capacity conversation that follows.
- Women in Construction workshop: Amplifying Your Voice. 4:00 to 5:00 PM.
The full session list is on the IRMI CRC agenda. Build your schedule before you arrive.
Plan your three days
CRC runs parallel tracks, and the most common first timer mistake is trying to see everything. A better approach:
- Pick one problem you want to leave with an answer to. Subcontractor default, wrap up administration, builder’s risk in a hardening market. Choose sessions that attack that problem from different angles rather than sampling every track.
- Reserve the general sessions. They’re the shared reference point for hallway conversations all week.
- Block the awards lunch and the exhibitor dessert hour. The kiosk floor is quietest during sessions and busiest right after lunch. If you want a real demo instead of a handshake, go during a session you were on the fence about.
- Leave one slot open each day. The best conversations happen when someone says “come meet this person” and you can say yes.
If you’re renewing a CRIS® or another IRMI certification, attending CRC satisfies the annual continuing education requirement. State CE approvals are posted by IRMI as they come in, and certificates arrive roughly 30 days after the event once you complete attendance verification.
Getting around Washington
- Metro. The Mt Vernon Sq / 7th St Convention Center station on the Green and Yellow lines sits beside the convention center. From Reagan National, the Yellow Line runs there directly. From Dulles, take the Silver Line and transfer at Metro Center.
- Walking. Penn Quarter, Chinatown and Shaw are all within a 10 to 15 minute walk. Most of the restaurants below are walkable.
- Rideshare. Convention week surge pricing kicks in after evening receptions. If you’re heading out as a group, book a table you can walk to.
- Weather. Late October means highs in the low 60s and lows in the 40s. Bring a layer for the walk back from dinner.
Where to eat near the IRMI CRC 2026 venue
After a full day of sessions, dinner is where the real networking happens. A few favorites, all within walking distance of the convention district:
- The DabneyMichelin starred Mid Atlantic cooking from a wood hearth, tucked into Blagden Alley about five minutes from the Marriott Marquis. Closed Sunday and Monday. Book the moment you register.Book here now
- ZaytinyaJosé Andrés’ Mediterranean mezze in Penn Quarter. Shareable plates, mid range prices, and a room loud enough that a table of eight can still talk. Ideal for a casual client or team dinner.Book here now
- Old Ebbitt GrillDC’s oldest saloon, next to the White House. Oysters, crab cakes, a long bar and a kitchen that runs late. A reliable first night group spot.Book here now
- JaleoSpanish tapas from the Andrés group, and one of the easiest downtown rooms to seat a large party on short notice.Book here now
- RasikaModern Indian in Penn Quarter and a longtime DC institution. Order the palak chaat.Book here now
- STK SteakhouseInside the Marriott Marquis. The fallback for a steak and a cocktail without leaving the building.Book here now
DC restaurants fill up during conference weeks, and several of these take reservations 30 days out. If none work, OpenTable keeps a list of restaurants near the Walter E. Washington Convention Center that makes a good second pass.
Visit the NexTech Kiosks
The NexTech Kiosks are where IRMI concentrates the ConTech and InsurTech vendors. It’s the fastest way to see what changed in the tooling since last year, and the only place at CRC where you get a hands on demo rather than a slide.
What to see at the Billy kiosk
If you’re a GC, owner, broker or risk manager still chasing certificates of insurance by email, come see:
- Automated COI collection and review. Billy collects COIs, W9s, endorsements and business licenses from subs and vendors, then checks them against your requirements. The AI Review Assistant flags gaps in limits, additional insured wording and waiver of subrogation before anyone opens the PDF.
- Integrations with the systems you already run. Compliance status syncs into Procore, Autodesk, CMiC, Sage 300, Sage Intacct, JD Edwards, Viewpoint Vista, Trimble ProjectSight and Acumatica. That’s how you stop AP compliance holds before they block a payment.
- Subcontractor prequalification. The prequalification tool puts financial, safety and insurance review in one workflow, so compliance starts before award instead of after mobilization.
- Managed or self service. Bring your requirements matrix and we’ll show you how either plan handles it.
Make it stick after Wednesday
The conference is three days. The follow up is where the return on the trip shows up.
- Connect within 48 hours. A LinkedIn request with one line about what you talked about converts far better than a generic add a week later.
- Schedule vendor demos while it’s fresh. If Billy or another tool solved a real problem in your head on the kiosk floor, book the deeper session for the week you’re back.
- Write a one page recap for your team. Three takeaways, two tools worth evaluating, one thing you’d change in your program. Our piece on the connected compliance workflow is a useful frame for the last one.
- Put one change into practice in November. The economic update, the CGL seminar and the wrap up sessions all point at concrete adjustments. Pick one and ship it.
See you in Washington
IRMI CRC 2026 is the one week a year the construction risk and insurance industry is all in the same building. Plan your sessions, book your dinners early, and spend real time on the kiosk floor. If you want to see how automated COI tracking connects to Procore and your ERP, find Billy at the NexTech Kiosks. If you miss us, schedule a demo and we’ll walk you through it after the conference.
Frequently asked questions about IRMI CRC 2026
When and where is IRMI CRC 2026?
The IRMI Construction Risk Conference 2026 runs October 25 to 28, 2026 in Washington, DC. The preconference seminar is on Sunday, October 25, with the main program Monday through Wednesday.
Does attending IRMI CRC count toward CE credit?
Yes. Attending CRC satisfies the annual continuing education requirement for CRIS® and other IRMI certifications. State by state CE approvals are posted by IRMI as they’re received, and completion certificates are issued about 30 days after the conference to attendees who complete attendance verification.
Who attends IRMI CRC?
Construction risk managers, insurance brokers and agents, carriers and underwriters, claims leaders, surety professionals, attorneys, and general contractors and subcontractors. Past participants include Marsh, Gallagher, Travelers, Zurich, DPR, Gilbane, Barton Malow and Hoffman Construction, among many others.
Where should I eat near the IRMI CRC 2026 venue?
The Dabney, Zaytinya, Old Ebbitt Grill, Jaleo and Rasika are all within walking distance of the downtown convention district, and STK is inside the Marriott Marquis. Reserve early; DC restaurants book out during conference weeks.
Why visit Billy at the NexTech Kiosks?
Billy automates COI collection, AI assisted review and compliance tracking, and syncs status into Procore, Sage 300, Viewpoint Vista, CMiC, Autodesk and other project and ERP systems. The kiosk is the quickest way to see how it fits your existing workflow.
