TEXTILES.ORG
Louisville, Ky., was home to the four-day Geotechnical Frontiers March 2-5, 2025, at the Kentucky International Convention Center. The conference featured more than 200 exhibits displaying the latest in products, services and technologies for geotechnical and geosynthetic industries to share developments in geotechnical engineering and technologies.
With 1,906 registered participants, attendees found the conference, themed this year as Racing Towards a Resilient Future, to be a great opportunity to learn more about the industry, connect with other professionals and learn about the challenges the industry faces.
“Attending Geotechnical Frontiers was important to stay informed on industry developments, networking, and learning about advancements,” said Nadia Pieters, COMANCO marketing assistant.” I was there to expand my knowledge of the industry, connect with and understand other vendors and their roles, and to get a better grasp of the challenges that are faced.”
Ed Silva, vice president of global business development and digital marketing for E Squared Technical Textiles, described the show as fantastic and said he never left the company’s exhibit booth because he was too busy. “It’s important to be here and maintain brand awareness, network with new contacts and maintain relationships with existing contacts,” he said. “Louisville is a good location and having the hotel connected to the exhibit hall is a big plus.”
Attending Geotechnical Frontiers was “exceptional” for GeoCAAB. “We transformed our booth into a dynamic, hands-on demo experience, allowing attendees to truly grasp the power and practical applications of GeoCAAB,” said Amberlee Johnson, marketing coordinator. “The level of engagement and genuine interest we saw was incredibly encouraging. It was more than just a show; it was a platform for meaningful connections and real-time problem-solving. This conference provided an unparalleled opportunity to showcase GeoCAAB’s capabilities to a focused audience of industry leaders and decision-makers. In today’s rapidly evolving geotechnical landscape, staying ahead of the curve is essential. This conference gave us the means to remain at the forefront of that technological advancement.”
“I thought this year’s show was an exceptional meeting between ATA and ASCE G-I,” said Melissa Beauregard, P.E., Ph.D., and civil engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District. “I have been to Geotechnical Frontiers conferences previously and I have great appreciation for how well the Advanced Textiles Association (ATA) complements the annual ASCE G-I meet by bringing in extensive industry experience and project-ready products to the conference. Attending was important to me because I don’t know of another conference where academics and industry professionals are so well merged into one event.”
Top industry experts presented short courses, panel discussions, special sessions, poster sessions, Geo PIT Talks, roundtables, student competitions, plenary lectures and technical papers.
Posters sessions on the show floor covered a variety of topics including geotechnical infrastructure and planning and design for future generations. “The highlight for our team was the afternoon poster session, where we had the chance to delve into our research and engage in insightful discussions with attendees,” Johnson added. “What truly sets ATA conferences apart is their flexibility. We appreciate the ability to tailor our participation to maximize our impact, whether through detailed presentations or focused networking. It allowed us to have a very productive conference.”
“A personal highlight for me was a session of entirely Younger Members under 35 years old speaking on case studies that they had worked on,” Beauregard said. “It was so nice to see the next generation of engineers being involved in the conference in a meaningful way.”
Other fun events included a Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory tour. “The event at the Louisville Slugger Museum was also a highlight for me as it provided an opportunity to network in a different setting,” Pieters said. “Overall, this conference was a valuable experience. Seeing the collaboration between companies and vendors and witnessing attendees gain knowledge and insight was inspiring. I appreciate the opportunity to attend and the effort that was put into organizing such a beneficial event. I am looking forward to the next one!”
“I think that ATA brings a lot to the conference when they meet up with ASCE G-I for Geotechnical Frontiers,” Beauregard added. “The value of having so many industry professionals at the event presenting, exhibiting, and demonstrating the latest and greatest is immeasurable. It’s genuinely my favorite conference to attend and I’m already looking forward to 2031!”
Geotechnical Frontiers, a specialty conference and trade show held once every six years as the largest geotechnical conference in the Americas, combined the annual Geo-Congress and biennial Geosynthetics Conference.