This month I had the pleasure and honor of attending the Maintenance and Reliability Conference (MARCON), hosted annually by the University of Tennessee Reliability & Maintainability Center (RMC), which stands as one of the most significant gatherings for maintenance, reliability, and asset management professionals in North America. Now entering its 30th year, MARCON 2026 was poised to deliver a powerful mix of education, collaboration, and applied industry insights.

For three decades, MARCON has been much more than a typical industry conference. It plays a pivotal role in uniting professionals across manufacturing, energy, utilities, transportation, and other asset-intensive sectors. The event is grounded in the philosophy that practical experience and peer-to-peer exchange are essential to advancing reliability and maintenance outcomes in real world operations. 

The event is grounded in the philosophy that practical experience and peer-to-peer exchange are essential to advancing reliability and maintenance outcomes in real world operations. 

Unlike purely academic or theoretical conferences, MARCON foregrounds applied learning. Attendees commonly include engineers, operations leaders, maintenance planners, and reliability specialists who are actively responsible for keeping facilities running smoothly. Because of this practitioner focus, the conference delivers actionable strategies and tools that participants can take back to their facilities and begin applying immediately, making it highly relevant for both seasoned professionals and those newer to the field. 

Education Through Hands-On Workshops and Technical Sessions

One of the defining features of MARCON is its blend of hands-on workshops and technical sessions. These structured learning opportunities allow attendees to dive deep into specific topics such as:

• Reliability engineering fundamentals
• Preventive and predictive maintenance techniques
• Root cause analysis and problem solving
• Asset management strategies
• Maintenance planning and scheduling

Pre-conference and post-conference workshops, which spanned half-day to full-day formats, offered participants a chance to focus intensively on skill-building with expert instructors. These sessions are designed to go beyond lecture formats, emphasizing interactive exercises and real-world case examples that help translate theory into practice. 

Meanwhile, the main technical sessions typically featured presentations by industry leaders and peers. These sessions provided insights into innovative approaches, emerging technologies, and documented success stories from organizations that have successfully improved their reliability programs. Presentation topics covered everything from workforce development and culture change to technology adoption and advanced maintenance analytics. 

I am proud that APC Media sponsored the launch of the Electric Safety and Reliability Association (www.joinesara.org) with two sponsored presentations by Mark Paul of IRISS and Jon Bucciarrelli of SD Myers, both Executive Editorial Board members. Additionally, I moderated a panel with both Mark and Jon, and which also included Michael Doolan of CBRE and Adrian Messer of SDT Ultrasound.

Networking and Knowledge Exchange

Another core value of MARCON is the opportunity it provides for networking and community building. Because the event focused on practitioners and real-world challenges, the environment naturally fostered conversation and connection between attendees. Whether in session rooms, during meals, or on the exhibit floor, MARCON encouraged a collaborative atmosphere where peers shared lessons learned, compared strategies, and build professional relationships that will extend beyond the conference itself. 

The exhibit hall was also central to this experiential learning. Leading solution providers showcased maintenance and reliability technologies, software tools, diagnostic instruments, and service offerings. Participants explored the latest products, discussed challenges with vendors, and often saw live demonstrations of new techniques that support reliability improvement efforts. 

Highlights of MARCON 2026

Besides the contributions of APC Media and ESARA, the 2026 iteration of MARCON promised several noteworthy elements that made it especially significant:

1. 30th Anniversary Celebration: As a milestone year, MARCON 2026 highlighted three decades of best practices and knowledge exchange in maintenance and reliability, solidifying its reputation as a premier industry event. 
2. Comprehensive Schedule: The conference ran for four days with a mix of workshops, technical sessions, and networking opportunities. Sessions spanned a wide array of topics, allowing attendees to customize their experience based on interests and organizational needs. 
3. Peer-Driven Content: Selection of presentation abstracts emphasized practitioner insights and real case studies, ensuring that the agenda reflected the current challenges and solutions being deployed in industry. 
4. Exhibitor Showcase: Attendees had access to a vibrant exhibitor hall where technology pioneers and service providers showcased innovations that support modern reliability programs. 
5. Professional Development: Whether through workshops or formal sessions, participants gained knowledge that directly supports career growth and operational excellence.

We are thankful at ESARA and APC Media that we were invited to participate in such a meaningful way during this 30^th celebration of MARCON, and we will provide applicable content from the conference in future issues.

This article was originally published in the March 2026 issue of the Power Systems Intelligence From Core to Grid Edge magazine.

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