Drill Expo 2026
Drillers and More Get the Opportunity to 'Educate Themselves' at the 2026 NDA Drill Expo
Nearly 500 attendees where treated to two days of education, instruction and networking inside the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville
Nearly 500 drillers, manufacturers and other industry professionals traveled to Nashville last week for the National Drilling Association’s Drill Expo in Nashville from Sept. 17-18.
The two day event inside the convention center at the Grand Ole Opry focused on “getting back to the basics,” said Eric Hajek, president of the NDA, who noted that the goal of “improving communication with members, and enhance educational opportunities.”
In addition to a keynote speaker that kickstarted instruction, the show featured two speakers in Terracon’s Gregg Piazza, who has had a career working in ground and infrastructure projects and now focuses on management of project design from start to finish. Piazza’s talk focused on several case studies mapping borehole locations and looking to simplify projects when it came to timelines, but the biggest takeaway were the cautionary tales designed to help young engineers and drillers understand not just the subsurface, but the entire terrain.
“It’s really important for those just starting out to be prepared, to know what’s on the site before you head out,” Piazza said. “It’s really the difference between saving time and, more importantly, minimizing risk and mistakes that can be costly.
Kerith Gabriel / StaffHis talk was followed by Grant Piraine, who had a similar theme, but focused more intently on the drilling side and understanding what’s below before being work. His chat, entitled: “Know Before You Drill,” was a look at how drillers can navigate liability, specifically when it came to recognizing utility markers, understanding what’s below the subsurface, and stressing that calls to 811 isn’t enough.
Piraine, founder and executive director of the North American Private Utility Association (NAPUA), also works in the private locating space and said that his organization works to bring legitimacy to the field in efforts for compliance when it comes to worker safety, damage and minimizing risk as much as possible.
“When it comes to us as drillers, it’s not only important for us to educate ourselves, but educate our clients,” Piraine said. “[Private locating] is not a perfect process … we know the system is flawed, so however we can educate ourselves before we start drilling, it really does make the difference in avoiding disaster.
Kerith Gabriel / StaffIn all, the two days of the conference offered a chance for drillers of all types, but mainly those in the geotechnical space to converge, offer discussion, but also serve a look at just how insular the profession is. The NDA already has preparations for next year’s Drill Expo, which it announced will be held in Indianapolis at the Indiana Convention from Oct. 6-7.
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