The TCEQ’s Environmental Trade Fair and Conference returns to San Antonio this May — and early bird registration closes in three days.
If your work touches environmental permitting, compliance, oil and gas regulation, waste management, or any corner of Texas environmental law, the Environmental Trade Fair and Conference is the most valuable two days you can spend this spring. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has been running this event for over 30 years, and in that time it has become the state’s premier gathering for environmental professionals, business owners, consultants, engineers, and regulators.
The 2026 ETFC takes place May 19–20 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio. Registration is open now — but early bird pricing closes April 19. That’s this Sunday.
What You’ll Walk Into
This is not a passive conference. Over 100 classroom presentations spread across 13 educational tracks put you in direct contact with TCEQ staff — the actual agency experts who write and enforce Texas environmental rules. These aren’t panel discussions with vague takeaways. These are working sessions where you get specific, technical answers on the topics that affect your permits, your operations, and your compliance obligations.
The educational tracks cover air and water permitting, oil and gas regulation, industrial and solid waste management, compliance and enforcement, and remediation programs. Whether you’re trying to understand a new permit requirement, navigate a compliance issue, or get ahead of regulatory changes that affect your business, there is a session built for exactly what you need.
The exhibit hall brings together hundreds of companies from across the environmental industry in one place. In 2024, more than 300 exhibiting companies registered for the floor — a range of vendors, service providers, technology companies, and agencies that can connect you with solutions, partnerships, and resources you’d otherwise spend months tracking down. One floor, two days, hundreds of conversations.
The TCEQ main booth is a standout feature for anyone with open questions about agency programs. Bring your specific compliance questions, permitting issues, or regulatory concerns and get them answered directly by the people who run those programs.
Who Should Be There
If any of these describe you, this conference was built for you: environmental consultants and engineers navigating permit applications or regulatory compliance; facility managers and EHS professionals responsible for keeping industrial or commercial operations in compliance with TCEQ requirements; oil and gas operators dealing with air, water, or waste regulations; municipal and local government staff working on environmental programs; attorneys specializing in environmental and regulatory law; and students pursuing careers in environmental science, engineering, or policy.
This is also the right room for anyone who wants to build relationships inside the Texas environmental regulatory world. The TCEQ staff who lead these sessions are accessible, knowledgeable, and genuinely there to help attendees understand the system — not just present slides.
What Opportunities Open Up
Two days at the ETFC can move the needle on things that otherwise stall for months. Permit questions that have been sitting in your inbox can get answered in a hallway conversation. Compliance gaps you weren’t sure how to address get clarified in a classroom session. Vendors in the exhibit hall can introduce you to technology or services that change how you operate. And the professional relationships you build at an event like this — with agency staff, industry peers, and service providers — pay dividends long after you leave San Antonio.
For students, the $79 registration makes this one of the most affordable professional development opportunities in the Texas environmental field, with direct exposure to working professionals, agency leadership, and potential employers all under one roof.
What It Costs and How to Register
Early full conference registration is $165 — that rate is available through April 19 only. Student registration is $79. Exhibit hall booths for 2026 are sold out, but companies can join the waitlist through the TCEQ website.
The conference is held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in the heart of downtown San Antonio. Hotel room blocks are available through the TCEQ directly — book through their official list to avoid third-party booking scams.
Event Details
Event: Environmental Trade Fair and Conference (ETFC) Dates: Tuesday–Wednesday, May 19–20, 2026 Location: Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, 900 E. Market Street, San Antonio, TX 78205 Early bird registration: $165 (closes April 19) Student registration: $79 Register: tceq.texas.gov/p2/events/etfc Questions: [email protected] Special accommodations: Call (512) 239-3143 at least three weeks before the event
