Rapid Excavation & Tunneling Conference & Exhibit - RETC 2027

RETC is described as the longest-running and largest tunneling event in North America. The most recent edition, RETC 2025 in Dallas, drew approximately 1,400 attendees and featured an exhibition hall showcasing roughly 200 companies, with an international audience of underground construction professionals. Attendee-count figures for RETC 2027 in New Orleans had not been published at the time of writing.

Registration for RETC 2027 is handled through the official conference website, retc.org, via its Register section, which also includes resources for International Attendees and Letter of Invitation requests. Detailed 2027 pass types, pricing, and deadlines had not yet been published at the time of writing, so prospective attendees should monitor retc.org for updates.

For those interested in presenting, the technical program follows an abstract-and-manuscript process: 100-word abstracts are submitted in advance, and final manuscripts for RETC 2027 are due December 15, 2026. A one-day short course offering PDH credit is also available as part of the program.

RETC was first held in Chicago in 1972 and has run every two years since, establishing itself as the preeminent tunneling forum in North America for promoting ideas, sharing lessons learned, and introducing new technologies. Over more than five decades it has grown into the continent's largest tunneling event, bringing together all aspects of the industry for technical sessions, networking, and a major exhibition. The conference is sponsored by the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME) and its Underground Construction Association (UCA). Recent editions include RETC 2023, RETC 2025 in Dallas — a record-setting year featuring 115 papers across 18 sessions and roughly 1,400 attendees — and RETC 2027 in New Orleans.