In an era when so many conversations are happening through a screen, professionals in the climbing industry continue to find unique value in gathering face to face at the Climbing Wall Association (CWA) Summit. While virtual meetings and webinars have become common since the COVID pandemic and certainly have had positive impacts on businesses and professionals, there’s something distinctively special about the serendipity of an in-person exchange: the hallway chat that sparks a partnership; the chance to watch a setter demonstrate their craft in real time; or the immediate feedback that comes from roundtables, pre-conferences and workshops.
Summits like the CWA’s annual gathering are designed around those moments. They bring together owners, operators, coaches, and setters who may spend most of the year navigating similar challenges in isolation. When those voices converge in one place and time, the result is a rare opportunity to collaborate in the same room on solutions that shape the industry’s future.
Returning once again to Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2026, the CWA Summit is shaping up to have all the fixings attendees have loved in years past, such as the block schedule format. Studies of university students have repeatedly shown that block schedules are highly effective for both independent learning and collaborative work. By grouping sessions into clear time slots with shared breaks in between, the structure can make planning simpler, reduce scheduling conflicts, and ensure that attendees have more free time. The CWA also noted that attendee feedback from previous years indicated an appreciation for block scheduling and the more natural opportunities it fostered for networking, hallway conversations, and peer-to-peer exchange.
For an industry built on movement, community, and shared experiences, the value of being physically present remains impossible to replace and important for all of us.
Now is a great time to plan on being in the room and purchase tickets if you haven’t yet—with early bird pricing available until October 1, 2025—and there’s plenty waiting for you if you do.
Expert-Led Sessions That Inspire Repeat Attendance
Another attendee-favorite aspect that will be returning to the CWA Summit in 2026 is pre-conferences. They happen in the days before the CWA Summit itself, taking place before the main event to ensure attendees do not have to miss out on the Trade Show Floor or education sessions.
Each pre-conference is led by an expert in their craft, such as program directors, head routesetters, HR department heads, and experienced coaches. It’s structured as a half- or full-day session in small groups and classroom settings to foster hands-on learning, skill development, and direct feedback from leaders in the field.
Steve Bechtel, the author of several popular climbing guidebooks and training manuals, has attended the CWA Summit almost every year since its inception. Now the founder and a coach at Climb Strong, Bechtel continues to attend and often brings along his coaches for the in-person experience. Bechtel has led several pre-conferences over the years; last year, he led one on program design for about 20 attendees and described the pre-conferences as “part presentation, part workshop.”
“The pre-conferences are about people who want to up their game. The attendees are usually avid learners,” Bechtel said, describing the workshops as “immersive.”
The pre-conference sessions also underscore the human side of climbing businesses. Behind every gym program, hold order or safety protocol is a person making choices that affect communities of climbers. Meeting those decision makers in person can foster learning and trust in ways that can’t be replicated.
Community Hub Sessions: Collaborative Spaces for Open Exchange
Community Hub Sessions are structured as more laid-back sessions where an educator guides the conversation rather than leading it; piloted at last year’s CWA Summit, the format was so well-received that it’s returning this year. They take place right on the Trade Show Floor and are attended by experienced industry members and novices alike. By providing room for every voice at the table, they offer a collaborative space that complements the more formal sessions.
Alex Bernstein, the founder and CEO of Ascend in Pittsburgh, said the Community Hub Sessions engage both the educator and the attendees. Bernstein guided a session last year and said, “I am best engaged in a small setting, so it was very much my speed.”
Community Hub Sessions are meaningful because they create space for candid, peer-to-peer conversations that don’t always fit into formal sessions. Bernstein said the timeframe allowed attendees to “sample their way through a hundred different topics,” making it perfect for those who want maximum exposure to diverse perspectives in a short amount of time.
“I too am going to learn from [the attendees] and their experiences,” Bernstein said. “The benefit was that I got to sit there and listen to other experienced gym managers, routesetters and other roles to inspire myself and bring ideas back to my gyms.”
Connection Continues After Hours
The CWA Summit doesn’t end when the last session wraps. Momentum, a local Salt Lake City gym, will again be hosting a lively after party that will combine food, drinks, and plenty of climbing with a lighthearted, goofy atmosphere. There are often unique activities and giveaways at the party as well; much to the attendees’ delight last year, it even featured a mechanical bull.
“Mechanical bulls are much harder than they look,” said one routesetter who got thrown from the bull on the easiest setting. “I guess my backup career as a bull rider is a bust.”
Erik Durgin, General Manager at Momentum, looks back at last year’s post-CWA-Summit party with fondness. “It encourages people to get silly,” said Durgin.
Trevor Johnson, Assistant Manager at Momentum, echoes the same sentiment. “The greatest part of the CWA Summit and the after party is that it makes the climbing industry feel smaller,” said Johnson.
One of the things professionals appreciate most about working in the climbing industry is the relationship building it can foster; your co-workers become your climbing partners, the minutes before a shift are spent discussing the weekend’s climbing plans, and we celebrate our success on and off the rock together. The post-CWA-Summit party encapsulates this feeling. It’s a chance to trade business cards for boulders at Climbing Business Journal’s Grip Showcase, let conversations flow more casually, and celebrate the connections forged during the past week.
At its heart, the CWA Summit is more than a conference. It is the one time each year when the people who shape the indoor climbing industry step out of their daily routines and come together under one roof. As climbing gyms continue to grow in size, complexity, and cultural influence, the CWA Summit offers a rare chance to slow down, gather, and focus on the future collectively. In a digital age, that kind of presence and shared experience is irreplaceable—and it’s what keeps people coming back to the event, year after year.
Both Durgin and Johnson are advocates for sending Momentum staff to the CWA Summit every year; while they usually select a range of department heads to attend the event with them, they find themselves sending more staff each year. “It’s great for professional development, and for expanding your horizon and understanding of the gym industry,” said Johnson.
For anyone planning to join the 2026 gathering in Salt Lake City, don’t forget it’s worth acting soon and purchasing tickets before prices increase on October 1, 2025.
Whether it’s an intensive pre-conference, a candid exchange at a Community Hub, or a lighthearted moment at the after party, each piece of the CWA Summit’s lineup serves the same purpose: to connect and remind us why working in this industry feels more like being part of a community than anything else.
This story was paid for by the sponsor and does not necessarily represent the views of the Climbing Business Journal editorial team.
