In two years, Columbus will host the largest annual gathering of union construction workers in North America.
At its January Conference, North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) President Sean McGarvey announced the 2028 Tradeswomen Build Nations Conference will be held in Columbus.
“We’re excited to be chosen by NABTU to host the 2028 TWBN Conference,” said Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council Executive Secretary-Treasurer Dorsey Hager. “The nation is finding out what everyone here in the Midwest already knows – Columbus is a destination city!”
What Is the Tradeswomen Build Nations Conference?
An annual event, the TWBN Conference helps empower union tradeswomen from across North America. It is the largest annual gathering of tradeswomen in the world and the largest assembly of union construction workers in North America. TWBN is a celebration of sisterhood, solidarity and opportunity to help women thrive and advance in the building trades.
Those attending have the opportunity to hear from union and construction industry leaders at plenary sessions, workshops, panels and trade-specific caucuses.
The event also features what has become an annual tradeswomen tradition — the banner parade, where tradeswomen grouped by International Union march in solidarity through the streets surrounding the conference venue to celebrate their respective unions and work in the trades.
More than 6,000 union members — tradeswomen, tradesmen and union leaders — attended the 2025 conference in Chicago. This year’s event is set to take place in Houston from Oct. 9-11.
A Big Win for Columbus
Hager called the announcement a major win for the city.
“This truly is starting to become more of a union town,” said Hager. “I’m excited because of the economic injection it’s going to bring here to the city of Columbus with all those folks spending money – eating food, buying souvenirs, going to the restaurants and the bars and staying in hotel rooms.”
Hager and Ohio State Building and Construction Trades Council President Mark Douglas have already met with Experience Columbus, the region’s destination marketing organization dedicated to growing visitor spending and enhancing the visitor experience. Over the next two years, they will help make TWBN 2028 a success.
Learning From Houston
In preparation for 2028, Hager met with Paul Puente, Executive Secretary of the Houston Gulf Coast Building and Construction Trades Council.
“We went out to dinner, talked about what he’s doing to get ready for it,” Hager said. “I learned a lot from him during our conversation.”
Hager will also be leading a Columbus delegation to Houston to see firsthand how the city prepares for and manages the event.
“Hopefully, we pull it off, and it goes well here in 2028 in Columbus,” Hager said. “I’m really, really excited about it.”